Meths

[Pandabean]

I just picked up the last two bottles of Meths in one of the camping shops up here, however the lass at the til said not to mix them as one contains ethanol & methanol. The other one just says methylated spirits.

The first one is Barrettine and contains Methanol Methylated Spirit, the other is Bartoline and contains Ethanol & Methanol.

Is there really any difference between the two and do they effect the burning of the stove?

I had quite a bit before that was passed onto me, so never really had to buy some until now. The labels on those just say mineralised methylated spirits.

 

[Paganwolf]

Go on do it you know u wanna! (waits for mushroom cloud over Aberdeenshire!!)

 

[Pandabean]

I know I want to but i dont think the residents nearby would look kindly upon the big mushroom cloud.

 

[salan]

If that is the case (which I doubt) then nothing will happen. All you are going to do is mix two dif alcohols together.
You can google meths and see what is supposed to be in it.
I personally use pure methanol only.
Ethanol is (in theory) less toxic but as with all fuels treat with respect(you would think of drinking/inhaling pertrol!).
There is a 'calorific value' dif between them but again thats theory, In practice unless you do scientific experiments, you prob will neve rnotice the dif.
Alan

 

[Paganwolf]

they are both are much the same bud, mix n try any way...

 

[Pandabean]

I didnt think much would happen anyway, as long as it still burns afterwards im happy. I was just curious as to why she said it though

 

[nitrambur]

Meths is ethanol with a bit of methanol (up to 10%) and/or other chemicals and a colourant added so you don't drink it, as to why she said what she did probably misplaced good intentions, just smile and nod and she'll be happy.

 

[Paul_B]

Correct me if I'm wrong but both labels are saying the same thing in different ways. Methylated spirits is mostly ethanol with some methanol added with some dyes and additives to make it taste repellant. They added the methanol so it couldn't be drunk as ethanol can be mixed with soft drinks to make an alcohol beverage suitable for people who don't get out of the backwoods that much. Since the HMRC don't like people enjoying themselves without hurting them with stealth taxes, such as duty on alcohol, they added methanol to ethanol sold to the general public (happened over hundred years ago I think). Then later when people still drank it (and some died) they added something distasteful to stop them drinking it and denoted that additives by adding a purple dye.

Either way you shouldn't get any exciting mushroom cloud by adding the two together, unfortunately. Besides two alcohols should add together without much ado even if they were different. Of course that could be a wriong statement so don't hold me to it. But the two labels indicate to me that they are the same. There is one very good test BTW. Burn them. Another good test is to mix them and see if you have any eyebrows left. If you do then things are ok. BTW two things I've learnt from watching others make mistakes is not to add petrol to a slow burning fire! That is an exciting mushroom cloud to watch, especially as it goes around the person's head in a rather pretty fireball.

 

[rik_uk3]

Use away, you'll be fine.