pepsi can stove again

[walkin' wally]

Sorry if this has been covered already. I could not find an answer with a look at the gear forums.
Is is reasonable to expect to completely soften macaroni with one filling of alcohol in my pepsi can stove?
I am waiting until the stove is functioning properly with the flame coming out of the jets on the side but it takes a while to boil the water and I am out of fuel before the water is completely boiling. That means waiting for the stove to cool some before I refuel it. Then trying again to cook the macaroni. This is the usual Kraft mac and cheese from the box. The stove is from Tin Man and seems to work fine. I 'm wondering if I am doing something wrong? How many fillings should it take? :-?

Thanks
Walkin Wally

[Grimace]

Homemade Alchy stoves all work a little differently. Size of the burner holes for example is a big factor in burn time and heat production.

Mine for example burns for about 13 minutes on 2 TBS of Alchy. I used a push pin needle thingy to make my holes. I would put the pasta in the water right from the get go as warm water will start cooking it before the water actually comes to a boil. Make sure you have a windscreen to direct heat. I also use a titanium pot to aid in heat transfer.

You may also want to experiment with how far away your pot rests from the burner.

Hope this helps.

[walkin' wally]

Thanks Grimace,

My directions with the stove said to put the pot right on top of the burner. I will try putting the pasta in from the start. That might save some time.

[Dances with Mice]

Is is reasonable to expect to completely soften macaroni with one filling of alcohol in my pepsi can stove?...... I am waiting until the stove is functioning properly with the flame coming out of the jets on the side but it takes a while to boil the water and I am out of fuel before the water is completely boiling.......

I don't use the pepsi can stove, I use a modified cat stove instead, but they're all about the same.

How much water are you boiling? Using a lid on the pot, right? Windscreen? Light the stove then put the pot over the stove immediately, don't wait.

For macaroni I'd bring the noodles and water to a boil, stir in powdered milk, cheese stuff, and olive oil then put the lid on and just wait for the noodles to finish cooking, using a pot cozy if necessary. I wouldn't be boiling it the entire time.

[walkin' wally]

Hi Dances with Mice,

When I put the pot on immediately after lighting the stove I lose the flame. There is no flame coming out of the jets for a little while. The flame is only in the center of the can. I am using a lid and windscreen and only boiling enough water to cover the macaroni with a little to spare to soften it. Not really a lot of water. I have an MSR cookset, 7 years old, and I am using the smaller pot. There is about a quarter inch of space between the side of the windscreen and the pot.

Thanks

[Dances with Mice]

When I put the pot on immediately after lighting the stove I lose the flame.

Oh, right, that stove needs no pot support since the pot sits right on the stove. I forgot.

I was just eliminating all the obvious stuff from consideration, and it sounds like you've got the set-up exactly right. Should get hotter water from one filling, though, I agree.

[JP]

No mater what stove I use I soak the pasta first. Put it in something with a tight fitting lid and cover it with water and hike on. When your ready to cook all you need is hot water, the pasta will have soaked up most of the water. Stir in your cheese and let it set a few minutes. I do the same with dry beans but let it soak overnite and cook it for the next days supper.

[attroll]

No mater what stove I use I soak the pasta first. Put it in something with a tight fitting lid and cover it with water and hike on. When your ready to cook all you need is hot water, the pasta will have soaked up most of the water. Stir in your cheese and let it set a few minutes. I do the same with dry beans but let it soak overnite and cook it for the next days supper.
Excellent idea. I never thought about soaking it before you cooked it. I will have to try that.

[Stan Johnson]

this probably isnt the problem but..... what alcohol are you using?

backtracker

[No Pepsi]

I used my pepsi can stove this weekend. Works too good to be true. But you got to have a windscreen to really get it fired up.

[cupcake]

since your stove has the flames coming from the center until they come from the holes on the side, use your pot holder to hold your pot over the initial flame --- at least you'll be "using" some of that heat instead of letting it escape, and holding it above won't snuff out your flame.

[walkin' wally]

Thanks everyone for the great ideas.

I am using denatured alcohol from the paint dept. at Walmart.

I will try the soaking pasta idea. The reason for this post was to save some time and fuel in meal prep for me and to find out if I am doing something wrong with this stove. I have saved some weight with it and I don't have to deal with as much soot as with my whitegas stove.

Thanks

[Grimace]

I use the double walled design. 2 can bottoms pressed together with an inner wall that has holes on the bottom to allow alchy to flow from inner section to outer section. Pour alchy in the middle and as it heats up flames start coming out holes on outer side of can. I have never put the pot directly on the stove. Instead, I used some durable screening to make a pot stand which puts the pot about an inch above the flames. I suppose you could always use tent stakes as well. The minute the flame is lit pot goes on top.

Sounds like you're doing everything else right. However, if you are using a 7 yr old MSR cookset, I'm guessing the pots are stainless steel. Newer aluminum or titanium pots are lighter and conduct heat better though they can be a little pricy. When using a low BTU fuel like denatured alchohol, I feel it is better to use one of the newer pot materials.

[SGT Rock]

Something to consider (something I have found fooling with the stoves) is that if you are resting the pot on the stove, then there is no real need for a double wall since the entire stove becomes a pressure chamber when the pot seals the top of the stove. I was fooling around with a single can design of the V8 style stove with this and got that stove down to a VERY light and durable design. I never finished the page or tested it, maybe I will when I get to Tennessee and get settled. Here is a link if you are interested: http://hikinghq.net/sgt_stove/v8_lite.html

[walkin' wally]

Hi Grimace and Sgt Rock,

The pot I am using appears to be aluminum. It is a dull red on the outside and non-stick black on the inside. The stove is from antigravity gear and is a double wall pepsi can with holes on the outer rim. The directions said to put the pot right on the can. :-?
When I fuel the stove the level drops, after a little while, to fill that space between the walls. I then add more fuel to get to the desired mark on the can. Then I light it.
Sgt Rock; I am in the process of trying to join your site. (Me and computers, not good) I will look at the stove link there too.

Thanks

[JP]

I found a pencil holder to use as a pot support. Its made of a screen and a lite weight metal bottom. I have several homemade stoves, so to get the right highth to the pot put in a handfull of sand , add or subtract to get the clearance you want.

[steve hiker]

I'm cutting the top (burner) section for my Pepsi can stove, and the instructions read:

"Cut out the top section of the stove with a utility knife blade or scissors so that the finished height is 22 mm (7/8 in)."

Does that mean a hight of 7/8 inch from the top of the "lip" or 7/8 along the flat side of the can, ignoring the lip? 7/8 total hight for the entire top section of the stove looks awfully short.

[Lilred]

I'm cutting the top (burner) section for my Pepsi can stove, and the instructions read:

"Cut out the top section of the stove with a utility knife blade or scissors so that the finished height is 22 mm (7/8 in)."

Does that mean a hight of 7/8 inch from the top of the "lip" or 7/8 along the flat side of the can, ignoring the lip? 7/8 total hight for the entire top section of the stove looks awfully short.


That's 7/8ths inch from the base to the top of the lip. IF you're making the one with the inner wall, the wall will keep the top can in place.

[MedicineMan]

if not I think the answer to your problem is judicious use of a pot cozy,,,get the water up to a boil (no problem with one filling) then add the noodles/whatever, let it heat back us as hot as it will get until the alcohol runs out, then put the pot into the cozy, then it will keep cooking for 20 more minutes while you are doing something esle (like setting up your hammock and filtering/treating water)...then its dinner time.
buy a cozy from tinman or make one from wallyworld reflectix (sp?)

[walkin' wally]

Thanks Medicine man and all the other posters. I will try the ideas. I am going to look into a pot cozy too. I used my stove for a hike through the Bemis Range- Maine AT and it worked well. I will try some of the ideas on an October hike from Carlo Col to Grafton Notch next, hopefully.

Thanks