HEET for stoves

[Willem Jongman]

Rumor has it that the composition of HEET has been changed and that is now a messy fuel for alcohol stoves. Or does this apply to only some types? Sorry as a European I cannot just go out and try, and would like to know beforehand.
Willem

[Bob Gross]

In the U.S., there is HEET in a red bottle and some different HEET in a yellow bottle. They are different types of alcohol. Which one has your interest? (Yellow is hotter).

–B.G.–

[Anonymous]

You should only use Yellow in your stove.

[Wallace Hunter]

Just FWIW… I always use Yellow. I heard red makes your pots SOOT, and so I stick with what I know and have used for a long time.

YELLOW HEET works great.

[Willem Jongman]

Thank you guys. The rumor was that the Yellow HEET had changed and was now pretty soooty. Perhaps this was just a false rumor.
thanks,
Willem

[Austin Lowes]

Let me get this straight: should I use the yellow or red bottle? I've been using the red bottle, and yes, this does leave soot, but I've been told that the yellow bottle flares up and burn extremely hot. What's everyone's take?

[Steve Cain]

Use the yellow bottle. Its composition is 100% methanol and it burns quite nicely. Don't breath the fumes if you can help it, methanol is toxic.

[Coin Page]

My understanding from the MSDS is that red bottle HEET is 99% isopropanol = isopropyl alcohol, whereas, as above, yellow bottle heet is 99% methanol = methyl alcohol. I think the yellow burns better and cleaner. But the yellow is probably more toxic, so I try to avoid breathing the vapors or getting it on my skin, as much as possible.

[Tony Beasley]

Hi Austin,

>Let me get this straight: should I use the yellow or red bottle? I've been using the red bottle, and yes, this does leave soot, but I've been told that the yellow bottle flares up and burn extremely hot. What's everyone's take?

If possible do not use red heat, check this article out.

Tony

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/alcohol_fuels_part_one.html

[John Donewar]

Good Hikers,

>>But the yellow is probably more toxic, so I try to avoid breathing the vapors or getting it on my skin, as much as possible.<<

>>Use the yellow bottle. Its composition is 100% methanol and it burns quite nicely. Don't breath the fumes if you can help it, methanol is toxic.<<

Hence the reason I made the move to Everclear. 190 proof/95% grain alcohol. I classify it as multiuse gear. It can be a fuel, an antiseptic, solvent and mixed in the proper proportions with the beverage of your choice a nightcap before turning in for the night.

Party On ! 2010

Newton

[Dont Wantto]

Hey John,

Somewhat paranoid about handling toxins myself, esp. near food, I was considering Everclear as well (when available).

Would you be able to tell me how long a 750 ml bottle lasts? How much water might you be able to boil?

The Zen stoves website estimated something like $1 each time you boil 2 cups of water in those cat can stoves.. Does that sound consistent with your experience?

[Travis Leanna]

I use Everclear in my Super Gram Weenie. That actually works better than anything else I've found. I can boil 12 ounces of 40 F water on 1/2 ounce (15 ml) of Everclear at room temperature.

So, a 750 ml bottle would give you 50 12-ounce boils, or 75 cups boiled per bottle.

I can get a bottle for $14, which will cost $0.19 per cup of water boiled.

Now, granted this is in a laboratory setting (my kitchen), which will vary greatly in the field. ( But, I do get get a solid rolling boil for about 45 seconds, which, from my experience, will give me at least very very hot water even on cold days, which is all I ever need)

[Bob Gross]

You could probably cut the alcohol cost down by using white lightnin'.

–B.G.–

[Dirk Rabdau]

190-proof and 151-proof. The 190 proof variety is illegal in a lot of states, including California and Washington.

The 151-proof is avaialble in some of the states where the 190-proof stuff is banned.

Dirk

[John Donewar]

Dont Wantto,

750 ml is equal to @ 25.4 oz. Mine came in the 1.75 liter container. So I started out with 59.2 oz. Prices for this size run around $32.00. At this price every ounce equals @ 54 cents.

In my kitchen doing test boils with a Whitebox Solo stove and a MSR Titan Mini Kettle I got rolling boils with 2 cups of tap water in about what I think was @ 6 minuites or so. I am sorry about the vaugeness of my answer but it has been quite a while ago. I will say that I was pleased with the quickness and saw a marked improvement over the Yellow Heet.

I used probably just a little over an ounce of Everclear since I used a priming "puddle" around the base of the stove to get it to blossom quickly. The Solo's fuel capacity is 1.25 oz. All this said I believe that each test run set me back 81 cents. Whitebox says to expect a burn time of 14 minutes. I do not remember how long the stove continued to burn. But if I do the math I should have been able to get a boil with the stove just running out of fuel as the water boiled using 3/4 oz. that would bring my cost down to @ 41 cents.

>>paranoid about handling toxins myself, esp. near food<<

With the amount of $ I spend on gear and materials for MYOG projects the piece of mind I get from not handling toxic fuels out weighs the cost for me. :-)

>>how long a 750 ml bottle lasts<<

For me the math says a little over 33 burns in my stove to boil 66 cups of water using 3/4 oz of Everclear as fuel on each burn. Cold mountain water, altitude and cooler temperatures will change all of this naturally.

Edited to correct some misinformation.

My apologies for mistakenly "assuming" that I had a 1.75 liter container. I did in fact have a 750 ml bottle. I still prefer to deal in ounces and inches. The original container is lone gone as apparently is my memory. :-P

I looked into my closet and noticed that my current container of "stove fuel" is a one liter bottle. It is another brand of 95% alcohol locally available called interestingly enough, Diesel. :-)

The original bottle of Everclear was the slightly smaller 750 ml. At current prices 750 ml sells for @ $20.19. After crunching the numbers again at this price my cost per burn does in fact work out to $1.00 per burn.

I believe the math in the original post for cost still works out if you can get the larger 1.75 liter bottle. The math should also work out for the number of burns.

I apologize again for my confusion. ;-)

I need a hike to soothe my aging brain. :-)

Party On ! 2010

Newton

[John Donewar]

Edit to correct my original post.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/process#forumtop

Party On ! 2010

Newton

[Coin Page]

In many (most?) states, including NC, it is illegal to carry drinkable ethanol in the "passenger area" of a vehicle, except in the original container with unbroken seal.

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