Time to make alcohol!?

[ssashton]

Hey guys,

So hand sanitizer is sold out everywhere and isopropyl alcohol prices are through the roof because people want to make sanitizer.

Can we help out local communities with our experience making alcohol?

What would be involved in making minimum 60% abv ethyl alcohol?

 

[Drunkula]

The first thing you'd imagine would be the process which shall not be named.
The second process would be maybe fractionally freezing, pretty difficult to get it high and I think the record is 57% by Schorschbräu.

I'd say teach people to make acidified bleach no-rinse sanitiser. I'm thinking about emailing the spreadsheet I made on making it around to a few friends in case they know people actively on fire running around waving their arms about because they saw a dog sneeze through their binoculars.

 

[foxy]

Your local home brew should be selling litre bottles of alcohol for sanitising and it should be cheap!
Get some Aloe Vera gel, or after sun and mix it 70% alcohol to 30% gel. Won't mix as good as what you buy but it will do the job.
Forget that, even alcohol looks like its sold out.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

A quick reminder to new members as mentioned in post two discussing distilling is against the forum rules..

 

[Northern_Brewer]

It's worth emphasising that the best protection against coronaviruses is soap or detergent - it's better than alcohol. These viruses are protected by a ball of fat and "degreasing" makes them fall apart.

Even 10% dilution of vinegar in hot (55C) water is pretty effective against it.

 

[ssashton]

It's worth emphasising that the best protection against coronaviruses is soap or detergent - it's better than alcohol. These viruses are protected by a ball of fat and "degreasing" makes them fall apart.

Even 10% dilution of vinegar in hot (55C) water is pretty effective against it.

Then Starsan should work well? Its acid, right?

 

[ssashton]

A quick reminder to new members as mentioned in post two discussing distilling is against the forum rules..

What is the reason for this?

 

[Drunkula]

What is the reason for this?

Distilling isn't legal in Britain and I think it's nice and cosy with beer, wine and cider chat rather than moonshinin'.
And some sponsors might be put off because they don't want to be seen giving money to a place discussing illegal activities.

 

[ssashton]

Distilling isn't legal in Britain and I think it's nice and cosy with beer, wine and cider chat rather than moonshinin'.
And some sponsors might be put off because they don't want to be seen giving money to a place discussing illegal activities.

Wow, I had no idea it was illegal! Thanks for letting me know.

I do have a professional distillery near me and I can't help wondering if they are gearing up to make pure alcohol for the apocalypse.

 

[Clint]

Non booze alcohols come from the petrochemical industry. My works is awash with alsorts..

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Then Starsan should work well? Its acid, right?

It's 50% phosphoric acid, more importantly it has detergent so it will work - but it's an expensive option compared to Fairy Liquid or Flash.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

It's worth emphasising that the best protection against coronaviruses is soap or detergent

Washing up liquid is supposed to be very good.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Wow, I had no idea it was illegal! Thanks for letting me know.

A slight edit to Drunks earlier post.

Distilling in Britain is legal if you have a distilling licence, i doubt any home brewer would go through the rigmarole to obtaining one just to make the odd bottle of spirit therefore distilling discussion is not allowed.

 

[simon12]

The reason people don't get a license for home distilling is there is a huge minimum amount you have to commit to paying duty on.

 

[Clint]

....and,unless it's done exactly right,you make poison.

 

[foxbat]

....and,unless it's done exactly right,you make poison.

If you don't blow yourself and the immediate neighbourhood into near-earth orbit first.

 

[Clint]

...there's a reason.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

.

and,unless it's done exactly right,you make poison.

I seem to remember a member saying you can also make some nasty stuff if you try freeze distilling which isn't illegal.

 

[The Baron]

I've done it accidentally had a corny keg that froze in the Kegerator and 3 pints of that was well enough. When I opened the corny the next morning knowing something had not been right the night before there was a iceberg in it so a lot of the water was taken out of the beer and left back as ice which concentrated the alcohol strength BOOM!!!

 

[peebee]

If you don't blow yourself and the immediate neighbourhood into near-earth orbit first.

Hum, now there's an idea. No virus out there?

But the comment about making poison … who cares, I don't think the intention is to drink it! But it's illegal and so a non-starter.

It's worth emphasising that the best protection against coronaviruses is soap or detergent - it's better than alcohol. These viruses are protected by a ball of fat and "degreasing" makes them fall apart. ...

I was counting on this (detergent disrupting cell/virus membranes) with memories of what the NZ border control did to my wax raincoat 'cos they didn't like the look of it and the UK had foot-and-mouth virus at the time (they sprayed my coat with 5% detergent and put it in a plastic bag, they did say "sorry" when handing it back). But looking this up recently suggests it needs a few minutes contact time to have a decent effect. Not really practical for a "hand sanitiser", although using detergent/soap to clean (as opposed to sanitise) your hands is still the best if a bit inconvenient at times.

So I watched the video @Drunkula posted. And went with that. Getting the BAC50 was no problem, nor glycerine, but the foaming dispensers have been snapped up although some might turn up end of next week? I think the "foaming" is just economy and no harm just spraying on the diluted (0.1%) stuff. Except! It has not been proven to be effective and probably isn't. But as some (who know?) say; it's better than nothing. eBay have taken down all "no alcohol" sanitiser adverts that claim to be effective against coronavirus. I'll have to make do with my tiny quantity of isopropyl alcohol (which is supposedly better than 60% ethanol, and 40% ethanol or vodka is useless).

Starsan indeed contains a "detergent" (dodecylbenxenesulphonic acid, a anionic surfactant), which is important in making Starsan work. Benzalkonium chloride (in BAC50, a cationic surfactant) can have such modifiers added to make it more effective. The NHS foamy hand sanitisers have these? PS: don't mix BAC50 and Starsan 'cos BAC50 don't like it (prefers alkaline conditions).


WARNING: I'm no expert and have just disgorged "facts" I've come across to help people make their decisions. Do your research! Don't believe what I, or others, write without good reason to believe them.