Thanks for posting this Colin, I haven't popped into Home Bargains for a while but that's the sort of price I was thinking of, indeed. I find it's best to grab it when it's in stock (it isn't always!)... Ah OK, fair enough! Yes I noticed that their ethanol was a good price compared to their meths - I imagine due to the larger volume container. I see what you are saying - I did read some of the reviews but for some reason the link to all reviews didn't work....but I agree it's amazing for a relatively high-priced item to attract so many sales / reviews. Especially when the same website lists other good meths brands for a lot less money.
From a friend who's job it is to analyise such things every day. But either figure is not going to stop either of us drinking wine!
Here in Norway the denatured is sold as "RØDSPRIT" of different brands, they do all soot. Adding a little methanol stops the soothing, but methanol is not easy available. Trangia fans use to add a small persentage of water. Looooonger cooking time, but less soothing. dsk
@Colin Geer You really must read further.. Q. Can this be enjoyed with cheese? A: I like to put in on chips and sometimes I use meths instead of oil to cook the chips because I like purple. I have suffered absolutely no brain damage and right now am on my way to the local burger van to scream at pigeons.
@shagratork Hi Trevor, I hope that is right, Thank you for the info regarding the ethanol & B&Q, @ thirteen quid for 3 a steal. Tried four different pansets, clean aluminium, no soot @ all, only light tan colouring on the bases, came off. I could not be more happy. Thanks again & my Best Regards. Optimust. Alan
My order will take some time. I suppose the fuel was identified and is most likely shipping ground, appropriately. Slowly.
I see it comes from Spartanburg SC. I was just in Greenville Monday at a outdoor trade show. I will check tracking later.
In Australia and New Zealand the legal requirement is that wine and sparkling wine must not contain methanol in a proportion exceeding 2 g/L of ethanol content at 20˚C. So in a 750 ml bottle with 12% ethanol content you can only legally have up to 0.2g of methanol, or about 0.25ml, or 0.03 of a fl oz. So as they would say in the UK, there is ‘bugger all’ methanol in wine.
@snwcmpr I just checked, I ordered on Monday and it was delivered on Tuesday!! I must live near a warehouse where it was stocked.
@snwcmpr Tuesday, August 7 12:52 PM Delivered FV, NC US 6:51 AM Out for delivery Durham, NC US 6:20 AM Package arrived at a carrier facility Durham, NC US 4:02 AM Package has left the carrier facility Kernersville, NC US 2:05 AM Package arrived at a carrier facility Kernersville, NC US Monday, August 6 9:02 PM Package has left the carrier facility Spartanburg, SC US 6:58 PM Package arrived at a carrier facility Spartanburg, SC US Package has left seller facility and is in transit to carrier US
I did a bit of testing with new alcohol products. I only tested alcohol in a Trangia. If it can't pass the Trangia test then I am not interested in it for pre-heating other stoves either. I tried 91% isopropyl and, as many of you already know, it burned quite yellow and covered the entire bottom and side of a Trangia kettle with thick, black soot. Now I have a 2L lifetime supply of isopropyl for our medical uses! Next I tried the "bioethanol" fuel sold for fireplace fuel. This morning I used it in a 1.4L Trangia kettle on the T-25. It seemed to burn more yellow than the fuel I have been using but it left no soot deposit. I will keep using it till I make up my mind about it. I think it is supposed to be over 95% ethanol with a bitterant for the denaturing compound. My usual fuel is the denatured stove fuel sold by Kleenstrip, which is supposedly 50-50 methanol-ethanol. The Kleenstrip burns very clean and leaves no deposits, but of course runs into the issues being discussed in this thread. While I am not particularly afraid to burn and use the 50-50, if there is a relatively affordable fuel that dodges the issue, then why not? I buy the 50-50 for $10 US per gallon, but most places sell it for $15-17.
Was your shipping by FedEx or USPS? Let me add. FedEx is the worst in our area. I do not know why, it just is.
@BradB another thing to consider is heat output. Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, contains approximately 12,500 BTU of heat per pound. Methanol, or methyl alcohol, contains just over 10,000 BTU of heat per pound. 50/50 blend of Ethanol and Methanol 11,250 BTU of heat per pound. Ethanol is less toxic and provides more heat per pound than Methanol. Weight is an important consideration for backpackers. Ben
Here is the photo evidence from my testing. The first is a cleaned Trangia kettle. The second is after making a pot of coffee water using bioethanol. The third is after a pot of water using 50-50 methanol-ethanol. Clearly, the 50-50 wins the "burning cleanest" contest. I did not compare heating times but it seemed the bioethanol was a good bit faster. And it has the distinction of healthiest to touch (for now, maybe).
