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 pot has cooled just wipe the soap off.
That is a century old method to reduce wood fire discoloration of your cookware. Incredibly messy and stinky solution. I tried it once in the 1970’s and hated it. I currently use HEET in the yellow bottle which is intended as an automotive product to remove water from fuel. It may only be available here in the USA, cheapest found at Walmart. Its clean and little yellow flame. No pot cleaning needed with HEET thus far.
If you have soot you have bad fuel. If you're burning alcohol you'll most always have bad fuel because alcohol absorbs water from the atmosphere. It starts going bad as soon as you open the package. I just use an unmodified cat food can, a pot holder and a wind screen. Stoves with jet ports and such presume you have "good" fuel.
If you're gonna use fuel that leaves soot, wrap your pot in tin foil. We used to use hexamin stoves with our mess tins, which turned them black. A few layers of tin foil and you just pull a layer off as and when you need to. Simples. X
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.
In the U.S. I have always used Heet in the yellow bottle. It’s used keeping your cars gas line from freezing. You can get it pretty much anywhere in the U.S. it burns clean.
Everclear Grain alcohol for me. I don’t have to be concerned about leaks inside the camp kitchen/backpack. It’s also a great antiseptic. 151 Proof does pretty well. 45 min burn time on 2oz. The 190 proof does better, but not all states sell it.
The best fuel for an alcohol stove is EverClear. It's basically moonshine, and any liquor store has it. You can drink it too, or use it for antiseptic.
Despite the little drawbacks of alcohol stoves, I still love them. I have thee trangia burners now packed in different kits including a full trangia stove kit I have owned for over thirty years. The other two get taken out on canoe trips quite often. What I like is in certain environments where you don't want to make smoke or a lot of noise (the bane of gas canister stoves!) they make a lot of sense. I can sit on a river bank watching the wildlife really close by and still be brewing up, without scaring everything away. Likewise, most people can walk past a concealed day camp on the river bank, canoe tucked away into the undergrowth and my tarp hidden in the trees, and never notice I am making tea or heating food. They are a bit slow, ( the stoves, not the passers by!!) and they do need careful management from wind and you must pay close attention regarding spills and safety. It would be incredibly easy to start a serious fire in summer in dry conditions. I take a small folding solderers fibreglass cloth mat with me to place under my stoves. It has an eyelet in each corner to peg down with either small tent pegs, or more often, those I make from twigs 'on location'. It really helps add a level of spill protection as any accidental spillage gets burned off on the mat with no damage and it's easier to spot any unwanted flames. That said, I am extremely cautious in dry conditions, as we all MUST be. There is something rather nice about the faint meths smell when using a trangia stove. It's a trip back in time! I have not however, used the biofuel that you highlight here, so I am going to get some and give it a go! Happy camping Paul! 😊
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.
Back in the 1990s I went camping one holiday weekend intending to take two gas bottles, one for lighting and the other for cooking. I goofed, though, and only brought one. as I had a new spirit burner I was going to try out, I immediately went shopping in two little country townships, buying up all the methylated spirits available; 1.25 litres in total. This turned out to be enough for all my cooking over those three days, including making a beef stew in a pressure cooker. The sole gas bottle was used with a gas lamp. That weekend was also the debut of a new tent.
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.
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.
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 👍
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 😉
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
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.
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.
Interestingly; here in the States the last time I bought methylated spirits, it was not coloured, but clear like water is. The fuel that I use the most is the yellow color of the product "heet" which is sold in all automotive stores. It seems to burn well and leaves no soot that I've ever noticed.
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.
I use ceramic wool in all my alcohol stoves. Not only does it help make them burn longer IMO but it helps make them spill proof. I use 1cm thick ceramic wool and use the alcohol stove as a cookie cutter which cuts the ceramic wool out to the perfect size too. I only ever use bio-ethanol fuel.
I use small wire brushes to clean the soot off my pots. Very quick & easy. I get the 3 pack from Dollar Tree with plastic, brass & steal bristles. I was using the steal,but found the plastic works better. Then use a baby wipe that works like micro mesh. Pots clean as a whistle.
Brilliant Paul . Firstly, I love spirit burners . Simplicity, cheap , efficient. Bought 5L of BioEthanol , €20 . Burns clean . 1L Titan boils in 10mins . Who’s in a hurry in beautiful surroundings? Store my fuel in a 500ml plastic water bottle . Great to see you doing videos like this, 🇮🇪Atb Tony
Alcohol stoves remain a favourite of ours year after year. We were fortunate to find an online vendor selling high purity ethanol for use in cosmetics. The seller posted it as "pure" but that would be super expensive laboratory grade and not affordable for camp use. The ethanol has the highest heat value of any alcohol fuel we have tested, so you carry less to get the job done. Denatured alcohol is also widely available in hardware and paint stores in the Philippines. We also purchase bulk alcohol gel in buckets intended for use as chafing dish fuel. Hotel, restaurant and catering supply shops offer this product.The gel is the same sort of fuel you find in STERNO brand and other "canned heat" products. We repackage it into assorted sizes of recycled plastic dish detergent bottles. Our youngest troops each have a folding pocket stove (copy of an Esbit.) They have an assortment of aluminum bottle caps and small tins into witch the needed amount of fuel is dispensed. We like the fact that the gel will not spread in the event of a tip-over, the way liquid alcohol will. We have ceased using alcohol fuel cubes that are expensive (imported item) and none have stored well, even in refrigeration. Not a great emergency fuel.
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.
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.
Same. In America I use a product called HEET, it's methanol. I prefer it because of the fuels I've tried for my alcohol stove, it's the most discrete. Can't tell you how many times I've burnt a digit on that damn invisible flame. ;)
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.
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.
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!
Here in Canada I use 99.9% Pure stove grade Methyl Hydrate. Found in the paint section of Walmart or Canadian Tire, also from commercial & farm fuel distribution companies.
If you wanna reduce the black coating on your pod, add some water to the ethanol, around 10% works fine for me, a little less power but no annoying cleaning later.
In the USA, I think the most popular fuels are denatured alcohol, and the yellow bottle of Heet(automotive fuel line dryer). Both are clean burning and perform similarly. Thanks for your excellent video. I love learning how the cousins do stuff. 👍
I just bought a lil burner like your non trangia one in the video, with the two rows of holes, for some ultra light overnighter and this video dispeled all the confusion I had about what is the right or wrong fuels and what I can use. Thank you!
Always enjoy seeing you bring out the alcohol burners. Takes me back to your first camp outs on UA-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).
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 👌👌👍
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.
I have a MSR Wisperlite that is 30 years old and still works fine. Guess it is white gas not alcohol though. Never had any luck with the 3 alcohol ones I had many years ago. Did make a heater out of a old meatal coffee can and a toilet paper roll that did a pretty good job in the old dear blind.
A Trangia burner seems to burn cleaner if used with a No25 or No27 Trangia cookset. I think it gets a better air supply and burns leaner. As you said, I add 10% water to the meths.
I put my GSI mug directly onto my home made alcohol stove (the recess in the bottom of the mug is the perfect diameter to fit the top of the stove), once the stove blooms, and it doesn't snuff out the flames. Indeed, it makes the stove roar even harder. Maybe it's because the holes are lower down than on the Trangia.
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!
Re the soot on the bottom of pans with methylated spirits - i happened to be talking about this and someone said the methylated spirits obtained via a chemist is different to that from a typical hardware shop. I tried it from the chemist and it definitely burnt without the soot 🤷♂️. Alcohol Brulee is the equivalent of meths in France and is readily available in most supermarkets . 👍
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.
Nice video, i have all & more of those stoves including diy's and the best ones are the simplest ones like the burner with absorbing material but it has a smaller more centered heat on the pot bottom that will scorch titanium but not anodized aluminum A wider Trangia type burner has a better outer edge area for cooking with titanium & aluminum low, wider pots but a "cone" stove system for me is the best by using less fuel & a smaller burner (solid fuel included) making my choice from that including a lid & you'll never go back lol lmk
I use my large Trangia in my allotment shed. Mostly for brews but occasionally I cook a bacon or sausage sarnie. I use Meths for fuel and a 2 litre bottle lasts me a few months. I take my Trangia mini if I'm out for a day walk - I just fill the stove with fuel before I go.
Trangia recommends adding 10-15% water to make it burn cleaner. Interestingly Trangia is recommending the La Hacienda Bio ethanol in the UK but the Bartoline Methylated Spirit in Ireland
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.
Over here in the U.S. there’s n old fashioned decorating/renovating tool that is in essence an alcohol burner that boils water to make steam for removing old wall paper. A lot of hardware stores here carry 100% pure methyl alcohol by the gallon (3.8+ liters). Nowadays these appliances are electric, but if the power’s turned off in the building you’re renovating the old fashioned ones still have their place.
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.
I get 91 percent isopropyl alcohol from Walmart in the drug store section. I saw a test and it was the cheapest per boil by far. It does leave the pot a little black. I use a penny pop can stove in a dryer vent pot stand. I've found it to be the most efficient. Not the fastest by any means, but the most efficient.
Bad smelling! I've tried it and learned to keep the pot 1/2" above the flame for NO soot but the smell i can't get used to it but a nice hot blue flame & if all other fuel isn't available give it a try
Great video thank you. Just a quick question about bioethanol, I bought the same one from b&q and have had a problem getting it to initially stay lit. It catches with the spark off the flint but takes a good dozen attempts to get it to stay lit. Do you have this problem.? Would it help if I put some on the little dip around the outside of the trangia to get it to bloom maybe? Prelighting that bit perhaps?
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
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.
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
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?!?
I motorcycle camp so incorporating minimalistic gear is a must and I dont want to have to carry extra fuel to make my meals so the stove I use is a multi-fuel type that can burn regular car fuel. Car fuel does burn dirty, but I dont put Ethanol due to my vintage bike runs like shit when I use it. Only clear premium and does burn cleaner.
Very interesting! I ordered some bio ethanol off Amazon and it had a strong sour grain smell. So I’ve been sticking to Heet (yellow bottle) and denatured alcohol
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!
Good video. I have a Trangia but prefer the stainless Tatonka alcohol stove and this will fit nicely in my small wood/twig stove. I use that white fuel.
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.
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!
Great overview. And nice selection of stoves resp. burners ;-) Bio-Ethanol resp. laboratory grade 99,99 pure Ethanol is what I love to use if I can get it. If required it can be easily diluted with some water (for these jet stoves sometimes a must). It gives me the most heat out of the same volume or weight compared to other stuff. I like the simple and open solutions, one of my favourites is the M71 (Schweizer Notkocher) or simply an old sardine can or the bottom of an altoid tin or something like that. Pure ethanol inside, fantastique burns, no diluting required. Sometimes I'm also using these aluminium cans with the srewable lid as you showed here. Instead of ethanol or methylated spirit a lot of options can do it - besides ethanol there is methanol, isopropylalcohol (sold as rubbing alcohol), medical spirit (you get it in any pharmacy, mostly ethanol between 70% and 95%) and what not. Methylated spirit is usually diluted ethanol (90-95%) containing as denaturants anything like methanol, isopropylalcohol, benzene and what not else to make it toxic so you start vormiting when drinking it. Theoretically you could run your alcohol stove also with Stroh Rum, the famous high-procenter from Austria (sometimes also called Stroh 80, according to the alcohol volume). But that should be by far the costliest way to burn your money in an alcohol stove ... ;-) Yet one has to consider that 1. the kind of alcohol and 2. the dilution determine what calorific value (which indicates how much heat is produced) is resulting from burning that stuff. Methanol has approx. one fourth less of calorific value than ethanol, isopropylalcohol is similar to ethanol. You talked about the burners and their poor simmering capability - yes, it is a shame. I do really wonder why none of these outdoor stoves comes with a similar solution as any ordinary Fondue burner does since eternity (these burners are, just btw, also a great option for outdoors, at least IMHO): usually there are relatively big holes in the burners where the flames come out (no jets but simply holes), and there is a movable cap on top which has the same holes in it. So if you move the cap, you can cover the holes of the burner from a bit to total, having a very precise way to adjust the flames and such the heat. AFAIK there is no such stove for the outdoors available, you have to use your fancy heavy fondue burner in the woods for simmering., or use a Trangia and try to mess with that lit (I have really challenges to do that... might be too stupid or so). Another thing are these gels. The M71 can be refilled with ethanol as long as there is maybe 30% of the gel still inside, and for the first 4 or 5 times you do so the alcohol will form a new gel. That might have to do with the fact that the chemical stuff which creates the gel is a bit overdosed and doesn't burn as well as alcohol, so there is for some while still enough in the remaining gel to make also newly added alcohol to turn into gel. If you want to make your own gel, you can get you a powdery substance called calcium acetate dried (maybe online if you don't find it nearby). A saturated watery solution of that stuff mixed with alcohol makes the gel. Means if you have a diluted alcohol you just give a teaspoon of that powder inside and mix it well, and if you have pure alcohol, you just prepare a solution from a bit of water mixed with that powder and mix it with your pure alcohol to get the gel. If you are not able to get that pure powdery chemical stuff you can prepare the solution also by yourself using eggshells and vinegar, there are videos on youtube how exactly that works. About the carbon felt: instead of this costly stuff you can also use perlite - very cheap and of similar use. Yet you have to cover it with a metal grid if you want to prevent spilling - the alcohol is trapped in these little stones but they can come out if you mishandle the can. It is not such a mess and catastrophe as pure burning alcohol running around in your tent but also the stones can burn a hole or two in your stuff.
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.
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.
6:38 Could actually be interesting to see that happening in a controlled testing enviroment. Not burning up your tent of cause. But just flip a filled burner over somewhere safe. Just to see what happens..
As the weather is getting colder I noticed that bio-ethanol is not as efficient as methanol. Still waiting for a proper test in temperatures way below freezing point, but initial observations are clear: bio-ethanol =/= winter fuel.
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 pot 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.
That is a century old method to reduce wood fire discoloration of your cookware. Incredibly messy and stinky solution. I tried it once in the 1970’s and hated it. I currently use HEET in the yellow bottle which is intended as an automotive product to remove water from fuel. It may only be available here in the USA, cheapest found at Walmart. Its clean and little yellow flame. No pot cleaning needed with HEET thus far.
If you have soot you have bad fuel. If you're burning alcohol you'll most always have bad fuel because alcohol absorbs water from the atmosphere. It starts going bad as soon as you open the package. I just use an unmodified cat food can, a pot holder and a wind screen. Stoves with jet ports and such presume you have "good" fuel.
MSR recommend you let the stainless pots turn black as they work better, unless it's fire soot from wood I'm not too fussed about it.
If you're gonna use fuel that leaves soot, wrap your pot in tin foil. We used to use hexamin stoves with our mess tins, which turned them black. A few layers of tin foil and you just pull a layer off as and when you need to. Simples. X
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.
In the U.S. I have always used Heet in the yellow bottle. It’s used keeping your cars gas line from freezing. You can get it pretty much anywhere in the U.S. it burns clean.
Everclear Grain alcohol for me. I don’t have to be concerned about leaks inside the camp kitchen/backpack. It’s also a great antiseptic. 151 Proof does pretty well. 45 min burn time on 2oz. The 190 proof does better, but not all states sell it.
The best fuel for an alcohol stove is EverClear. It's basically moonshine, and any liquor store has it. You can drink it too, or use it for antiseptic.
Volkov is the same, 190 proof ethanol I think. Much expensive for fuel. NEVER DRINK THIS STUFF it will put you over.
Despite the little drawbacks of alcohol stoves, I still love them. I have thee trangia burners now packed in different kits including a full trangia stove kit I have owned for over thirty years. The other two get taken out on canoe trips quite often. What I like is in certain environments where you don't want to make smoke or a lot of noise (the bane of gas canister stoves!) they make a lot of sense. I can sit on a river bank watching the wildlife really close by and still be brewing up, without scaring everything away. Likewise, most people can walk past a concealed day camp on the river bank, canoe tucked away into the undergrowth and my tarp hidden in the trees, and never notice I am making tea or heating food. They are a bit slow, ( the stoves, not the passers by!!) and they do need careful management from wind and you must pay close attention regarding spills and safety. It would be incredibly easy to start a serious fire in summer in dry conditions. I take a small folding solderers fibreglass cloth mat with me to place under my stoves. It has an eyelet in each corner to peg down with either small tent pegs, or more often, those I make from twigs 'on location'. It really helps add a level of spill protection as any accidental spillage gets burned off on the mat with no damage and it's easier to spot any unwanted flames. That said, I am extremely cautious in dry conditions, as we all MUST be.
There is something rather nice about the faint meths smell when using a trangia stove. It's a trip back in time!
I have not however, used the biofuel that you highlight here, so I am going to get some and give it a go!
Happy camping Paul! 😊
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. 😏
Pretty smart! Thank her next time she runs her polished nails through your hair. Lol
Back in the 1990s I went camping one holiday weekend intending to take two gas bottles, one for lighting and the other for cooking. I goofed, though, and only brought one. as I had a new spirit burner I was going to try out, I immediately went shopping in two little country townships, buying up all the methylated spirits available; 1.25 litres in total. This turned out to be enough for all my cooking over those three days, including making a beef stew in a pressure cooker. The sole gas bottle was used with a gas lamp. That weekend was also the debut of a new tent.
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.
I use the tea bag after iv made my cupa. Rub the cooled tea bag over the cup to desolve the black soot and residue. .works a treat .
great tip! nice one gerald
@MichaelTheophilus906 no
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.
Well, I learned something today!
@@Domus_Maximus glad I could help! I've used it several times when I wasn't around town to buy more
You can also use the hand sanitizer gel in a gel stove, aka a small metal tin from bonbons.
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.
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 👍
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 😉
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
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.
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!
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!
Interestingly; here in the States the last time I bought methylated spirits, it was not coloured, but clear like water is.
The fuel that I use the most is the yellow color of the product "heet" which is sold in all automotive stores. It seems to burn well and leaves no soot that I've ever noticed.
Víš proč se alkohol barví. Aby jste ho ví hloupí Američané nechlastali.
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.
I use ceramic wool in all my alcohol stoves. Not only does it help make them burn longer IMO but it helps make them spill proof. I use 1cm thick ceramic wool and use the alcohol stove as a cookie cutter which cuts the ceramic wool out to the perfect size too. I only ever use bio-ethanol fuel.
A useful run through the basics (and some not so basics) of using alcohol stoves. Back in your comfort zone. Well done Paul!
I use small wire brushes to clean the soot off my pots. Very quick & easy. I get the 3 pack from Dollar Tree with plastic, brass & steal bristles. I was using the steal,but found the plastic works better. Then use a baby wipe that works like micro mesh. Pots clean as a whistle.
Brilliant Paul . Firstly, I love spirit burners . Simplicity, cheap , efficient. Bought 5L of BioEthanol , €20 . Burns clean . 1L Titan boils in 10mins . Who’s in a hurry in beautiful surroundings? Store my fuel in a 500ml plastic water bottle . Great to see you doing videos like this, 🇮🇪Atb Tony
Alcohol stoves remain a favourite of ours year after year. We were fortunate to find an online vendor selling high purity ethanol for use in cosmetics. The seller posted it as "pure" but that would be super expensive laboratory grade and not affordable for camp use. The ethanol has the highest heat value of any alcohol fuel we have tested, so you carry less to get the job done. Denatured alcohol is also widely available in hardware and paint stores in the Philippines. We also purchase bulk alcohol gel in buckets intended for use as chafing dish fuel. Hotel, restaurant and catering supply shops offer this product.The gel is the same sort of fuel you find in STERNO brand and other "canned heat" products. We repackage it into assorted sizes of recycled plastic dish detergent bottles. Our youngest troops each have a folding pocket stove (copy of an Esbit.) They have an assortment of aluminum bottle caps and small tins into witch the needed amount of fuel is dispensed. We like the fact that the gel will not spread in the event of a tip-over, the way liquid alcohol will. We have ceased using alcohol fuel cubes that are expensive (imported item) and none have stored well, even in refrigeration. Not a great emergency fuel.
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.
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!
Same. In America I use a product called HEET, it's methanol. I prefer it because of the fuels I've tried for my alcohol stove, it's the most discrete. Can't tell you how many times I've burnt a digit on that damn invisible flame. ;)
HEET works great.
There's actually two types, make sure you get the yellow bottle and not the red.
It's a gas line antifreeze and pure Methyl Alcohol.
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.
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.
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!
Here in Canada I use 99.9% Pure stove grade Methyl Hydrate. Found in the paint section of Walmart or Canadian Tire, also from commercial & farm fuel distribution companies.
Alcohol hand sanitiser works great in DIY stoves
I bought up a load for pennies at the end of COVID
If you wanna reduce the black coating on your pod, add some water to the ethanol, around 10% works fine for me, a little less power but no annoying cleaning later.
5:34 "Be careful not to cover yourself in it - especially when you're gonna be lightning stuff in a minut.." Solid advise!!! 😂😂
Mate, “just quickly” or whatever, that was solid useful info.
In the USA, I think the most popular fuels are denatured alcohol, and the yellow bottle of Heet(automotive fuel line dryer). Both are clean burning and perform similarly. Thanks for your excellent video. I love learning how the cousins do stuff. 👍
Denatured alcohol is the same as methylated spirits. Composition might vary, but fundamentally the same.
@ thank you. I wondered.
I just bought a lil burner like your non trangia one in the video, with the two rows of holes, for some ultra light overnighter and this video dispeled all the confusion I had about what is the right or wrong fuels and what I can use.
Thank you!
Always enjoy seeing you bring out the alcohol burners. Takes me back to your first camp outs on UA-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).
Ive found if you add fiberglass insulation inside the trangia it stops spills
Here in the US I prefer Heat gasoline treatment in the yellow bottle (methanol). Burns cleaner than ethanol or other alcohols.
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 👌👌👍
I'm the same - sick of the sound of my pocket rocket! ha ha
Like asking what's the best fill for a down sleeping bad, or what's the best material for a wool sweater
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.
I have a MSR Wisperlite that is 30 years old and still works fine. Guess it is white gas not alcohol though. Never had any luck with the 3 alcohol ones I had many years ago. Did make a heater out of a old meatal coffee can and a toilet paper roll that did a pretty good job in the old dear blind.
A Trangia burner seems to burn cleaner if used with a No25 or No27 Trangia cookset. I think it gets a better air supply and burns leaner. As you said, I add 10% water to the meths.
Purell hand sanitizer also makes a great fuel! It's clean, not soot. It's a mimic of sterno stove fuel.
I put my GSI mug directly onto my home made alcohol stove (the recess in the bottom of the mug is the perfect diameter to fit the top of the stove), once the stove blooms, and it doesn't snuff out the flames.
Indeed, it makes the stove roar even harder.
Maybe it's because the holes are lower down than on the Trangia.
Liked your explanation, everyone has their favourite but good that you showed the different fuels.
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!
Re the soot on the bottom of pans with methylated spirits - i happened to be talking about this and someone said the methylated spirits obtained via a chemist is different to that from a typical hardware shop. I tried it from the chemist and it definitely burnt without the soot 🤷♂️. Alcohol Brulee is the equivalent of meths in France and is readily available in most supermarkets . 👍
Thank you Paul, well thought out and explained.
It doesn't have the dye in Australia. Also, it needs to be pre-heated when its very cold.
as I'm on a alcohol cooker mission of experience at the moment this was a really timely video thanks
Enjoy your excursion. I meander on those trails at times. 👍
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.
Nice video, i have all & more of those stoves including diy's and the best ones are the simplest ones like the burner with absorbing material but it has a smaller more centered heat on the pot bottom that will scorch titanium but not anodized aluminum
A wider Trangia type burner has a better outer edge area for cooking with titanium & aluminum low, wider pots but a "cone" stove system for me is the best by using less fuel & a smaller burner (solid fuel included) making my choice from that including a lid & you'll never go back lol lmk
I use my large Trangia in my allotment shed. Mostly for brews but occasionally I cook a bacon or sausage sarnie. I use Meths for fuel and a 2 litre bottle lasts me a few months. I take my Trangia mini if I'm out for a day walk - I just fill the stove with fuel before I go.
Not sure what you're using but the bioethanol I got definitely produces a fair bit of soot
Trangia recommends adding 10-15% water to make it burn cleaner. Interestingly Trangia is recommending the La Hacienda Bio ethanol in the UK but the Bartoline Methylated Spirit in Ireland
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.
Over here in the U.S. there’s n old fashioned decorating/renovating tool that is in essence an alcohol burner that boils water to make steam for removing old wall paper. A lot of hardware stores here carry 100% pure methyl alcohol by the gallon (3.8+ liters). Nowadays these appliances are electric, but if the power’s turned off in the building you’re renovating the old fashioned ones still have their place.
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.
I get 91 percent isopropyl alcohol from Walmart in the drug store section. I saw a test and it was the cheapest per boil by far. It does leave the pot a little black. I use a penny pop can stove in a dryer vent pot stand. I've found it to be the most efficient. Not the fastest by any means, but the most efficient.
Bad smelling! I've tried it and learned to keep the pot 1/2" above the flame for NO soot but the smell i can't get used to it but a nice hot blue flame & if all other fuel isn't available give it a try
@@IAMGWH1 It's not much cheaper than buying fuel alcohol from Amazon in the one gallon size. I just ordered some.
@@fire7side
Ok thanks I’ll look into that
Can any fuel allow you to cook food directly over the flame? Like Marshmallows for smores?
thanks for showing what you use as fuel for them😁
Fantastic information for anyone that's just starting to use these types of burners.
Thankyou.
I've got an unhealthily obsession with camp stoves! Got no idea why
haha for me it's torches.
don't question it marra - i'm the same! ha ha
Compare the prices with your local farm supply store. They generally have larger volumes available (5l) for cheaper.
Great video thank you. Just a quick question about bioethanol, I bought the same one from b&q and have had a problem getting it to initially stay lit. It catches with the spark off the flint but takes a good dozen attempts to get it to stay lit. Do you have this problem.? Would it help if I put some on the little dip around the outside of the trangia to get it to bloom maybe? Prelighting that bit perhaps?
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
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.
thank you thank you i live in California and everything is band i have tried a few different experiments i will see what i can do
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.
I use the b and q one you picked, the bio ethanol. Spot on
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 motorcycle camp so incorporating minimalistic gear is a must and I dont want to have to carry extra fuel to make my meals so the stove I use is a multi-fuel type that can burn regular car fuel. Car fuel does burn dirty, but I dont put Ethanol due to my vintage bike runs like shit when I use it. Only clear premium and does burn cleaner.
Have you tried putting a disc of carbon mesh into a trangia burner to reduce the risk of spill if overturned?. Works a treat :)
Very interesting! I ordered some bio ethanol off Amazon and it had a strong sour grain smell. So I’ve been sticking to Heet (yellow bottle) and denatured alcohol
I use plain old denatured alcohol. Easiest to get and works the best...
My type of lad straight into home and bargain 😂👍
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!
which one for indoor use, is less toxic when electricity is out in the winter?
Good video. I have a Trangia but prefer the stainless Tatonka alcohol stove and this will fit nicely in my small wood/twig stove. I use that white fuel.
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 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.
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.
Very well explained. You are really good at this! Thank you ☺️
Thanks for this info, I recently bought a trangia mini and you answered a few questions for me 😊👍
In the states we have denatured alcohol and it is the best. No soot, blue flame, hotter and cheaper. A US gallon can be found for $21.
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.
Bravo.......me.......I carry the 190 proof that can be drink n.......and good for cooking.......cheers
Great overview. And nice selection of stoves resp. burners ;-)
Bio-Ethanol resp. laboratory grade 99,99 pure Ethanol is what I love to use if I can get it. If required it can be easily diluted with some water (for these jet stoves sometimes a must). It gives me the most heat out of the same volume or weight compared to other stuff.
I like the simple and open solutions, one of my favourites is the M71 (Schweizer Notkocher) or simply an old sardine can or the bottom of an altoid tin or something like that. Pure ethanol inside, fantastique burns, no diluting required. Sometimes I'm also using these aluminium cans with the srewable lid as you showed here.
Instead of ethanol or methylated spirit a lot of options can do it - besides ethanol there is methanol, isopropylalcohol (sold as rubbing alcohol), medical spirit (you get it in any pharmacy, mostly ethanol between 70% and 95%) and what not. Methylated spirit is usually diluted ethanol (90-95%) containing as denaturants anything like methanol, isopropylalcohol, benzene and what not else to make it toxic so you start vormiting when drinking it. Theoretically you could run your alcohol stove also with Stroh Rum, the famous high-procenter from Austria (sometimes also called Stroh 80, according to the alcohol volume). But that should be by far the costliest way to burn your money in an alcohol stove ... ;-)
Yet one has to consider that 1. the kind of alcohol and 2. the dilution determine what calorific value (which indicates how much heat is produced) is resulting from burning that stuff. Methanol has approx. one fourth less of calorific value than ethanol, isopropylalcohol is similar to ethanol.
You talked about the burners and their poor simmering capability - yes, it is a shame. I do really wonder why none of these outdoor stoves comes with a similar solution as any ordinary Fondue burner does since eternity (these burners are, just btw, also a great option for outdoors, at least IMHO): usually there are relatively big holes in the burners where the flames come out (no jets but simply holes), and there is a movable cap on top which has the same holes in it. So if you move the cap, you can cover the holes of the burner from a bit to total, having a very precise way to adjust the flames and such the heat. AFAIK there is no such stove for the outdoors available, you have to use your fancy heavy fondue burner in the woods for simmering., or use a Trangia and try to mess with that lit (I have really challenges to do that... might be too stupid or so).
Another thing are these gels. The M71 can be refilled with ethanol as long as there is maybe 30% of the gel still inside, and for the first 4 or 5 times you do so the alcohol will form a new gel. That might have to do with the fact that the chemical stuff which creates the gel is a bit overdosed and doesn't burn as well as alcohol, so there is for some while still enough in the remaining gel to make also newly added alcohol to turn into gel.
If you want to make your own gel, you can get you a powdery substance called calcium acetate dried (maybe online if you don't find it nearby). A saturated watery solution of that stuff mixed with alcohol makes the gel. Means if you have a diluted alcohol you just give a teaspoon of that powder inside and mix it well, and if you have pure alcohol, you just prepare a solution from a bit of water mixed with that powder and mix it with your pure alcohol to get the gel.
If you are not able to get that pure powdery chemical stuff you can prepare the solution also by yourself using eggshells and vinegar, there are videos on youtube how exactly that works.
About the carbon felt: instead of this costly stuff you can also use perlite - very cheap and of similar use. Yet you have to cover it with a metal grid if you want to prevent spilling - the alcohol is trapped in these little stones but they can come out if you mishandle the can. It is not such a mess and catastrophe as pure burning alcohol running around in your tent but also the stones can burn a hole or two in your stuff.
Great info. Thank you for sharing your wisdom 👍🏻
@@PaulMessner wisdom 🤣🤣🤣
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.
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.
Agreed.
Good informative video, cheers Paul, nice little series this 30 day thing 👍🏽
That bottle used to cost 95p two years ago ,then last year2024 £1.25now£ 2.29 I have a few brass stoves primus 96 ,121 ,71, ,which I still use
6:38 Could actually be interesting to see that happening in a controlled testing enviroment. Not burning up your tent of cause. But just flip a filled burner over somewhere safe. Just to see what happens..
As the weather is getting colder I noticed that bio-ethanol is not as efficient as methanol. Still waiting for a proper test in temperatures way below freezing point, but initial observations are clear: bio-ethanol =/= winter fuel.