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Author Bioethanol and Biodiesel
David Williams

2007-05-16, 9:25 pm

-> Ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative fuel produced by fermenting
-> and distilling starch crops that have been converted into simple
-> sugars...

Plenty of engines will run on 100-proof whiskey.

dow
EXT

2007-05-17, 5:25 pm

Not as well as on 200 proof whiskey if you can find it. 100 proof is only
50% alcohol the rest being water and the whiskey flavouring, of course,
alcohol completely mixes with water so it will go into the engine but not
burn with the punch that 100% alcohol gives you.


"David XXXXXXXX" <david.XXXXXXXX@bayman.org> wrote in message
news:1179370205.912.1179357830@bayman.org...
>-> Ethanol is an alcohol-based alternative fuel produced by fermenting
> -> and distilling starch crops that have been converted into simple
> -> sugars...
>
> Plenty of engines will run on 100-proof whiskey.
>
> dow



Derek Broughton

2007-05-17, 8:25 pm

EXT wrote:

> Not as well as on 200 proof whiskey if you can find it.


200 proof "whiskey" wouldn't really be whiskey. It's just alcohol.
--
derek
David Williams

2007-05-17, 9:25 pm

-> Not as well as on 200 proof whiskey if you can find it. 100 proof is only
-> 50% alcohol the rest being water and the whiskey flavouring, of course,
-> alcohol completely mixes with water so it will go into the engine but not
-> burn with the punch that 100% alcohol gives you.

Culture difference. I was brought up in Britain, where the "proof"
numbers represent higher alcohol concentrations than the same numbers
in the U.S..

But of course I agree. The higher the proof, the better the fuel.

dow
Tony Wesley

2007-05-18, 3:25 am

On May 17, 10:27 pm, david.willi...@bayman.org (David XXXXXXXX) wrote:
> -> Not as well as on 200 proof whiskey if you can find it. 100 proof is only
> -> 50% alcohol the rest being water and the whiskey flavouring, of course,
> -> alcohol completely mixes with water so it will go into the engine but not
> -> burn with the punch that 100% alcohol gives you.
>
> Culture difference. I was brought up in Britain, where the "proof"
> numbers represent higher alcohol concentrations than the same numbers
> in the U.S..


Interesting. The way I heard it, back in the old days, to show that
it was strong whiskey, you burned it. Less than 50% alcohol won't
burn. So if it burned, it was "100 percent proof" that it was good
(i.e. strong) whiskey. The "100 percent proof" was shortened to 100
proof.

What's 100 proof in Britain?

> But of course I agree. The higher the proof, the better the fuel.


Yes.


David Williams

2007-05-18, 3:25 am

-> Interesting. The way I heard it, back in the old days, to show that
-> it was strong whiskey, you burned it. Less than 50% alcohol won't
-> burn. So if it burned, it was "100 percent proof" that it was good
-> (i.e. strong) whiskey. The "100 percent proof" was shortened to 100
-> proof.

-> What's 100 proof in Britain?

The criteria for burning include more than just the concentration of
alcohol. The temperature, for example, is quite important. Whiskey
that's already warm produces more alcohol vapour, which therefore
catches fire more easily. I can imagine that in chilly Britain, whiskey
is more difficult to burn than in a warmer place, so "100 proof"
whiskey, which will just burn, has to be more alcoholic in Britain than
in most other places.

I have the figure of 70% alcohol as being 100 proof in my mind, but I
can't find a reference to confirm it.

Incidentally, whiskey is Irish. Scotch is whisky.

dow
Neon John

2007-05-18, 9:25 am

On 17 May 2007 20:05:47 -0700, Tony Wesley <tonywesley@gmail.com> wrote:

[color=darkred]
>Interesting. The way I heard it, back in the old days, to show that
>it was strong whiskey, you burned it. Less than 50% alcohol won't
>burn. So if it burned, it was "100 percent proof" that it was good
>(i.e. strong) whiskey. The "100 percent proof" was shortened to 100
>proof.
>
>What's 100 proof in Britain?
>

You are correct. Having a little, ahem, background in moonshining, I'm familiar with
that concept :-)

Normal engines will not "run just fine" on 50:50 alcohol and water.

John
---
John De Armond
See my website for my current email address
http://www.neon-john.com
Cleveland, Occupied TN
Multitasking: Reading in the bathroom!

David Williams

2007-05-18, 1:25 pm

-> Normal engines will not "run just fine" on 50:50 alcohol and water.

They do run, at least adequately, on 100-proof whiskey, as defined in
Britain. There have been cases of people who have run out of gas and
used whiskey as an emergency fuel. It worked.

I'm pretty sure that, in Britain, 100 proof is about 70% alcohol. Pure
alcohol is about 140 proof.

dow
Steve Spence

2007-05-18, 1:25 pm

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_proof


--
Steve Spence
Director, Green-Trust
http://www.green-trust.org
"David XXXXXXXX" <david.XXXXXXXX@bayman.org> wrote in message
news:1179501761.912.1179494224@bayman.org...
>-> Normal engines will not "run just fine" on 50:50 alcohol and water.
>
> They do run, at least adequately, on 100-proof whiskey, as defined in
> Britain. There have been cases of people who have run out of gas and
> used whiskey as an emergency fuel. It worked.
>
> I'm pretty sure that, in Britain, 100 proof is about 70% alcohol. Pure
> alcohol is about 140 proof.
>
> dow



Arnold Walker

2007-05-18, 1:25 pm


"David XXXXXXXX" <david.XXXXXXXX@bayman.org> wrote in message
news:1179501761.912.1179494224@bayman.org...
>-> Normal engines will not "run just fine" on 50:50 alcohol and water.
>
> They do run, at least adequately, on 100-proof whiskey, as defined in
> Britain. There have been cases of people who have run out of gas and
> used whiskey as an emergency fuel. It worked.
>
> I'm pretty sure that, in Britain, 100 proof is about 70% alcohol. Pure
> alcohol is about 140 proof.
>
> dow

No ,it is 200 proof....
>




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