Which brand of denatured alcohol? Where to get it in US?

[Walter Carrington]

"Seems to me that the Crown Next Denatured alcohol with 95% Ethanol, 5% isopropanol, might be a less toxic option." Dr_Jimmy

So far, this looks like the safest I've seen, except for everclear.

From wikipedia entry on isopropanol:
"Around 15 g of isopropyl alcohol can have a toxic effect on a 70 kg human if left untreated.[10] However, it is not nearly as toxic as methanol or ethylene glycol."

[Bob Gross]

"Is there any downside to it other that the price?"

The temptation to drink it.

In some states, 190 proof Everclear is not legally sold, and they have a lower proof version, which is not nearly as good as 190.

I tried to burn some 140 proof Wild Turkey, and it would barely burn.

–B.G.–

[Paul Ashton]

The fact that S L X is ca. 45% methanol is probably an advantage. The lower Vapour pressure of the methanol will make it easier to bloom in the winter. Methanol is only dangerous when ingested. It burns to the same exhaust gases as ethanol. Either should only be used in well ventilated spaces, mainly because incomplete combustion of either will produce carbon monoxide. Heet is almost 100% methanol, and is not regarded as dangerous when used as a fuel.
Notwithstanding these thoughts, I will try to obtain the green variety to see if it gives quicker boil times than SLX.

[Bob Salcedo]

It works, it doesn't leave residue, and it's available just about everywhere.

[robert v]

Hey, everclear wasn't bad with some cherry koolaid lol and doesn't take much to make a strong drink ;)

[Yuri R]

At Home Depot you can find Klean Strip Green:

1.Ethyl alcohol {Ethanol} 90.0 -100.0 %
2.Methanol <10.0 %
3.Methyl isobutyl ketone <10.0 %

"Klean-Strip® Green™ Denatured Alcohol cleans glass and is used as a fuel for marine stoves. Not intended for sale or use as a thinner."

Seems like better option than some of the other mixes.

[M B]

use the slx if you need denatured, it is the cleanest burning. It is actually sold as marine stove fuel. Having filthy pot and windscreen is not a goo tradeoff to save 1 min of heating time. You are also burning it, not drinking it, so dont be concerned about Methanol toxicity.

The others all make soot, or worse. especially the kleenstrip green, it leaves nasty sticky varnish on your pot. That will never come off. You cant try to go by MSDS alone. If you dont believe it, try them all. Of course, there is likely large variation in the crud they denature it with ,depending on what they are able to get cheaply, etc. YOu might get a good batch. But slx is always good in my experience.

Of course, everclear is best.

[Monty Montana]

About a year ago I wrote this review, so here goes again:

This review isn't about an actual alcohol stove, but rather about the fuel that all these stoves use. For the vast majority of the alcohol fuel enthusiasts the fuel of choice has been a denatured alcohol such as Klean-Stip's S-L-X brand. However, as Roger C. points out in his series on stoves, the caloric output of denatured alcohol is rather disappointing because it is actually a mixture of ethanol and methanol (about 50/50 according to the MSDS). It is the ethanol that provides the highest heat output, but the effect is dampened by the large amount of menthanol. Buying pure ethanol is prohibitively expensive and illegal in some states.

Recently I came across a type of denatured alcohol that is 90 – 100% ethanol and less than 10% methanol: Kleen-Strip Green! It's marketed as 95% natural and renewable content and biodegradable. And looking at the MSDS it has fewer additives, so one could assume a less toxic fume. The cost is also less than S-L-X by about a buck-and-a-half for 32oz, which is just fine by me!

But to the nitty gritty. I tested the two types of denatured alcohol using my mini Caldera Cone, a BPL 550 Ti pot, and the Trail Designs burner that goes with the set-up. Using 14ml of the S-L-X I brought 2 cups of 65F water to a vigorous bubble formation before flame out at 6 min. 40 sec. The same set-up using the Green DA resulted in a vigorous, roiling boil in 6 minutes…in fact it blew the lid right off! And it hadn't even flamed out.

In conclusion I ascertained that this new type of DA is cleaner burning, has more heat output and requires less fuel to achieve a roiling boil. It is superior to SLX type DA and HEET (the latter is about 99% methanol and thus has a very low heat value). I gave it a 4 rating because even though it is "greener" it still has some additives.

Larry, I buy KSG at Fred Myers, also known as Kroegers in some parts of the country. Just shop around at hardware stores or big box stores with a home improvement section.

[Rafi Harzahav]

I asked this question a while back:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=49336

The conclusion seemed to be that here in the US there is no way to know for sure what is put into denatured alcohol.

I wanted to try 190 proof Everclear, but it's illegal in California and Nevada.

I've put my alcohol stove plans on hold until I somehow get some Everclear.

Good luck.

[Greg Mihalik]

"use the slx if you need denatured, it is the cleanest burning. It is actually sold as marine stove fuel."

Read page 1 of this thread.

SLX is Not want you want to use, regardless of what the can says …

[Bob Gross]

S-L-X works the best for my alcohol stoves. I buy it by the gallon at Home Depot.

–B.G.–

[Hikin’ Jim]

What's the Best Alcohol for Stove Fuel?

HJ

[Greg Mihalik]

The above link to Adventures in Stoving states:

"The best alcohol fuel is ethanol (ethyl alcohol). It has the highest number of calories per gram of any alcohol fuel and burns the cleanest."

Don't believe everything you read: Isopropanol is about 5% higher. (But I wouldn't use it as a fuel.)

[Rafi Harzahav]

Hi,

Does anyone know whether it is true that concerns with toxicity in these fuels include simply getting it on your hands (aside from breathing in fumes or ingesting)?

[Hikin’ Jim]

Really? Iso is actually higher? Thanks for calling that out. I'll have to check on that.

HJ

[Hikin’ Jim]

Greg is correct. Isopropanol has about a 5% higher heat content than ethanol.

Per Wikipedia:

Heat Content of Alcohols
Fuel              MJ/kg        MJ/L
Methanol       19.930       15.78
Ethanol         28.865       22.77
Isopropanol    30.447       23.93

I stand corrected. Thank you, Greg.

HJ

P.S. Blog article on alcohol updated as well.

[Matthew Alan Thyer]

Denatured Alcohol is available at most hardware stores and some marine stores (if you live near the coast). I'm not sure I'd worry at all about brand since its pretty much the same thing (at least chemically) where ever you get it in the States. I've never really tried to use denatured alcohol intended to clear water from car fuel lines because there are usually to varieties of addative and burning one results in some pretty nasty smoke (red HEET maybe?). Just can't keep them seperate in my mind, there's no ingrediants list necessary on a car fuel addative like this, and the cost of these products compared to the volume of fuel you get is high.

[Hikin’ Jim]

I'm not sure I'd worry at all about brand since its pretty much the same thing (at least chemically) where ever you get it in the States.

The same thing chemically? I'm not sure that that is true, Matt. For example: Sunnyside denatured is ~85% ethanol. SLX Klean Strip denatured is ~45% ethanol.

Now, given that wind, water temperature, etc. have huge effects (probably greater effects than the fuel) on how fast things are going to boil and how much fuel you're going to use, maybe it's all a wash*, but there are definitely clear differences chemically.

HJ

*I'm not saying it IS all a wash; I'm saying it might be. I haven't done the testing to know how much practical difference each alcohol fuel mix makes.

[Christopher Davis]

Got my large container of SLX denatured alcohol from Home Depot. Its much cheaper in bulk, considering you can go through it fairly quick.

[Bob Gross]

I go through two or three gallons of it per year, so having a convenient source of it one mile from my home is good.

Now I have to get busy and figure out how to recycle that steel container into something else useful.

–B.G.–

[Hikin’ Jim]

Nothing wrong per se with SLX (mostly methanol) as a fuel. Works pretty well.

Two possible considerations:
For someone who is an ounce or gram counter, ethanol has about 25% more heat content by weight than methanol, so you can carry less ethanol for the same result. In other words with low ethanol SLX, you have to carry more to get the same result.

For someone who has to cook in his tent or a shelter due to weather considerations, methanol and denaturing agent fumes are toxic whereas ethanol fumes are not. A low ethanol mix like SLX will be fairly toxic since the majority of its components are toxic.

HJ

[Gemma Seymour]

I live in NJ, where Everclear 190 Proof is plentiful. Sure, you have to pay the tax on it, but at least it's drinkable. Using Everclear, I never have to worry about toxic contaminants, and you don't really need that much fuel, anyway. I carry an Armor weight Sterling silver Zippo lighter that I use only with Everclear, because the standard types of lighter fuel give me a rash when I put the lighter in my pocket. I just worry sometimes that the fumes coming from my lighter make me smell like a chronic alcohol abuser!

[Hikin’ Jim]

Hope the cops don't pull you over with that in your pocket. ;)

HJ

[Bob Gross]

"Hope the cops don't pull you over with that in your pocket. ;)"

I wonder if that would count as an open container violation.

–B.G.–

[Gemma Seymour]

Doubtful, and I've got a clean driving record. I did think about that, so sometimes, I leave it at home and take a mini Bic.

[Author]

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