Alcohol and water

[HogWinslow]

While I was bouncing around the internet looking at ways to build Pepsi Can stoves I thought I read that if you mix water at a 10% rate it won't make the pans as black. Now I can't find that reference. Was I imagining it or is that true? I made a stove and I'm using the yellow bottle Heat and it works great.

Hog

[KG4FAM]

Its the red bottle Heet that messes up your pots.

[JaxHiker]

Hmm, the only black I have on my pot is from when the paper I stupidly put under the stove to protect the table I was using caught fire. Aside from that I haven't had any problems with soot. You shouldn't play with your stoves inside.

[Old Goat]

I didn't have any soot from denatured alcohol or Heet in the yellow bottle. I've read you will get soot from Heet in the red bottle and from rubbing alcohol.

[JRiker]

the difference here would be isopropyl alcohol vs methyl alcohol. iso (red bottle heet/rubbing alcohol) turns your pots black.

there are a couple of tricks to this. if you use iso, put a little soap on the bottom of your pan first, makes cleanup easier. not sure about diluting. think i read that somewhere but can't remember what site. if i find a link i'll post it.

personnaly i carry iso so that i have a disinfectant as well as a fuel source...

[oops56]

Rubbing alcohol if you put some water with it it not soot the pot.I think on a 1/2 oz. 2 or 3 drops going brain dead getting old not much room to store things up there anymore.

[russb]

Isn't the problem with rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) is that it contains too much water (30%?)?

I have zero soot issues with denatured alcohol.

[JaxHiker]

I have zero soot issues with denatured alcohol.

That's what I'm using.

[Dances with Mice]

Isn't the problem with rubbing alcohol (isopropyl) is that it contains too much water (30%?)? I have zero soot issues with denatured alcohol.

The water in 70% rubbing alcohol is a problem, yeah. Water is a notoriously poor fuel. But the soot and smoke given off by iso is caused by incomplete combusion. Iso requires 3X as much oxygen for complete combustion compared to methanol (HEET yellow).

You can't fool Mother Nature and she keeps careful score. Her scorecard for complete burn of meth, eth, and iso looks like:

2 CH3OH + 3 O2 --> 2 CO2 + 4 H2O + energy (for methanol)
2 C2H5OH + 6 O2 --> 4 CO2 + 6 H20 + energy (ethanol)
2 C3H7OH + 9 O2 --> 6 CO2 + 8 H20 + energy (isoprop)

If all the fuel doesn't combust because it's starved for oxygen then you don't just get CO2 + H20, you also get plain old C. That's Carbon. Black stuff. Smoke. Soot.

[hperry]

Dang, DWM breakin out the chemistry formulas upon us!!

[Skidsteer]

Safer than flaming chainsaws.

[Dances with Mice]

"Water is a notoriously poor fuel." and no comments?! Come on, chemistry jokes don't get better than that.

Which is, I guess, part of the problem...

[Skidsteer]

"Water is a notoriously poor fuel." and no comments?! Come on, chemistry jokes don't get better than that.

Which is, I guess, part of the problem...

You haven't perfected the hydrogen generator yet?

[HogWinslow]

Ok. Thanks everyone. When I tested the stove to heat water I used rubbing alcohol and it sooted the pan. I've since bought Heat in the yellow bottle and used it in the stove but not with a pot. So I'm understanding that yellow Heat will not blacken the pot. Thanks again. I can't wait to hit the trail and try it for real!

[flemdawg1]

Never had yellow HEET blacken a pot. Just use as-is.

[oops56]

Ok. Thanks everyone. When I tested the stove to heat water I used rubbing alcohol and it sooted the pan. I've since bought Heat in the yellow bottle and used it in the stove but not with a pot. So I'm understanding that yellow Heat will not blacken the pot. Thanks again. I can't wait to hit the trail and try it for real!

Why do need to be on trail to try it out to see if it works??

[sheepdog]

Why do need to be on trail to try it out to see if it works??

Yeah, fire that puppy up now!!!!!

[JaxHiker]

It seems like lately I've been firing up one stove or another off the back rec room every night.

[mechanic.mike]

I've read you will get soot from Heet in the red bottle and from rubbing alcohol.

HEET in the red bottle is isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol).

[zelph]

HEET in the red bottle is isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol).

It's not rubbing alcohol, don't listen to most of what this guy says. Don't use it as rubbing alcohol. It's not the same stuff.