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WOT- can you light a BBQ with alcohol?


Bob O'Brian

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My gut feeling is no, not a good idea - alcohol evaporates WAY faster than charcoal lighter fluid, so it probably will react differently - and *might* even be dangerous to attempt to use it in that manner... I could be wrong, though...

 

 

 

 

- georgestrings

 

PS - If you do try it, please have someone film the process - the footage might help with the mdical expenses...

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My gut feeling is no, not a good idea - alcohol evaporates WAY faster than charcoal lighter fluid, so it probably will react differently - and *might* even be dangerous to attempt to use it in that manner... I could be wrong, though...





- georgestrings


PS - If you do try it, please have someone film the process - the footage might help with the mdical expenses...

 

Yeah I'm not too sure whether it's a good idea :idk:

Might just have to do it the slow/hard way with some kindling

Damn I'm getting hungry though!

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I would do it but do it gently and if you want to keep your brows, don't put your face over it as you light.

 

If you use lots of alcohol then run by as you toss the match to light it.

 

You have to do it quick because if its methyl or ethyl it will evaporate quickly.

 

Good luck and enjoy your meal. ;)

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) is ethanol which has been rendered toxic or otherwise undrinkable, and in some cases dyed. It is used for purposes such as fuel for spirit burners and camping stoves, and as a solvent. Traditionally, the main additive was 10% methanol, which gave rise to its name, but this is not always the case now. There are diverse industrial uses for ethanol, and therefore literally hundreds of recipes for denaturing ethanol. Typical additives are methanol, isopropanol, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, denatonium, and even (uncommonly) aviation gasoline.


As used in the phrase denatured alcohol, denatured means "a specific property of ethanol, its usefulness as a beverage, is removed". The ethanol molecule is not denatured in the sense that its chemical structure is altered.



Go ahead and do it, just be very careful. The stuff will go up, and fast. It will also evaporate quite quickly, as has been said. Don't light it with a cigarette lighter, and I'd even be cautious with a longer BBQ lighter. The further away you are from the BBQ the better.


Don't use too much, and use common sense. Be careful and it should work out.

 

 

 

This sounds reasonable to me. It's used as fuel for bunsun burners, camp lanterns and stoves, and table-top hobby steam engines. It will probably take more alcohol than lighter fluid. I would say dowse it with alcohol, wait five minutes, then dowse it again, so that the charcoal absorbs some. But, it may burn off quickly, so, it wouldn't hurt to mix in some dry kindling wood to help catch and get the fire started.

 

BTW, make sure that it is 100% alcohol, and not diluted with water in any way. If it is diluted, the alcohol burns out, leaving the water, which puts out the fire. I found this out trying to use some denatured alcohol on my early steam engine attempts.

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old Boyscout trick

I have never used charcoal starter fluid to light charcoal

41VYS1070YL._SS500_.jpg

 

no Lighter fluid required just stuff a couple of pieces of news paper underneath the chimney and light with a match. the charcoals will be ready in about 15 minuites without all that lighter fluid aftertaste.

 

balling up newspapers and stacking the charcoals in a pyramid shape on top of the papers will also work.

 

the gasoline suggestion is probably the most dangerous and idiotic suggestion that I have heard.

 

no offence C7 but I have seen some pretty bad accidents concerning morons with gasoline and matches:freak:

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no offence C7 but I have seen some pretty bad accidents concerning morons with gasoline and matches:freak:

 

None taken. It's not the gasoline's fault, it's the moron's fault. Gasoline doesn't ignite children, children ignite children, and what have you.:D

 

And I don't know what Boy Scouts you were in, but we never dicked around with bull{censored} charcoal lighting devices, it was a soda can full of Coleman white gas or gasoline tossed right onto a burning pile of newspapers. :idea:

C7

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UPDATE:

 

Well I'm alive, I've eaten, and I have retained my eyebrows. The alcohol I was using was actually stuff I bought in France last year- 90% ethanol. A splash of it over the charcoal, and a screwed up ball of paper soaked in it, and it lit straight away. The alcohol seemed to burn for much longer than I expected, too. Had salmon steaks while we watched the sun setting over the Atlantic. Awesome! :cool:

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