I'm probably going to be investing in a new Alky control kit very soon and had an idea that led to my question. I'm a big time do-it-yourselfer and was wondering, is there any reason you couldn't use homemade ethanol in an alky kit? Just mix it down with distilled water until it's no longer flammable and use it?
Homemade Ethanol?
- Thread starter Grimster
- Start date
Brer Rabbit
Pursuit Specialist
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2005
Meth cooking
Seeing that this product has the potential to be flammable, I would hope that U just buy it at a hardware store to prevent things like this from happening. YouTube - Slow Motion of Car Explosion Good luck
Seeing that this product has the potential to be flammable, I would hope that U just buy it at a hardware store to prevent things like this from happening. YouTube - Slow Motion of Car Explosion Good luck
No. Most people run pure alcohol in their kits.
100% Methanol here... Ethanol would work pretty well too (what you would be making at home) but for our purposes, Methanol works better.
And there is nothing wrong with home made ethanol, tons of people have been distilling their own alcohol since darn near the beginning of time.
100% Methanol here... Ethanol would work pretty well too (what you would be making at home) but for our purposes, Methanol works better.
And there is nothing wrong with home made ethanol, tons of people have been distilling their own alcohol since darn near the beginning of time.
Well if I remember right to make about a gallon of "ethanol" is a couple packs of yeast, 10 pounds of sugar, and some sort of mash, wheat, corn, fruits, taters, just most any fruit, vegetable or grain, fill up the 10 gallon metal pot with water/mash/sugar/yeast, let it do it's thing for a few days until it quits bubbling, then run it off (applying the all important taste test every so often to be sure it's running "pure" enough). So unless sugar has gotten a lot more expensive you should be able to make it yourself for well less than $20 per gallon.
I'm just wondering is there any reason you shouldn't use it? Will it foul plugs or whatever. I've read people using just plain water injection and just plain methanol, or some sorta mixture in between so what about ethanol, if there's no compelling reason not to use it it seems like a perfect solution. Pablo seems to not have any warnings against it so I figure it's the ultimate DIY project, and unless some reason against it comes out, I plan to give it a go when I finally get around to putting alcohol injection in.
I'm just wondering is there any reason you shouldn't use it? Will it foul plugs or whatever. I've read people using just plain water injection and just plain methanol, or some sorta mixture in between so what about ethanol, if there's no compelling reason not to use it it seems like a perfect solution. Pablo seems to not have any warnings against it so I figure it's the ultimate DIY project, and unless some reason against it comes out, I plan to give it a go when I finally get around to putting alcohol injection in.
20 bux a gallon is compelling enough reason not to use it!!
Costs about $5.00 at the local track..Even Denatured is only 9 bux a gallon at local Ace and Home Depot here!Oh, yeah that was 5 gal not 1 gal prices above, durr sometimes I get ahead of myself. Ok so the compelling reason is, it's gonna cost way more than other options, end of that idea then. I'll still maybe make some from time to time, just not, you know, for the car.
Gary, I went and googled homemade Ethanol. Got hits to many links to legal homemade Ethanol. Just wondering if you made yours and what was the cost of the of the production/still? Links to kits, etc?
What I ran read was cool but I didn't read to long......
Kind of wondering if there would be any concerns from big brother about road taxes if this was for off road use only.
Keep us updated.....
What I ran read was cool but I didn't read to long......
Kind of wondering if there would be any concerns from big brother about road taxes if this was for off road use only.
Keep us updated.....
My dad made it many years ago, it's a 10 gallon metal pot he got from a lunchroom when he worked in the school system, the rest is some C clamps to clamp the lid (3/4 plywood cut in a circle) onto the pot when cooking. The worm is just a coiled length of copper pipe in a 5 gallon bucket that is filled with water and ice cubes. All that copper tubing will cost you a bundle today though.
I'm sure it's technically illegal but I can't understand why, the problems with untaxed liquor seems to me only comes about when you sell it, not consume it yourself. Besides what cop in his right mind is gonna even try and find someone who makes a gallon of shine in his own kitchen once in a while to play with, they don't mess with homebrew beer and wine so why is whiskey different anyway?
I'm sure it's technically illegal but I can't understand why, the problems with untaxed liquor seems to me only comes about when you sell it, not consume it yourself. Besides what cop in his right mind is gonna even try and find someone who makes a gallon of shine in his own kitchen once in a while to play with, they don't mess with homebrew beer and wine so why is whiskey different anyway?
Just a note: much otherwise accurate information about ethanol refer to the denaturing agent as a poison (such as gasoline).
This is not necessarily true, although many approved agents are toxic.
The purpose of the denaturing agent is as an emetic to prevent human consumption, by inducing involuntary vomiting. Whether it has a toxic effect on the subject is irrelevant as long as consumption is prevented.
By comparison, adding 1% arsenic would render ethanol quite fatal but would not prevent consumption; neither would gasoline.
The fusel oils remaining in moonshine due to incomplete distillation of ethanol are poisonous, but, again, do not preclude consumption.
This is why alcoholics drink methanol or isopropanol rather than denatured - they're highly poisonous but you can drink them without severe discomfort.
The blindness and death come a bit later...
This is not necessarily true, although many approved agents are toxic.
The purpose of the denaturing agent is as an emetic to prevent human consumption, by inducing involuntary vomiting. Whether it has a toxic effect on the subject is irrelevant as long as consumption is prevented.
By comparison, adding 1% arsenic would render ethanol quite fatal but would not prevent consumption; neither would gasoline.
The fusel oils remaining in moonshine due to incomplete distillation of ethanol are poisonous, but, again, do not preclude consumption.
This is why alcoholics drink methanol or isopropanol rather than denatured - they're highly poisonous but you can drink them without severe discomfort.
The blindness and death come a bit later...
Blown&Injected
Active Member
- Joined
- May 31, 2001
Alky-Tech
The mash is the sugar, water and yeast. That is all that is needed, I mean a friend told me that's all that's needed for the mash.
It is also easy to make methanol. Just use grass clippings instead of sugar to make the mash.
Nobody knowingly drinks methanol unless they want to hurt themselves and denatured is just ethanol with a dash of methanol
The mash is the sugar, water and yeast. That is all that is needed, I mean a friend told me that's all that's needed for the mash.
It is also easy to make methanol. Just use grass clippings instead of sugar to make the mash.
Nobody knowingly drinks methanol unless they want to hurt themselves and denatured is just ethanol with a dash of methanol
Guys, I use Methyl Hydrate, can buy it at home dept, Lowe's RONA, Homehardware, ACE, just about anywhere they sell paint.
I have run 26 lbs of boost, have an older SMC type kit where the pump is submerged. I Have used gallons and gallons of this stuff with no problems what so ever. I add a bit of Marvel Mystery Oil since my kit requires lube for the pump, a few squirts of WD-40 also work. It can be used straight up or mixed with water and it's cheap $6.00 for a gallon in Canada, it's probably much less in the U.S.
Other friends who are also using forced induction are using Methyl Hydrate as well with no issues what so ever.
Methyl Hydrate is colourless and smokeless when burned, it contains methyl alcohol. It is hydrated so that it tastes very bad so that people don't resort to drinking it. All hardware and paint departments as well as camping equipment and general merchandize retailers regularly stock it.
Methyl hydrate (also called methanol, methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, stove fuel for small camping alcohol stoves, also used for fondue fuel (but colour is added to that type).
Save your money guys and you can get this almost anywhere. I usually buy 4 x1 gallon containers at a time. Like I said I have been using this with no issues and yes I have used "Methanol" no difference what so ever.
I have run 26 lbs of boost, have an older SMC type kit where the pump is submerged. I Have used gallons and gallons of this stuff with no problems what so ever. I add a bit of Marvel Mystery Oil since my kit requires lube for the pump, a few squirts of WD-40 also work. It can be used straight up or mixed with water and it's cheap $6.00 for a gallon in Canada, it's probably much less in the U.S.
Other friends who are also using forced induction are using Methyl Hydrate as well with no issues what so ever.
Methyl Hydrate is colourless and smokeless when burned, it contains methyl alcohol. It is hydrated so that it tastes very bad so that people don't resort to drinking it. All hardware and paint departments as well as camping equipment and general merchandize retailers regularly stock it.
Methyl hydrate (also called methanol, methyl alcohol or wood alcohol, stove fuel for small camping alcohol stoves, also used for fondue fuel (but colour is added to that type).
Save your money guys and you can get this almost anywhere. I usually buy 4 x1 gallon containers at a time. Like I said I have been using this with no issues and yes I have used "Methanol" no difference what so ever.
Blown&Injected
Active Member
- Joined
- May 31, 2001
Yes, grass clippings any by products from trees but this makes methanol and methanol is poison.
It is the stuff that one wants to use in the injection systems but it is cheap enough that ya just buy it.
If one were to go thru the trouble to make a still...well it seems like it would be hard to contaminate it with wood alcohol/methanol - make some good drink and use the savings to buy methanol for the car!
Never heard of Methyl Hydrate. But you say it is methanol, guess just a different name
It is the stuff that one wants to use in the injection systems but it is cheap enough that ya just buy it.
If one were to go thru the trouble to make a still...well it seems like it would be hard to contaminate it with wood alcohol/methanol - make some good drink and use the savings to buy methanol for the car!
Never heard of Methyl Hydrate. But you say it is methanol, guess just a different name
