EKO Bio Fuel

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,297
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
If you could learn to cook like my Mrs then it wouldn't be a problem...with in seconds EVERYTHING just smells like charcoal.....in our house we pray AFTER we eat.

D.B.

Charcoal is healthy for you, it absorbs toxins!
So be grateful..... as it is the charcoal that protects you from the rest of her dish........
 

Leshy

Full Member
Jun 14, 2016
2,389
57
Wiltshire
If you could learn to cook like my Mrs then it wouldn't be a problem...with in seconds EVERYTHING just smells like charcoal.....in our house we pray AFTER we eat.

D.B.
Hahahah, I've just spat all my coffee on the keyboard...
"Pray after we eat..." :D
 
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sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
479
derbyshire
They should smell the same in the liquid state too, if the same denaturisation agents were added.
And taste the same.

Try to get pure Ethanol. A bonus is that you can add a tipple to your coffee too!

Just had a look, its methanol i'v got here and a totally different smell to meths.....just a faint odour of something like a marker pen
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Sounds like they added something to your Methanol to prevent people drinking it.
For those that do not know:
Methanol = Alcohol, highly toxic to body in small amounts. Tastes and smells like Ethanol
Ethanol = Alcohol, toxic to body but in much larger amounts. Great source for fun, pleasure and gives you ' Beer Goggles" wich is a good thing!

Meths = Ethanol with added Methanol and agents that smell bad, taste bad and make you vomit
I think some "Meths" can be Methanol with " added ingredients", this depends on country.

Decades ago, I had an accident with Meths ( swedish T-sprit) the second day into a 3 week trek in the Swedish mountains. Tainted my cracker bread, coffee, flour, sugar and cooking utensils. It was disgusting, I still had to consume some of the food.
Clothes soaked but that was ok.
I had it in a Sigg 1 liter flask that cracked. After that I used the original plastic botles for years, with extra cut up bottle taped around it. No accidents.
 
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PDA1

Settler
Feb 3, 2011
646
5
Framingham, MA USA
Since 2013, denaturedalcohol is made to the same specification in all EU countries. It contains no methanol. The denaturing compounds are isopropyl alcohol 3% and methylethyl ketone, 3% plus 1 gram per 100 litres denatonium benzoate,which is an extremely bitter tasting compound. In the UK it is still marketed as "methylated spirits" even though it contains no methanol. Bioethanol is just another denatured alcohol. it is exactly the same as all other denatured alcohols available in EU countries. If it has the characteristic colour of the old "methylated spirits" it is because a small amount of the dimethyl violet has been added. Methylatedspirits, with up to 10% methanol and maybe some MEK and IPS, is no longer manufactured. This is not the case in the USA, where denatured alcohol can have somewhere between 10 and 50% methanol. Similar formulations to the EU standard are also available, but you need to examine the labels carefully to find out which you are purchasing.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,120
68
Florida
Since 2013, denaturedalcohol is made to the same specification in all EU countries. It contains no methanol. The denaturing compounds are isopropyl alcohol 3% and methylethyl ketone, 3% plus 1 gram per 100 litres denatonium benzoate,which is an extremely bitter tasting compound. In the UK it is still marketed as "methylated spirits" even though it contains no methanol........

This makes me wonder if making your own might be cheaper? All of those ingredients are readily available here; but I haven't worked out the costs relative to buying denatured alcohol.
 

PDA1

Settler
Feb 3, 2011
646
5
Framingham, MA USA
SLX is 50%methanol/50% ethanol approx
SLX Klean Strip Green is 95% ethanol and 5% Methanol and a bit of ethyl acetate

Making EU type from scratch would be difficult/ expensive, as 100% ethanol is not legal in many states, and damned expensive where it is legal.
Klean Strip Green is a good compromise. Not too much Methanol if you are concerned about poisoning. If you camp with kids, definitely a good idea, as kids think "alcohol" is fun stuff accorsing to grown-upos, and will no doubt experiment. WIth SLX they might die. with slx Klean Strip Green, probably not. For the same reason, I don;t recommend Heet yellow if you are with kids or other irresponsible people. Personally, I use SLX about 50% methanol, as it is more reliable in cold weather, and burns cleaner. But only when I am solo, or with adults I can trust not to be idiots.
 
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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,120
68
Florida
SLX is 50%methanol/50% ethanol approx
SLX Klean Strip Green is 95% ethanol and 5% Methanol and a bit of ethyl acetate

Making EU type from scratch would be difficult/ expensive, as 100% ethanol is not legal in many states, and damned expensive where it is legal......

I'll have to check but I thought I saw them all in Lowe's the other day (I didn't read the labels for purity though) The Isopropyl Alcohol and MEK are certainly easy to get (I saw the MEK in both 1 quart and 1 gallon cans but not the 55gallon drums we used to get in the Air Force) but I was wondering about the cost of 100% ethanol as you suggest.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
If you have a still you can get a fully workable Alcohol. depending on the still and the skill you should be able to get a product close to 90%, which will burn nicely.

One slug for the burner, one slug for the coffee....
Organic, Biodynamic, "local production'...
 
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sunndog

Full Member
May 23, 2014
3,561
479
derbyshire
If you have a still you can get a fully workable Alcohol. depending on the still and the skill you should be able to get a product close to 90%, which will burn nicely.

Don't suggest that to the americans...they'll have to fire up the general lee and get the hell out of here before roscoe chops thier hands off!
 

PDA1

Settler
Feb 3, 2011
646
5
Framingham, MA USA
No use reading the labels, they avoid giving details of composition. I use the MSDS data sheets which ahve safety info and compostion . BTW if you are anywhere near a motor sport centre (Daytona, gainsville drag strip etc. ) you can 55 gallon drums of Methanol at good prices as it is used as racing fuel. Ethanol is also used as racing fuel (Indycar) and may also be available in big drums from the same palces. It will be denatured in some way. You can check the so called Bio fuels, which are denatured alcohol. and must have registered MSDS sheets under their trade names.
 

santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,120
68
Florida
90% is difficult to achieve, 90 proof (45%) is much easier, but still requires expertise. DOn;t ask me how I know.

Most of the whiskey distilleries have to cut the final product back to around 80 to 100 proof (40% to 50%) from the original distillate of over 95% (granted they have professional stills)

I think finding high purity alcohol is relatively easy compared to finding it at a price that would make it worth the effort.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,297
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
90% is difficult to achieve, 90 proof (45%) is much easier, but still requires expertise. DOn;t ask me how I know.

Then your still is unrefined. Too violent boil ( too much heat) produces a lot of water vapour that dilutes. Or the colling tower is too short.
You need to have a heatsource that can be finely regulated, and keep the boil down.

I and a frirnd used to make our own. Was and is illegal in Sweden, but we were rebels.....

Santaman, you are lucky to be able to buy cheap alcohol in the shops.
In Norway and Sweden with the high Alcohol taxation, many a still is gently bubbling away now.....
 
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santaman2000

M.A.B (Mad About Bushcraft)
Jan 15, 2011
16,909
1,120
68
Florida
....Santaman, you are lucky to be able to buy cheap alcohol in the shops.
In Norway and Sweden with the high Alcohol taxation, many a still is gently bubbling away now.....

I think you need to re-read my last post. I said that finding pure alcohol might be relatively easy; finding it cheaply might not be so easy.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,297
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
I think you need to re-read my last post. I said that finding pure alcohol might be relatively easy; finding it cheaply might not be so easy.

Got you! You need a dentist or a MD as a friend..... We can get it cheaply. 70% , 95%, 99.9%...
We need it for "surface sterilization" in the surgeries.
In fact I do not need it here, because I have stopped drinking Vodka.
 

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