What's the Best Fuel for Alcohol Stoves?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 มิ.ย. 2024
- / paulmessner
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Great episode, i love a good alcohol stove video 😊
As a Swede I've grown up with Trangia stoves and so I have some comments 😅
Methylated spirits is generally recommended, but remember that the Trangia was developed in northern Sweden, where it was expected to perform at high altitude in -20°C. For lower altitudes and fair English weather I find isopropanol is as good if not better.
The manual suggests diluting the spirits with up to 6% water. I find 10% works well at high summer, to prevent over heating.
I noticed you filled the stove up quite a bit. I think it's supposed to be filled at most to about ¾.
If you take a small bottle of dish soap with you, you can smear it on the bottom of your pot before you start cooking. The soot then sticks to the soap and not the pot. Once the port has cooled just wipe the soap off.
This is what we did in Boy Scouts, but I preferred to let my pans turn dark because they seemed to heat up faster.
Hi Paul! Top draw presentation on the age old chestnut of “which is better” 😂 bottom line, whichever you can get hold of, pros and cons for both in my 60yr experience of using the stuff!! No real difference in price, both soot your pots to varying degrees and both pong a bit!! You may have missed a bit with the Evernew stove, when you place a pot on top covering the main opening and first set of holes you are in fact in “simmer” mode! Boiling mode achieved by using the cross type trivet. Regards from deepest Dorset 👍
Mate, “just quickly” or whatever, that was solid useful info.
A useful run through the basics (and some not so basics) of using alcohol stoves. Back in your comfort zone. Well done Paul!
The Bio fuel at B&Q is 2l for £8, so for the same qty at Home Bargains would be £9.16, so the B&Q Bio is cheaper.
Makes a change from rip off B&Q
Good to know! A bit too much if want to refill mid journey though!
It's all way cheaper than the price of takeaways these days. Even those stores who charge a lot more for 500ml of meths!
I bought my first, and only, Trangia in 1987 for rock climbing days/day hikes and for backpacking the UK’s National Trails and cycle tours. To keep weight down it was the Mini Trangia. Although I use different cook vessels now, I still have the the battered lid and bowl (it got accidentally dropped on a rock climbing day at the base of a rock face, and it rolled/ bounced it’s way down a scree slope in the Lake District) and I still use the burner for base camps. For lightweight burners and backpacking trips/overnighters, I build them from pop/beer cans.
My tips for the Trangia burner is to get a non-sharp syringe 💉 (available online, or from computer printer cartridge refill kits). That way you can measure the fuel accurately to use just how much you need to make a brew etc. If you use the syringe to put some fuel in between the base of the burner’s screw thread and the raised rim of the base, before filling the reservoir, then you light that first. This heats the burner ring, transfers to the main fuel and the burner is quicker to bloom.
If you’re out in cold weather, temperatures down to freezing temperatures or below, carry the burner with fuel in it in an inside pocket to keep it warm, then it will light as normal no problem.
Mostly I use meths as fuel as it’s more readily available, but if I can’t get some or to preserve fuel, my stoves can burn twigs instead or even fire lighter blocks.
The reason meths makes soot is the purple dye. This can be reduced by diluting using 10% water of meths volume. No noticeable drop in burn times and your fuel will go 10% further.
Personally I just wipe looser soot off on grass and keep my cooking vessels black rather than scour them shiny again. Shininess reflects heat, black absorbs it 😉
Also if you have hand sanitizer with 75% alcohol content, you can stir some salt into it and the alcohol will separate. Works in a pinch.
Perfect timing. I’ll be taking my Trangia burner out for the first time next weekend and you’ve just answered a question that I’d forgotten to find the answer to!
Me too!
The perfect receptacle for me is the wife's / daughters old nail polish remover bottles. Those things are strong and have bomb proof lids & the perfect size for me for a 2/3 day trip.
Clever!
The nail polish remover works as fuel as well, just don’t tell the wife. 😏
Bought a storm cooker many years ago that is very similar to the transit but comes with a pot stand a pot and a frying pan. Runs beautifully on methylated spirits which is probably the most common alchohol readily available even in the most rural areas. Somehow using an alchohol stove takes the rush out of cooking taking longer than the gas. The reason I camp is to slow life down
It's worthwhile mentioning to be careful with a trangia bottle, to vent it first before pouring, if you're opening it at a higher altitude than where you filled it.
Brilliant short that Paul👌…back to you finest stove content 😂… I’m Bio all the way, never thought I’d swap out my pocket rocket but once you go over to the peace of an alcohol stove there’s no going back is there 🤣🤣
Thanks for this one it’ll be so helpful to many I’m guessing 👌👌👍
Cracking video as you said in a previous video you need to take care as accidents can happen
Recently on a trip out on the Anglesey coastal path I had a mishap with an alcohol stove ….take care in bright light as it can be difficult to see if the stoves still going . I had a flash over when refilling, luckily only burning my shorts and my leg
So please don’t let tiredness cause you to slip up ……take care when using any kind of stove
Aye man, tiredness and impatience too - common causes of accidents. Also getting too high (natural) and having too much fun seems to make me lose the awareness of risk.
My type of lad straight into home and bargain 😂👍
I’m glad that you stressed the importance of safety with the stoves. I had one spill one when it tipped while lighting and it instantly gave me a second degree burn on my hand. These stove require the utmost care and respect when handling. Great video
I’m sorry to hear about your accident. And you’re right about the precautions and safety required with these burners. Up here in the Nordics people have always been using Trangias as complete stove sets, not as a standalone burners on the ground. And when used within a T25 or T27 set, the risk of spilling fuel is much smaller.
But when using in a Triangle or on the ground, it would good to have some small fire blanket like sheet ready in your backpack. I admit that I don’t have.
Plastic vinegar bottles from ASDA can be reused many times. Can squirt it out in an accurate jet, to control easily where it goes and how much. Not much chance of spill compared to pouring.
PS vinegar is NOT a fuel - obviously - I meant the bottles to store!
In my 80 years I have used alcohol stoves for more then 50 of them. I only use Denatured Alcohol and if heating something inside a tent ( rarely done ) I use , 190 proof , grain alcohol ( food grade from the Liquor Store ). The reason for that is in a closed area I do not want to have the fumes from the poisons in the Denatured Alcohol inside the tent and breathing them. Only black bottoms I have ever gotten when using either form of fuel is when I sit on something black , the stoves stay clean.
Thank you Paul, well thought out and explained.
the b&q bio ethanol is my weapon of choice. leaves no mess and is as cheap as chips. 'ooh chips!'
haha the price of them these days. Takeaways getting expensive. Why taking a camp stove can save quite a bit on a trip. They are fun too! If I'm out on a day bike/hike I just take a potatoe or two that was microwaved for 5 mins. Wrap in foil. I swear it tastes as good as chips and keeps warm for ages!
@@andrewnorris5415 screen grabbed this and will try it out. Thnx.
Fantastic information for anyone that's just starting to use these types of burners.
Thankyou.
Good informative video, cheers Paul, nice little series this 30 day thing 👍🏽
Always enjoy seeing you bring out the alcohol burners. Takes me back to your first camp outs on TH-cam. I've not tried the gel cans but I've taken to placing my Trangia burners inside of a pot stand or small foldable Sterno stove or Esbit stove... basicly anything that SHIELDS THEM and STABILIZES THEM. I, too, feel that it is much more stable with something additionally protecting it (less likely to spill over).
Great review Paul, much appreciated 👍
Thanks Paul,
Very clear and easy to understand info
Nice little video, and alcohol stoves are always a winner for me 👍 The felt and mesh can be added to a Trangia style burner to help avoid the spill danger, but may slightly impact the bloom or boil time. But alcohol stoves are supposed to be fun and can provide hours of entertainment when you can fiddle, faff and fettle them to make them just how you like them. Nice video, thank you 🙏
Some get into making their own with interesting super efficient designs using different types of jets. The jet generally are more efficient on fuel. They are low weight and no canister to cart round. Take just the fuel you need. And can pre warm the fuel in pocket on cold days. For longer trips gas is supposed to weigh less as a package. But alcohol never goes wrong. Gas is faster to boil.
Excellent vid nice and short and packed in so much info 👍
Great advice as I’ve never used one or really understood the fuel but always been curious
Thank you
Regards Jeff
Best one yet for this month
as I'm on a alcohol cooker mission of experience at the moment this was a really timely video thanks
Thanks for this info, I recently bought a trangia mini and you answered a few questions for me 😊👍
I use the b and q one you picked, the bio ethanol. Spot on
Excellent vid. Now I know. Never used an alcohol stove camping. Don't own one but will. It's dangerous. You can't see it burn. Respect, knowledge water. See you tomorrow. Hope you got up with Mr. Beavers.
Used meths for 60 years, usually in my original Trangia burner. Can't be bothered to add water because the soot on the bottom of my cook pot isn't a problem and I haven't noticed it makes the burn much hotter.
You are a practical no messing guy. Love it that pieces of kit can last that long and still be totally functional!
Whilst camping a friend spilt some meths on his cuff which ignited. He shook his hand to extinguish the flame but was then arrested by a member of the constabulary who had been called. He was later sentenced to two years for waving a firearm at a policeman.
Where's the rimshot emoji? 🤣🤣🤣
Get your coat 😂
This has been super helpful.
I switched from meths to bioethanol a few years ago. I love the little Nagene, it nests inside the Evernew burner and holds just the right amount to boil enough water for a brew for two.
Excellent content, Paul.
Very informative as always Paul, thank you. On the safety side don’t re fuel whilst the flame is present, wait until all fuel in the burner has been used.
Nice job Paul thanks.
I had to use hand sanitiser alcohol a few times when I was doing a big backpacking trip across Europe 7 years ago- it worked fine in my Trangia, but only the higher strength stuff- 70% was a bit too weak to cook with
*note this was liquid stuff, not gel- I did have to use gel a couple of times, but I cut the base off a beer can to burn that rather than clogging the proper burner up
I should also add, I was actually cooking rather than making up dehydrated meals, I got quite good at controlling it after a while. Typical meal was veg fried up (onion, garlic, pepper, courgette) lentils boiled in, then couscous added. I varied the seasoning from day to day to keep it interesting.
Alcohol hand sanitiser works great in DIY stoves
I bought up a load for pennies at the end of COVID
Cheers Paul. Really informative 👍🏴
I'll have to get some bio-ethanol then. I've always been bothered by the amount of soot I get from meths and that's all I've ever used. Takes a LOT of scubbing with a fresh brillo pad to get the soot off after a few days use. My Trangia was my mums from the 60's/70's. When I cleaned it after I first used it, I only then discovered the little jets! They'd been filled in with soot over the years. It worked so much better afterwards! 🤣 It doesn't have the little simmer lid thing either, only a jet cover. I'm looking to upgrade, but I'll never get rid of my Trangia. I still have the original box for it!
Very useful video, thank you
I use the watered down meths system... it doesn't leave any soot at all... I will get some bio-ethonal , got to try everything.Take care out there.
In South Africa, I use Methylated Spirits.
Here in Switzerland, I use the 'Brennsprit', obtainable from my local Supermarket and almost anywhere else.
'Sooting' .. how much depends inter alia, on how well ventilated the burner is and height of pot from the burner. For me, nothing to fuss over.
Spillage / leaking .. I've filled my Trangia Burner (and most of my other Alcohol Burners) with Ceramic / Glass Wool and Carbon Cloth. Burner efficiency does not appear to be overly compromised .. and it lights much easier in below freezing temps and one does not need to wait for the 'bloom' (in case the 'cold flame' is snuffed) to put the pot onto the pot stand.
'Simmering' and Flame Control .. the fuel will burn at a temperature. 'Hot' aka 'heat output' is regulated by the area of the burner surface. There are many ways to work with this .. even down to making an omelette 😏.
'Gel Fuel' .. a great option, although it does burn slightly cooler than the liquid stuff .. which in itself, is not necessarily a bad thing.
Very safe to use and the Gel Fuel available at my local Supermarket ('Sicherheitsbrennpaste' / 'Safety Burn Paste'). It burns absolutely clean. Not a mark on my pots.
'Invisible Flames'. I keep a wet cotton face cloth at hand when cooking. Many uses .. including ensuring that the flame is actually out before handling / refilling the burner and obviously, cooling it down before putting flesh to hot metal.
Priceless 🙏
I am with you on preferences.for La Hasienda
B&Q however won't deliver nor clic and collect to my local branch.
Thanks for sharing.
Looking well Paul 👍
Agreed.
I've got an unhealthily obsession with camp stoves! Got no idea why
haha for me it's torches.
Can't beat bioethanol. Doesn't leave any residue, mega cheap, and with a tissue wick lights down to serious sub zero temps.
Thanks, I’ll give the bio ethanol a try 😀🔥
Thanks for this vid.
Good overview!
We done ✅ Buddy…
Thanks again!😊
Really useful video
That’s an interesting topic, I predominantly use a gas stove but last year thought I’d try burning gel after buying a Trangia Mini to see if it worked for me. Only tested it with the Firedragon gel firelighter but noticed it actually burnt a lot faster than I expected it would. Enjoyed using it, but isn’t something I think will replace my gas stoves for the majority of the year.
B&Q bio is my choice for my Trangia. I'd planned a wildcamp for tomorrow, the forecast was scorchio when I looked on Monday, now it's a 90% chance of rain for the whole evening. Bugger.
I buy 30ml disposable measuring cups, 30ml is ample for 400ml in Vesuv cone, I’ve backed Stripey on Kickstarter for one of his, I love Evernew pans but will give the Toaks a go with Stripes cone!
I purchased a 12 one litre pack of EkoFuel bioethanol because the wisdom from the outdoor world said it burns cleaner, it does not, my kettle and pots have never had so much soot on them, I can actually brush the build up off before trying to scour the rest clean, I'll be going back to meths with 10% water when I've used up the bio as it was much cleaner.
you read my mind, i just got back from a 4 day hike/camp, i took a alcohol stove instead of my usual heavy gas cannister after watching one of your videos and my god was i impressed, this video couldnt have come at a better time, i used methylated spirits and was wondering if there was anything that would burn longer
Trangia stoves 💪 loving my mini series’s. Great little thing . I use meths but I will try the b& q stuff now!
The bioethanol works out at £2 per 500 ml compared to £2.29 per 500 ml for Meths so cheaper, cleaner and more efficient! hadn't realised the Trangia works by vaporising the fuel and sending it out the holes in the side and i have one. learn something new every day.
Had quite alot of it in the sun for a while, it lost its colour, but works well enough.
Really good to know about the bio ethanol and where to get it because I do hate the soot issue from the Trangia. I tried some isopropyl alcohol in a pinch, and that was SO sooty.
It sounds like that's the cheapest per 100ml too, 40p per 100ml for the bio ethanol, and 46p per 100ml for the meths.
I have always used meths and, even when diluted, the sooting is a bit of a pain. Will be visiting B&Q for some bioethanol tomorrow.
Liked this paul
I do appreciate the trip to Home Bargains - one of my favourite places (I don't get out much - lol!)
In Canada I use methyl hydrate (gas line antifreeze). Available at any hardware or auto shop. Roughly $5/L. Burns clean.
I just got my 1st Trangia burner. The video I watched says to use methyl hydrate as fuel. It burns clean and leaves no soot on the cooking pots.
Tiptop great video
Thank you. I've been using meths but often wondered where to get the clear stuff from. Looks like I'll be off to B&Q when the meths runs done. Cheers Buddy.
Also the jet alcohol stoves use less fuel to boil a litre of water. I personally never have issues spilling it. Just screw top down after! Some jet designs are especially efficient but can take longer to bloom.
Next time, dont do this on a table again, when sitting on the table!
If a open fuel bottle flips over close to a burning stove!
Privite parts hurt extra when fried!
Im a beginner backpacker!
But on my job i had emergency drills 2 times a year ( fire & chemical burn + advanced first Aid) on a petrochemical plant, famous for PVC and dynema
You know where my alcohol comes from ( the 99% kind)
Useful video Paul 👍🏼
I use the Fire Dragon gel in a BCB Crusader. As you say the gel leaves a residue behind, that I cannot remove. It doesn’t cause problems but can build up.
Also have a spill prove burner that can fit in the Crusader base. Can then use bio ethanol.
I’ve also been using the Fire Dragon bio ethanol. Think I’ll switch to B&Q which is a lot more for less £ 👍🏼
Cheers,
Gary B
I stayed at the Crow Pub..imagine my surprise 😉
Trangia bottle is the best. It has some secrets thou ;)
I am not really an alcohol stove guy but I have had my two Trangias for 12+yrs. For common denatured alcohol fuels found in the States the SLX brand burns much cleaner for me as it contains more methanal than some other brands like Sunnyside. Both are denatured ethanol/methanol blends but SLX has more methanol, and since ethanol contains more energy/btu's it runs a bit rich(yellow flame) and leaves a small amount of soot on my pans. SLX burns clear/blue with zero soot for me
I did a video on this. I agree bio is better. Great vid pall
Have you tried putting a disc of carbon mesh into a trangia burner to reduce the risk of spill if overturned?. Works a treat :)
What do people take to eat when multi day hiking in summer and you don't want a hot meals?
You can try canned foods. They won't go bad. Biscuits. Instant black coffee.
Amazon. 12 x 1 litre bio ethanol £34.00. £2.88 ish a litre. So nearly half the price of meths.
Plus I've only managed 15% water dilution with meths, got over 30% water dilution with bio ethanol, so even cheaper still 👍
Meths has a very characteristic smell that lingers. Bioethanol on the other hand smells a bit like alcohol (vodka!) and doesn't linger. Just saying.
Bio eth can be hard to light when it’s cold
Cheers
I've used la hacienda for years now, but lately been using the meths more. The home bargains stuff burns cleaner than others and is close to the b and q price. I always take too much out with me though
We used to put water in top of the meths(it floats) and it forces a stronger/hotter flame out of the jets. It's a faf but works well
I'm pretty sure that methylated spirits is fully miscible with water- so it would not form layers. The effect is likely to reduce flame temperature as some of the energy would be used boiling off the water as steam. Meths is about 10% methanol: 80% ethanol - you don't get 2 layers if you add vodka to a water based mixer like orange juice or coke.
@@martinmoss317 it does sit on top if your gentle in the centre reservoir but not there's no water in the side chamber, so it does encourage a stronger and hotter/cleaner jet
@@davidkennedy5421 density of ethanol is 0.78 g/cc, water is 1.0 g/cc, water would sink before it mixes that's true but the heating effect would cause convection currents that would speed up the mixing.
Add about 5-10% water to meths then no soot on your pan bottoms..😅
Yep, this comment. Makes a massive difference. BioEthanol doesn't burn as hot as meths, whilst that's no problem for boiling water, if you want to cook you'll be at it for hours with bioethanol.
Bought very cheap meths at a builders supply. Performed poorly until I remembered to add water. Then it was superb.
Also the jet alcohol stoves use less fuel to boil a litre of water. I personally never have issues spilling it. Just screw top down after! Some jet designs are especially efficient but can take longer to bloom.
Yes, but it’s less efficient to add water to meths you as have less fuel and more water, and some of the energy goes into turning it into steam
@@totomesch1940I think your statement is incorrect in that bioethanol burns hotter. Regardless a lower heat is desirable when cooking and that’s why i mainly use gas for the added control.
Tell me Paul, what is generally better or what is your prime choice? A burning stove or a gas stove?
My nearest B&Q is 35 minutes away on public transport and Homebase, which is much easier to get to, doesn't sell bioethanol. Meths isn't an option for me - one whiff of the smell and it triggers an instant migraine As a non-driver, I really miss the old-fashioned local ironmongers that sold everything under the sun. These days, if you don't have a car and want something that you can't buy in Asda or Tesco, it's a lump of your day gone to get one item. It's the trusty gas stove or my wood gasifier for the foreseeable.
You can always get bioethanol via the internet e.g. Amazon and then it's delivered to your door.
@@elizabethconvey3242 Cheers - I'll check that out
As for shimmering on an alcohol stove i have seen a video where he just swapped a large burner for one with a smaller diameter. This makes sense as a burner with a smaller diameter will burn far less fuel. The claim was that his smaller burner burnt one milliliters of meths a minute that made timing accurate. Im still messing about with this idea. But so far it looks like it might work.
A video that really appeals to the stove freak in me 😂
Trangia have a list of fuel for every area/country. I prefer bio-ethanol. Smells better and I find it less soott than meths. I get the bio ethanol in B&Q as well.
In France you can get alcool brulee in nearly any supermarket and that is the best fuel I've ever used.
Personally I prefer the trangia bottle. Easier to pour, especially now my right hand is fecked.
Interesting that all they list for GB is meths. No links to stores, just the word "meths". Not much help sadly! But glad to know HB have it from this video! No mention of bio-ethanol either on Trangia. I can see how their guide could help when in another country and want to find the name of the fuel in their lang. But no links to stores. Only the name of it in each country!
not all bioethanol liquids are equal. using my Des Cattys stove I've experimented with both a Biola (from Amazon) and the Fire Dragon. The Biola was over 2 mins quicker to boil 500ml (8 min 15 / 10 min 35
Sadly, bioethanol is stupid expensive in Canada. Something like $25/L (or maybe 500mL, I forget). Almost impossible to find too. They used to sell it as fuel for small "fireplaces", but those are almost impossible to find too.
If taking a Trangia to France, look for alcohol a brulee in the bricolage (DIY shop). Meths is hard to find and very expensive.
Just come back from 2 days in the woods after using bio ethanol for the first time, definitely still soots pots which surprised me. Will be sticking to methanol
Could be down to the quality ? I use it and never had a soot problem.
It's the same stuff as Paul from B&Q, weirdly I did notice that it wasn't so bad on the kettle but the frying pan and billy pot were caked in it using a trangia stove. Wonder if distance away from the flame has something to do with it?!?
@@screamingpig1 I use Ekofuel. But only as we have a biofuel stove in our living room. Perhaps adding the pot/pan too early ? before it gets going .
Good shout- I never thought of that! Will give it a try next time, thanks
@@screamingpig1my trangia frying pan soots up with every alcohol I have tried.
I know that it runs completely contrary to everything we know, but I had a 2L tin of meths, bight from a hardware store 25 years ago, that burned completely clean, whereas it's the bioethanol that soots up the bottom of my pans!
Though as I used up the last of that tin of meths a while ago, and never liked the smell, it's bioethanol for me these days. I do wonder if they are all created equal, though.
My whole life Im using white spririts for trangia, x-boil etc. I wonder why that should be an issue