Non Pressure Alcohol Stove

[HopCar]

A lot of serious back packers use little beer can alcohol stoves to heat water to rehydrate those dehydrated food packs. They often use HEET Fuel Line Antifreeze because it is almost pure methanol. They think is saves them a few ounces of weight because it is more energy dense than denatured alcohol. You have to buy the yellow bottle of HEET. The red bottle isn't as good. This is a pretty expensive way to buy stove fuel, but they only need a few ounces.

[callmecrazy]

Originally Posted by HopCar

A lot of serious back packers use little beer can alcohol stoves to heat water to rehydrate those dehydrated food packs. They often use HEET Fuel Line Antifreeze because it is almost pure methanol. They think is saves them a few ounces of weight because it is more energy dense than denatured alcohol. You have to buy the yellow bottle of HEET. The red bottle isn't as good. This is a pretty expensive way to buy stove fuel, but they only need a few ounces.

That's what I've always used backpacking. Except the only reason to use HEET is because it's readily available at any gas station and the small bottle is more lightweight and cheaper (per purchase, not overall) than a quart of denatured. Usually I just use denatured that I put in my own container before I leave on anything less than a 5 day hike. If its more than 5 days, and there's a good chance of finding a gas station, then it's pretty easy to plan on buying more fuel along the way. If it's serious backcountry and no chance of refueling, I just carry as much denatured as I need.

The difference in burn time for boiling 1 liter of water on my little can stove is less than 1 minute between denatured alcohol and HEET.

[sycpuppy]

I like grain alcohol. It's cheap to make and you can drink your cooking fuel, also works as a degreaser and starter fluid. Don't drink any of the others. Blindness, kidney failure and death suck. Just thought I'd toss that up there because you never know who would try.

[cal40john]

Generally as the carbon chain gets shorter the energy contained in the fuel decreases.
These links:
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/pdfs/afv_info.pdf
Heat of combustion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
state that ethanol has more heat content than methanol.

Here's someone's science experiment where it took more methanol than ethanol to heat water:
https://vincent02pd2011.wikispaces.c...hanol+Fuel+Lab

I've found a couple of websites that state some brands of ethanol contain a significant quantity of water which noticeably impacts how well it works, which could be a reason that methanol is thought to work better.

I wonder if another possibility is that the methanol burns faster than ethanol. You still would have lower fuel economy, but faster cook times.

John

Originally Posted by HopCar

Methyl hydrate is also know as methyl alcohol, methanol and wood alcohol. It has more BTU per gallon than ethanol or denatured alcohol. In fact denatured alcohol (stove alcohol) is ethanol with methyl alcohol added to make it undrinkable. I've never tried it in my stove but I'm going to. It should make the stove even hotter. Shorebird, are you sure it won't blow up in my face?

Originally Posted by callmecrazy

That's what I've always used backpacking. Except the only reason to use HEET is because it's readily available at any gas station and the small bottle is more lightweight and cheaper (per purchase, not overall) than a quart of denatured. Usually I just use denatured that I put in my own container before I leave on anything less than a 5 day hike. If its more than 5 days, and there's a good chance of finding a gas station, then it's pretty easy to plan on buying more fuel along the way. If it's serious backcountry and no chance of refueling, I just carry as much denatured as I need.

The difference in burn time for boiling 1 liter of water on my little can stove is less than 1 minute between denatured alcohol and HEET.

[HopCar]

John, I bet you're right about water content in denatured alcohol making it seem to have less energy than methanol. I have had people tell me that different brands of denatured alcohol work better in stoves than other brands. I guess that means that pure ethanol would make the best stove (non pressurized) fuel if cost isn't a factor.

[jolly-roger]

Opening the top of your stove to refill the canisters... both control knobs need to be in the "off" position before the top will open. Mine has a round hole that I stick a screwdriver in to release the latch, then open. hope this helps...

[Rakuflames]

Originally Posted by jolly-roger

Opening the top of your stove to refill the canisters... both control knobs need to be in the "off" position before the top will open. Mine has a round hole that I stick a screwdriver in to release the latch, then open. hope this helps...

THANK YOU!! I haven't been able to get mine open, and I will try those things.

[smaarch]

to the OP
reminds me of a time.....
when you are making that cup of coffee on burner number 1 and then with eyes half open, decide to cook some breakfast on the second burner.
but in order to this you need to refill the burner...of course while the first one is lit brewing your coffee.......all the while the rocking in a swell.
when your girlfriend asks: "what can i do" at the sight of flames leaping up off the galley
..and you, as captain declare (with some authority mind you)--- "stand back I've got it under control!"---- as you reach for the fire extinguisher and fill the entire boat with white powder.

Trust me the diner just next to the marina makes far better coffee.
and the bacon and eggs are to die for.

hahahaha

[hriehl1]

Just for the record:
Ethanol (such as 200 proof grain alcohol) is considered the best for stoves but is unavailable (because people would drinkl it instead of burn it).
Methanol is wood alcohol, is poisonous and is OK but less good than ethanol in stoves.
Denatured alcohol in not any one thing. It is generally an ethanol base with methanol and other additives to render it smelly, undrinkable and poisonous. Generally, a denatured alcohol with higher levels of ethanol is best in a stove... check MSDS sheets. Sunnyside is a popular hardware store brand of denatured with relatively high levels of the (good stuff) ethanol, somewhare around 85%. S-L-X Green is good too, S-L-X regular (red can) is not so great.

[micah719]

My eldest sister makes homemade Eggnog...lots of egg yolk, sugar and pure medical alcohol bought from pharmacies. Probably too expensive to use as fuel, though perhaps further up the supply chain it might be viable. Whatever, the eggnog is nice....

[ArmyDaveNY]

I have an Origo two burner stove and it works very well. It is easy to use and easy to clean. I go to the local hardware store and buy denatured alcohol. I get no soot on my pots and pans.

I have used propane and that works well too but given that the Origo works very well, is easy to use and clean, simple (less to go wrong), inexpensive to use and maintain, and that I don't have an oven (bummer), it's not worth it for me to change to propane.

Here is a good site for Origo parts. I haven't ordered from them in just over a year but they were fast, accurate, and very helpful. Good luck.
Portable Stoves - Swego.com