Theo Nash
When alcohol is heated, some of it evaporates, but it does not cause blackening. The cleanest-burning alcohol is methanol or ethanol, which burns with a blue flame if the stove is tuned properly. Isopropyl alcohol, or rubbing alcohol, produces a yellow sooty flame. The amount of alcohol that evaporates depends on various factors, such as the size of the pan, the cooking time, and the cooking method. For example, beer cheese sauce and bourbon caramel, which are brought to a boil and then removed from the heat, retain about 85% of their alcohol content, while meats and baked goods cooked for 25 minutes without stirring retain 45%.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cleanest-burning alcohol | HEET in the yellow bottle |
| Second cleanest-burning alcohol | Denatured alcohol, or brake line antifreeze |
| Colour of flame when using isopropyl alcohol | Yellow sooty flame |
| Colour of flame when using methanol | Blue flame |
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What You'll Learn
The type of alcohol matters
The specific type of alcohol also affects the cleanliness of burning. For instance, Isopropyl alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol, tends to produce a yellow sooty flame, resulting in blackening around the pot. On the other hand, methanol (George's Yellow HEET) and ethanol (Joseph's Everclear) burn much cleaner, producing a blue flame when properly tuned.
The choice between these different types of alcohol depends on the specific application and user preferences. For instance, denatured alcohol is a relatively affordable option, costing around $5.50 a quart, while HEET in the yellow bottle is recommended for a clean burn without the blackening associated with rubbing alcohol.
Additionally, the concentration of alcohol in a mixture can impact the evaporation process. Ethanol-water mixtures have an azeotrope at 95.6% ethanol, meaning that boiling a mixture with this concentration will produce a vapor with the same ethanol percentage. Boiling mixtures with lower ethanol concentrations will result in a vapor with a higher ethanol concentration than the original mixture.
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The stove must be tuned properly
To ensure clean-burning alcohol, it is important to properly tune your stove. The type of alcohol used plays a significant role in the burning process and the colour of the flame. For instance, if you're using isopropyl alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol, you will likely observe a yellow sooty flame in most alcohol stoves. This yellow flame can be attributed to a jetting problem. Adjusting the stove's settings can help rectify this issue and promote a cleaner burn.
On the other hand, methanol (George's Yellow HEET) or ethanol (Joseph's Everclear) offer a cleaner burn with a blue flame, provided your stove is correctly tuned. These options are slightly more challenging to source and may require visits to hardware, auto, or liquor stores. It is worth noting that a 50/50 blend of isopropyl and methanol burns hotter than methanol alone, without the soot associated with pure isopropyl.
The stove's jetting, or fuel-air mixture, can significantly impact the flame's colour and cleanliness. A properly tuned stove will produce a nice blue flame, indicating a good mixture. However, an orange flame suggests a potential jetting issue, which can lead to incomplete combustion and sooting.
To optimise the stove's performance and minimise blackening, it is advisable to refer to the stove's manual or seek guidance from manufacturer instructions or specialised websites. These sources can provide specific instructions on adjusting the stove's settings to achieve the desired flame characteristics. Proper stove tuning not only reduces blackening but also ensures efficient fuel usage and minimises harmful emissions.
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The size of the pan
It is worth noting that the size of the pan is not the only factor that affects the evaporation rate of alcohol. The volume of alcohol, the heat level, and the specific food it is added to also play a role. However, the size of the pan is a significant factor that can influence the overall cooking time and the final alcohol content of the dish.
When cooking with alcohol, it is important to consider the intended audience. While it is highly unlikely that dishes cooked with alcohol will cause intoxication, alternative options may be preferable when preparing food for children, pregnant women, those in recovery from addiction, or individuals with religious restrictions.
To completely eliminate alcohol from a dish, one would need to reduce the sauce to a dry scum that coats the bottom of the pan. However, at this point, it would no longer be a sauce. Therefore, it is essential to find a balance between reducing the alcohol content and maintaining the desired consistency and flavor of the dish.
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The duration of heating
When heating pure alcohol, the duration of heating affects the rate of evaporation and the final amount of alcohol remaining. For instance, the "boil-off" method for creating non-alcoholic beer involves heating the beer to around 175°F (80°C) for 30 to 60 minutes. This duration is believed to be sufficient to remove a significant amount of alcohol. However, it's important to note that the method's effectiveness is debated, and it may not completely eliminate alcohol from the solution. Additionally, extended heating can negatively impact the flavor of the beverage by removing flavor compounds.
On the other hand, when heating alcoholic beverages, the duration of heating influences the amount of alcohol that evaporates. For example, a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that hot alcoholic beverages, such as hot toddies and mulled wine, retain about 85% of their alcohol content after heating. Similarly, sauces like beer cheese and bourbon caramel that are brought to a boil and then removed retain approximately 85% of their alcohol content. In contrast, recipes that involve flaming the alcohol, such as cherries jubilee, can still contain up to 75% of the original alcohol content.
Now, let's discuss the observations related to the duration of heating for burning alcohol as a fuel. The duration of heating, or burning, can impact the cleanliness of the burn and the color of the flame. For instance, isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) tends to produce a yellow sooty flame, while methanol (George's Yellow HEET) and ethanol (Joseph's Everclear) burn cleanly with a blue flame when properly tuned. The duration of burning can also influence the formation of soot. For example, a small amount of water (around 5%) added to metho/alcohol mixtures was once thought to reduce soot, but this method's effectiveness is questionable.
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The presence of other compounds
For instance, the use of isopropyl alcohol, commonly known as rubbing alcohol, often results in a yellow sooty flame in alcohol stoves. This sooting or blackening is caused by impurities in the rubbing alcohol. On the other hand, methanol (such as George's Yellow HEET) and ethanol (Joseph's Everclear) produce a clean blue flame when burned in a properly tuned stove.
The oxidation of different types of alcohols can also lead to varying byproducts and colour changes. For example, secondary alcohols, when heated with certain reagents, can be oxidized to form ketones, resulting in a green solution. In contrast, tertiary alcohols show no colour change when heated with the same reagents, indicating no reaction.
Additionally, the presence of other compounds in the alcohol mixture can alter the burning characteristics. For instance, a 50/50 mix of isopropyl alcohol and methanol burns hotter than methanol alone and reduces the amount of soot produced by pure isopropyl alcohol. Similarly, adding a small amount of water (around 5%) to methanol or alcohol blends has been anecdotally reported to reduce soot formation during combustion.
The cooking or heating process can also affect the presence of alcohol and other compounds in food preparations. For example, heating alcohol-containing dishes to the boiling point of alcohol (173 degrees Fahrenheit) causes some of the alcohol to evaporate. The size of the cooking vessel and the presence of stirring can also influence the rate of alcohol evaporation, with smaller pots and stirring promoting more rapid evaporation.
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Frequently asked questions
There may be no blackening when burning certain types of alcohol, such as methanol or ethanol, which burn clean with a blue flame.
If you want to avoid blackening, it is best to avoid using isopropyl alcohol, also known as rubbing alcohol, as it tends to produce a yellow sooty flame.
The amount of alcohol that evaporates depends on factors such as cooking time, temperature, pan size, and cooking method. Longer cooking times, higher temperatures, larger pan sizes, and methods involving stirring promote more evaporation.
Yes, one alternative method is to let the beverage sit for a while after adding the alcohol, allowing some of the alcohol to evaporate naturally.
