Powdered booze - it's for real

[Mrs Baggins]

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/04/21/powdered-alcohol-makes-sneaking-drinks-even-easier/?intcmp=features

[perdidochas]

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/04/21/powdered-alcohol-makes-sneaking-drinks-even-easier/?intcmp=features

I don't think there will be any weight savings over simply buying grain alcohol, and diluting it down. There can't be. It's basically just alcohol "dissolved" into a type of sugar. That has to weigh more than simply the alcohol. Grain alcohol is dehydrated alcohol (well, 99.5% dehydrated)

[Hikes in Rain]

I don't think there will be any weight savings over simply buying grain alcohol, and diluting it down. There can't be. It's basically just alcohol "dissolved" into a type of sugar. That has to weigh more than simply the alcohol. Grain alcohol is dehydrated alcohol (well, 99.5% dehydrated)

And there's no way you'd ever capture the flavor profile of a ten to twelve year scotch or bourbon. Just couldn't be done; too many variables.

[Del Q]

It has to be lighter, there is no water weight

Right?

[Sarcasm the elf]

............

[Carbo]

You can find it in the same section where they keep the powdered hydrogen dioxide.

[Sarcasm the elf]

You can find it in the same section where they keep the powdered hydrogen dioxide.

Hydrogen Dioxide? That stuff kills thousands of people each year.

[Carbo]

Hydrogen Dioxide? That stuff kills thousands of people each year.

I hear it can destroy steel if it comes into contact with it.

[Odd Man Out]

It has to be lighter, there is no water weight

Right?

Not right. Perdidochas is on target. Pure ethanol is a liquid. So something must be added to it to make it a solid and thus would always be heavier than pure alcohol. But all potable alcohol has some water mixed with it. So how much water could you have in your booze and still have it weigh less than your powdered alcohol for the same amount of ethanol? To know this for sure, we would have to know what is in Palcohol (the trade name for the powdered alcohol). But according to their web site in to response to this question they say, "If we told you, we'd have to shoot you." They do say one package weights "about an ounce" and when dissolved in water, gives the amount of alcohol "equal to a standard drink".

According to several sources (including the NIH), a standard drink is 12 oz of beer (5% abv) or 5 oz of wine (12% abv) or 1.5 oz of liquor (40% abv aka 80 proof). Each of these works out to 0.6 fluid oz or 14 grams of ethanol per drink. Assuming the Palcohol package has 1.0 ounce (28 g) of powder, then Palcohol is 50% alcohol by weight (abw). Converting this to the more familiar alcohol by volume (abv) unit, this equal 58% abv or 116 proof. Thus (ignoring any weight saving in the packaging) liquor that is 116 proof or higher will have a higher alcohol density than the Palcohol. The highest concentration of alcohol you can get is 95% abv (190 proof) which is about 92% abw. This would give substantially more alcohol per gram of product than Palcohol, and doubles as a mighty fine (albeit very expensive) stove fuel.

http://www.palcohol.com/home.html

[Sarcasm the elf]

Not right. Perdidochas is on target. Pure ethanol is a liquid. So something must be added to it to make it a solid and thus would always be heavier than pure alcohol. But all potable alcohol has some water mixed with it. So how much water could you have in your booze and still have it weigh less than your powdered alcohol for the same amount of ethanol? To know this for sure, we would have to know what is in Palcohol (the trade name for the powdered alcohol). But according to their web site in to response to this question they say, "If we told you, we'd have to shoot you." They do say one package weights "about an ounce" and when dissolved in water, gives the amount of alcohol "equal to a standard drink".

According to several sources (including the NIH), a standard drink is 12 oz of beer (5% abv) or 5 oz of wine (12% abv) or 1.5 oz of liquor (40% abv aka 80 proof). Each of these works out to 0.6 fluid oz or 14 grams of ethanol per drink. Assuming the Palcohol package has 1.0 ounce (28 g) of powder, then Palcohol is 50% alcohol by weight (abw). Converting this to the more familiar alcohol by volume (abv) unit, this equal 58% abv or 116 proof. Thus (ignoring any weight saving in the packaging) liquor that is 116 proof or higher will have a higher alcohol density than the Palcohol. The highest concentration of alcohol you can get is 95% abv (190 proof) which is about 92% abw. This would give substantially more alcohol per gram of product than Palcohol, and doubles as a mighty fine (albeit very expensive) stove fuel.

http://www.palcohol.com/home.html

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130825220525/mlp/images/2/23/NBC%27s_The_More_You_Know.jpg

(Seriously though, thank you for that explanation, I found it quite interesting.)

[Odd Man Out]

http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130825220525/mlp/images/2/23/NBC%27s_The_More_You_Know.jpg

(Seriously though, thank you for that explanation, I found it quite interesting.)

I saw that same news story and was wondering the same thing myself and was looking up that info and doing those calculations anyway. I'm a Chemistry Professor. It's an occupational hazard.

[Odd Man Out]

You can find it in the same section where they keep the powdered hydrogen dioxide.

I think you mean dihydrogen oxide. Yes nasty stuff. Found in all cancer cells and reacts violently with sodium!

[BZ853]

Yes they mean dihydrogen oxide

Sent from my DROID X2 using Tapatalk 2

[Hot Flash]

The product may be real, but it's not true that they have approval to market it. So no, you can't buy it yet.

[perdidochas]

It has to be lighter, there is no water weight

Right?

Grain alcohol would be lighter per unit of alcohol. Grain alcohol is about 95% alcohol--i.e. it is dehydrated (the 99.5% in my last post was wrong). This powder stuff is 58% alcohol by weight, meaning the powder weighs about 42%. That's 42% overhead over the grain alcohol.

[Theosus]

Grain alcohol would be lighter per unit of alcohol. Grain alcohol is about 95% alcohol--i.e. it is dehydrated (the 99.5% in my last post was wrong). This powder stuff is 58% alcohol by weight, meaning the powder weighs about 42%. That's 42% overhead over the grain alcohol.

I think the problem is, if you just want to get drunk, carrying 180proof booze around is a good way to do it. Even if you dilute it with water in camp down to 80 proof, so its more palatable, you've still got a pretty crappy drink.
If you really want to enjoy the taste and subtleties of a good drink, its going to have some water in it. Take a nice scotch or bourbon. They're aged in barrels for years at up to around 130 proof before they're diluted to bottle strength (except maybe wild turkey - they barrel age at 101 proof and don't dilute after aging, or so I hear).
So if you want to enjoy a nice, well aged drink before bed (or before tent in our case), you're going to have to carry some water weight with your booze. If you just want to get trashed, or drink trash, carry everclear.
Of course, pure grain alcohol serves double purpose. At a little to a drink at night, and put some in your Fancy Feast stove to cook with.

[Sailing_Faith]

Sad news for UL hikers...


UPDATE at 10:29 a.m. Tuesday: The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau told CNN that its approval of Palchohol was an error. We've amended our headline and Monday's story accordingly.

NPR: BATF says approval was "an error". (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/04/21/305637545/powdered-liquor-now-legal-but-won-t-be-in-your-margarita-soon)

[Hot Flash]

Sad news for UL hikers...



NPR: BATF says approval was "an error". (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/04/21/305637545/powdered-liquor-now-legal-but-won-t-be-in-your-margarita-soon)

Which I already noted two days ago...

[Del Q]

In just the mood, so if you wanted to, could you snort this stuff?

Just askin

Wow, what a great hike, snorted powdered Pina Colada every night, odd dreams, was pretty stuffy in the morning

[Odd Man Out]

In just the mood, so if you wanted to, could you snort this stuff?

Just askin

Wow, what a great hike, snorted powdered Pina Colada every night, odd dreams, was pretty stuffy in the morning

I believe the company's FAQ page covered that. Needless to say they were against it.

[Old Hiker]

Sad news for UL hikers...



NPR: BATF says approval was "an error". (http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/04/21/305637545/powdered-liquor-now-legal-but-won-t-be-in-your-margarita-soon)

Awwwww. And who says the gum'mint don't make no mistakes.

[sfdoc]

FDA pulled the approval about 4 days ago.