Alcohol stove out of a soda or beer can question

[Spirit Bear]

I just finished making a stove out of 3 soda cans, 1 for the top 1 for the bottom and 1 for the seal inside. It works great until I place the pot on the stove then the jets die out. Any suggestions?

[FarmerChef]

Typically the pot is not supposed to go on the stove itself. It's supposed to be on a pot stand. There are several different ways of making one. I use a piece of hardware cloth cut to the appropriate height (you'll need to tinker with that a bit to find what works best with your stove). I cut the edge of the cloth such that I could bend the wires into hooks. Then I simple bend it into round and hook the hooks onto the grid on the opposite side. This keeps it from opening flat again. With pot on top the flames keep coming and coming.

[Spirit Bear]

Typically the pot is not supposed to go on the stove itself. It's supposed to be on a pot stand. There are several different ways of making one. I use a piece of hardware cloth cut to the appropriate height (you'll need to tinker with that a bit to find what works best with your stove). I cut the edge of the cloth such that I could bend the wires into hooks. Then I simple bend it into round and hook the hooks onto the grid on the opposite side. This keeps it from opening flat again. With pot on top the flames keep coming and coming.

Great, do you just use some foil for a windscreen?

[patman25]

I've made a hobby out of making stoves, and by far my favorite is the double walled stove you make out of an aluminum bud light bottle. Just make sure you put the holes far enough down and it works perfectly well as a pot stand as well. The different thing I did was that instead of "pressing it", I simply used a block of wood and a hammer and hit it a few good whacks to roll the edge. Works well once you get the hang of it. I made 2 or 3 before I got a good straight edge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us7AeG7OEY4

[DeerPath]

I just finished making a stove out of 3 soda cans, 1 for the top 1 for the bottom and 1 for the seal inside. It works great until I place the pot on the stove then the jets die out. Any suggestions?

Take a look at this site, it may help you. There are many YouTube sites for alcohol stoves.
http://andrewskurka.com/2011/how-to-make-a-fancy-feast-alcohol-stove/

[FarmerChef]

Great, do you just use some foil for a windscreen?

Yes. The great thing about foil is it can be used for multiple uses not just the windscreen. I use heavy duty baking foil to prevent tears and I have been using the same piece now for about, oh, 500 miles. Not bad for a piece of foil. :D

[MDSection12]

If it is a traditional 'pop can stove' or a 'penny stove' then you just aren't letting it prime enough. You have to wait until the jets really get going before putting the pot on. No stand is needed for those types. Got a pic?

[Odd Man Out]

Some designs need pot stand. Others don't. But even the designs where the pot sets right on the stove will benefit from having a pot stand. The heat from the burning stove causes the alcohol to boil making the fumes that feed the flame jets (this preheating is what the priming refers to). Putting a cold pot of water on a stove acts as a big heat sink, preventing the alcohol vaporization and shuts the stove off or down, thus more priming is needed. Keeping the pot from direct contact with the stove makes it less sensitive to these temperature fluctuations and cuts down on the priming time.

[Another Kevin]

I finished off the six-pack and made a simmer ring and a stand/primer dish. The stove runs a lot better in cold weather if it's got a quarter inch of air between it and the cold ground, and burning a few drops of alcohol in the stand makes it prime much faster. In fact, I have to be careful dropping the alcohol in - if I get as much as a quarter-teaspoon in the primer, the stove flares.

I cut my windscreen from a foil cookie sheet - even heavier than baking foil. I never worry about it tearing. I run it quite close around the edge of the pot so that it channels the heat like a chimney. I punched a double row of air holes around the bottom - below the level of the stove jets - with an office paper punch.

I have a disk from the same material to go under the stove as a heat reflector. It helps with fuel efficiency. The disk also has a double row of holes punched around the edge because...

If I'm really leading a life of luxury, I'll throw in another strip cut from the edge of the cookie sheet and bent into a spiral. Put the spiral in my pot, pour in a half inch of water, put the disk on top, and set a couple of foil baking cups with muffin mix and a little dried fruit kneaded in. Cover, heat with the stove with the simmer ring in place for about 3/4 ounce of alcohol worth (say, 15 minutes or so of steaming) - fresh hot muffins for the morning! It's sarbar's idea originally: http://www.trailcooking.com/thefauxbaker . Only one foil disc is needed, because I don't use the heat reflector with this arrangement and leave the windscreen/chimney loose. The stove doesn't simmer well with the heat reflector in place.

All the tinfoil gadgetry weighs about an ounce and stows inside the pot. For me, it's well worth the ounce, and worth the extra fuel for steam baking. Because I find that real food keeps my spirits up. But I'm a clueless weekender. No doubt the Real Hikers have other ways to keep their spirits up.

[FarmerChef]

Alcohol stoves also require oxygen in order for the jets to burn. When setting a pot directly on top of the stove it typically is sitting directly on the outer rim of the can. This prevents enough oxygen from reach the jets such that they can burn at full force or at all. As OMO points out the cold stove can also act as a heat sink "sucking" heat from the fuel reservoir and preventing further vaporization.

A pot stand has a couple benefits. It let's you adjust the pot height to be ideal for the peculiarities of the holes you drilled for the jets. This will allow for more BTUs and better coverage of your pot bottom with flame.

Second, it can sometimes afford a wider base (read: sturdier) to set your pot on. Also, by separating the pot from the stove physically if you accidentally tip your pot over and the pot stand you are less likely to also tip over your stove and spill burning fuel.

[Spirit Bear]

If it is a traditional 'pop can stove' or a 'penny stove' then you just aren't letting it prime enough. You have to wait until the jets really get going before putting the pot on. No stand is needed for those types. Got a pic?

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/225481_10200814908237288_988750353_n.jpg

[Spirit Bear]

it burns great when I hold the pot about half a quarter of an inch to half an inch off the can, perfect even flames. I am going to head over to my new REI, (Home Depot) to see what I can come up with for a light weight stand.

[Spirit Bear]

Yes. The great thing about foil is it can be used for multiple uses not just the windscreen. I use heavy duty baking foil to prevent tears and I have been using the same piece now for about, oh, 500 miles. Not bad for a piece of foil. :D

I just made a perfect wind screen out of tin foil, it is wide enough for the stove but shorter than my pot handle. It works perfect. Thanks. I just tested it outside in 30 degree temp and wind. No problem as long as I held the pot about a quarter of an inch off the stove, it would burn when I place the pot on the stove however not as effecient and would sometimes flicker out until I lifted it again.

[MDSection12]

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc6/225481_10200814908237288_988750353_n.jpg

Try making it shorter next time. With it being so tall the heat from the jets has trouble heating the liquid in the bottom.

[mcstick]

I just finished making a stove out of 3 soda cans, 1 for the top 1 for the bottom and 1 for the seal inside. It works great until I place the pot on the stove then the jets die out. Any suggestions?


I never carry a stand. I always use a couple of well placed stones to rest my pot on and just put the beer can stove in the middle. The stones double as a windscreen. Never once had a problem finding the appropriate sized stones within a minute of getting to camp.

[Spirit Bear]

I never carry a stand. I always use a couple of well placed stones to rest my pot on and just put the beer can stove in the middle. The stones double as a windscreen. Never once had a problem finding the appropriate sized stones within a minute of getting to camp.

Now you're talking. Thanks for the advice.

[MDSection12]

Now you're talking. Thanks for the advice.
AFAIK that particular stove is not supposed to be used with a pot stand. The pot is supposed to snuff the flame out from the center and leave only the jets burning. Yours just didn't prime properly, probably because of its height. Burning those with a pot stand will burn more fuel, and in my opinion (based on experience) create less heat.

[MDSection12]

Here's a pic of one I made from regular soda cans (I use two for each stove, you can get plenty for the inner wall from one of the cans if you cut them shorter) and one from the smaller coke cans.

https://www.hammockforums.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=47741&d=1363124239

[FarmerChef]

I can see that. Then I have to agree that the most likely culprit here is that your stove is too tall. This makes it difficult for the heat to transfer down the sidewalls and keep the alcohol boiling.

[Spirit Bear]

I can see that. Then I have to agree that the most likely culprit here is that your stove is too tall. This makes it difficult for the heat to transfer down the sidewalls and keep the alcohol boiling.

Thanks everyone, I am making a new one today out of those new smaller 7.5 oz coke cans. Also will get the height lower.

Thanks again for the feedback. It was on here where I got the idea to begin with.

[MDSection12]

Thanks everyone, I am making a new one today out of those new smaller 7.5 oz coke cans. Also will get the height lower.

Thanks again for the feedback. It was on here where I got the idea to begin with.
Have patience; getting the two halves together is more difficult with the smaller cans for some reason. It will go, just take your time.