Alcohol stoves have been common on production sailboats and powerboats for decades. Alcohol is a relatively safe fuel that, when liquid, does not explode. Its fires can be put out with water, but it has low heat content, burns with a sort of offensive odor and gives off a lot of water when it burns.
What kind of alcohol goes in a boat stove?
Methyl Hydrate
This fuel alcohol is cheap: about $2.50/L at the release of this vlog, vs about twice that for naptha or white gas, offers high power density, and burns cleanly with no soot.
How does an alcohol stove on a boat work?
To fuel them, alcohol is poured into a stainless-steel fuel canister, which is then placed inside the stove. The cook simply opens the stovetops burner by turning the flame adjustment knob and lights the alcohol using a handheld butane lighter or other long, grill-style lighter.
Are alcohol stoves any good?
Possibly not the best option for “gourmet” hikers. Alcohol stoves are generally less fuel-efficient than other stoves, which means you will have to carry a little more fuel than you normally would. That being said, I have found the difference to be negligible in relation to the weight saved by the actual stove itself.
Are alcohol stoves safe on a boat? – Related Questions
What are the disadvantages of alcohol stoves?
Cons of an alcohol burning camping stove: Slowing cooking time – you won’t have that cup of tea in your hands within 90 seconds that’s for sure. Wind and cold are not your friends. They burn fuel quickly.
Can you burn vodka in an alcohol stove?
Most vodka is too weak to burn. DO NOT EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT FUELS IN ALCOHOL STOVES. Some fuels will try to kill you quickly – other promising but more insidious types produce fumes which can cause brain damage. No intentions of trying anything other fuel approved for stoves or drinking alcohol.
How long does an alcohol stove last?
The vapors escape from a ring of small holes to create a nice even fire. The flame ignites the vapors, not the liquid fuel. Two ounces of alcohol will burn for 10-15 minutes depending on the type of alcohol you are burning. Extinguish by gently replacing the cap over the flames and smothering them.
How efficient are alcohol stoves?
Conversely, alcohol stoves are lucky to hit 50% and most hover around 40% (personal data) in ideal conditions and much less in the outdoors (~30%). The best alcohol system I’ve ever tested (1.3L wide pot + caldera cone + Starlyte stove) was 53% efficient indoors for a pint.
What can you burn in an alcohol stove?
Here are the best alcohol stove fuels:
- Crown Alcohol Stove Fuel.
- Klean Strip Green Denatured Alcohol.
- HEET.
- 99% Isopropyl Alcohol.
- Iso-HEET.
Is alcohol safe to burn indoors?
Although alcohol is one of the safest fuels to burn indoors, proper ventilation is required to ensure adequate oxygen is available for complete combustion to prevent carbon monoxide from building up. Be sure to keep a working carbon monoxide detector with a digital readout nearby when burning anything!
Can you use Everclear in an alcohol stove?
Everclear is great if you can get the 95% stuff. The non-isopropyl HEET is fine. You can find denatured alky at any hardware/paint store.
Are alcohol stoves toxic?
Re: Alcohol Stoves
Decent heat content, very clean burning, but definitely toxic in terms of fumes and skin absorption.
Can you boil water with alcohol stove?
Most alcohol stoves also have only one flame setting. This is fine for bringing water to a boil, but suboptimal for gourmets looking to simmer their meal. Compared to highly flammable white gas, alcohol fuel is significantly less hazardous to carry. (Many hikers store it in small plastic bottles to minimize weight.)
How do you extinguish an alcohol fire?
Use a CO2, halon, or dry chemical extinguisher that is marked B, C, BC, or ABC. An alcohol-type or alcohol-resistant (ARF) foam may be used to effectively combat fuel ethanol fires.
How much fuel does an alcohol stove use?
Alcohol stoves require about 1 oz of alcohol per meal.
Does alcohol burn clean?
And ethanol does, in fact, burn cleanly.
What is the cleanest burning alcohol?
Denatured Alcohol is a clean burning fuel that produces an odorless and smokeless flame used in marine stoves and other alcohol-burning appliances.
Is Coleman fuel denatured alcohol?
The Coleman alcohol stove I have is a model 347. It is made to run on ethanol, or what we call denatured alcohol nowadays. To change a CF burner, whether stove or lantern, to alcohol requires a huge increase of fuel.
What kind of alcohol is used in an alcohol burner?
Fill the lamp with a suitable fuel: denatured or ethyl alcohol (also called ethyl alcohol, ethanol or ethyl hydrate) with an alcohol content of 90% or higher. You can also used isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol with an alcohol content of 90% or higher.
Can you burn Everclear?
It burns cleanly with a blue flame. It produces some soot and almost no odor when burned. Other than the expense, Everclear is a fantastic choice for a cooking fuel.