off topic - bio ethanol fireplace

[Curmudgeon]

Apologies for off topic. Can I use foreshots and heads as fuel in a decorative fireplace/burner? The bought stuff is £3+ a litre.

[billmcc]

can''t see why not i use them in a camping stove

[Curmudgeon]

Thanks Bill. Having had a bit of a search about, the knack would seem to be getting pretty flame colours ie impure alcohol, while getting good drinking spirits. I have a packet of turbo 48 somewhere that I may use just for fuel while not educating swmbo that I bluffed about the still being for "her" fire.

[Easydrinker]

Naughty, Naughty!
I use Foreshots and Heads on occasion as wood fire starting fuel.
Unknown to me are the fires of which you speak, but you could always try and flavour your fire fuel by putting it in jars with different metals?

Robert.

[Mash]

I have burnt it in camp stoves too.
Not a problem. Would be interested to hear about your experiments with colours.

[Curmudgeon]

Finally got round to trying this.

Heads with foreshots binned starts as a nice blue flame as expected and then develops some yelow and red at the tips of the flames once it gets going. Decent heat output and not smelly like meths.

I'll stop binning foreshots and see if it makes a difference (doubt it).

SWMBO is very impressed, which is never a bad thing though it hasn't quite got me to buying T500 level just yet.

[Anavrin]

I never thought about this, I have a Coleman dual fuel double burner camping stove, I normally run it on unleaded as it's far cheaper than the coalman fuel, I will have a go with some 95% heads, see if it works

[Curmudgeon]

It should work I think (not a science buff)

Pot still (air still/smart still) is fine for this for me as in 80%+ heads but it's just a byproduct bonus and lets me forgive myself for erring to the hearts side of an obviously smeared cut without guilt. A litre of rough £1 poitin from sugar wash is better than 2L for £6 from B & Q http://www.diy.com/departments/la-hacienda-ethanol-fuel-2l/540224_BQ.prd

A better still will produce 90%+ and will be better in effiency for a stove, but my Boss is preferring the flickering flames and colours from the smearing between fores/heads and probably some hearts.

Whole apartment is at 21 degrees 24/7 except one store in hall which is a little cooler, so fermenting works fine, clearing less so. The bio-ethanol fire is purely for happy hippy effect, not for heat.

[Myles]

The bio-ethanol fire is purely for happy hippy effect, not for heat.

I can relate to that.

[Easydrinker]

Nothing wrong with a happy hippy.
The world may have been a better place in the days of cow-bells and Loon trousers

Robert