So how do I get all the water out of Everclear?

[SaltyNuts]

Everclear is like 190 proof, so 95% methanol. However, that's not good enough. I want to get the water out of it so it is 199%+ proof. Don't ask the reason. How would one go about that?

Thanks!

 

[IronWing]

Drink it. The alcohol goes to the brain and the water to the bladder. Carefully cut open your brain and pour off the alcohol.


Or, re-distill it.

 

[WelshBloke]

At home? You can't, and even if you could it would just absorb water vapour from the air.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Everclear is like 190 proof, so 95% methanol. However, that's not good enough. I want to get the water out of it so it is 199%+ proof. Don't ask the reason. How would one go about that?

Thanks!

There is no methanol in Everclear. If there were it would kill you. Quickly. (It's ethanol.)

The wikipedia page for Everclear notes that you can't distill it higher than it already it, because Science.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everclear_(alcohol)

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Oh... you could try those little silica gel packets!

 

[IronWing]

Oh... you could try those little silica gel packets!

I thought of that but didn't know if they take up alcohol.

 

[Brainonska511]

Everclear is like 190 proof, so 95% methanol. However, that's not good enough. I want to get the water out of it so it is 199%+ proof. Don't ask the reason. How would one go about that?

Thanks!

95% methanol you say? Have fun with your blindness and death.

And you can't get all the water out of ethanol without adding something else, like benzene. Water and ethanol are an azeotrope - you can't get all the water out by simple distillation.

 

[IronWing]

I wonder if slow freezing would work?

 

[SaltyNuts]

Thanks all. IronWing, what you mentioned is what I sort-of had in mind. If ethanol (sorry, that's what I meant, not methanol) and water have different freezing points, couldn't you take it down to a temperature where one would freeze out, the other would not, then pout the other out?

Now, I hadn't thought about Dave's point - maybe you take out the water and it gets put right back in from absorption from the air!

Thanks!

 

[dave_the_nerd]

I wonder if slow freezing would work?

Not as well as distillation (which wouldn't work).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fractional_freezing

Fractional freezing can be used as a simple method to increase the alcohol concentration in fermented alcoholic beverages, a process sometimes called freeze distillation. Examples are applejack, made from hard cider, and ice beer. In practice, while not able to produce an alcohol concentration comparable to distillation, this technique can achieve some concentration with far less effort than any practical distillation apparatus would require. The danger of freeze distillation of alcoholic beverages, is that unlike heat distillation, where the methanol and other impurities can be separated from the finished product, freeze distillation does not remove them. Thus the ratio of impurities may be increased compared to the total volume of the beverage. This concentration may cause side effects to the drinker, leading to intense hangovers and a condition known as "apple palsy"[2] (although this term has also simply been used to refer to intoxication,[3] especially from applejack.[4])

 

[lefenzy]

see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol#Purification

 

[IronWing]

see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol#Purification

Interesting. I wonder if off the shelf corn meal works? I guess measuring density would be the way for the home distiller to figure out if it worked.

 

[WaTaGuMp]

A lighter should separate them.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I feel like we're overthinking this:
https://www.amazon.com/Denatured-Ethanol-200-Proof-Alcohol-Acetate/dp/B004M7YFRQ
If you don't want it at 100%, water it down.

 

[SaltyNuts]

Whoa, Osiris, is that pure ethanol? Or something else (also)? It says:

"Ethyl Alcohol IPA and NP Acetate"

No clue what that is exactly.

Thanks!

 

[IronWing]

No, it is not pure. Denatured alcohol will kill you if you drink it. It contains acetone.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Whoa, Osiris, is that pure ethanol? Or something else (also)? It says:

"Ethyl Alcohol IPA and NP Acetate"

No clue what that is exactly.

Thanks!

I'd assume so, frankly I'm not smrt enough on Chemistry to be able to comment without probably looking like a jackass.

https://www.amazon.com/Moda-Flame-FP-1-Ventless-Fireplace/dp/B00H6UXR0W

That stuff literally just says 100% ethanol. There's tons more if you just search for that on amazon.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

No, it is not pure. Denatured alcohol will kill you if you drink it.

What's the difference between 'pure ethanol' and '100% denatured alcohol'? I suspect the OP wasn't trying to increase the concentration (toxicity?) of Everclear to drink it.

 

[PottedMeat]

BUTT CHUG
BUTT CHUG
BUTT CHUG

 

[IronWing]

What's the difference between 'pure ethanol' and '100% denatured alcohol'? I suspect the OP wasn't trying to increase the concentration (toxicity?) of Everclear to drink it.

Denatured alcohol has other solvents added to it to prevent it from being used for human consumption (and therefore not subject to liquor taxes). In this case, the manufacturer has added acetone.

Edit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Denatured alcohol has other solvents added to it to prevent it from being used for human consumption (and therefore not subject to liquor taxes). In this case, the manufacturer has added acetone.

So I guess it's pertinent to understand whether the OP wants this to drink, or to poison/burn.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

So here's another option, if you live in CA.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ethyl-Alcohol-200-Proof-5-Gallons-Non-Denatured-PURE-ALCOHOL-/121287680912

I still wouldn't drink it though.

 

[Anubis]

even if you order lab grader 99.9% that has no denaturing it will drop to 95% the moment you leave it exposed to air for more then about 30 seconds

 

[Paladin3]

Why do I feel like we shouldn't be encouraging the OP?

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

even if you order lab grader 99.9% that has no denaturing it will drop to 95% the moment you leave it exposed to air for more then about 30 seconds

That was my understanding as well, maybe he needs it for a vacuum application?

Why do I feel like we shouldn't be encouraging the OP?

Don't stand in the way of science! Or natural selection!