Home Distiller

For those of you with experience in extinguishers, I am considering getting one for my apartment still. Have been looking at the charts but wanted to bolster what I think I have concluded with some personal experiences or other options on the choice of extinguisher to use. I am leaning towards a CO2 unit - the Kidde KSPD2G Multi-Purpose 2.0 kg ABC Fire Extinguisher, but would appreciate your views.

An A-B-C designated extinguisher is a good choice. Class B is for flammable liquids only. So you might want that.

A bucket of water. It will dilute the alcohol to a non flammable state. Unless you are working with electric. The you would want something like an abc extinguisher. Even then if your electrical connections are off the ground and you have a good way to disconnect it. Water is still a good idea to have around.

PrariePiss (Mr Piss? is that the right nomenclature?)

I was thinking CO2 because I don't want to have 2x extinguishers in the kitchen - as I am sure you are aware a water extinguisher is not a particularly good idea for an oil fire which is conceivable on a stove (I shall be cookin' on gas)

Water works good on alcohol fire.it not only cools but also dilutes the alcohol to the non combustible state.
a "fog" or spray is best.

distilling ethanol in a closed airspace is not a good setup, but if you really need a practical solution, a good amount of water will do the trick.

EDIT
in a ventilated room or in the backyard it is a tradition in my country to test the tail cut by testing the combustibility of the distillate trying to
ignite it on the pot still head...needless to say that sometimes if there are leaks, this can be very spectacular, but some water will terminate
the show.

EINY wrote:PrariePiss (Mr Piss? is that the right nomenclature?)

I was thinking CO2 because I don't want to have 2x extinguishers in the kitchen - as I am sure you are aware a water extinguisher is not a particularly good idea for an oil fire which is conceivable on a stove (I shall be cookin' on gas)

You would be correct. I was mearly talking about stillin. If you are going to be using it for both kitchen and stillin. CO2 mite be better. But remember. CO2 extinguishers are oxygen displacement extinguishers. They are designed to remove the oxygen so the fire can't breath. This also can make it so you can't breath. if used incorrectly.

A general ABV extinguisher is more long the lines I would be looking at for a kitchen. But they are messy when used. Especially in a house. You will have yellow powder all over the house. Not just in the kitchen.

I keep an abc in my kitchen, laundry room, shop area, and stillin area. I also have a hose ready when stillin and the plug in for my boiler is located close to the egress path. Same with water hose. So I can unplug the boiler and shoot it with water. Fire extinguisher last option. As it is the messyest. Sory can't remember who it was that I first read something like this. Either Husker or Tater? But I'm a firm beleaver in the egress route. Fight it if you can. Get out if you can't. And you don't want the fire between you and the tools to extinguish it.

I have an ABC Fire Extinguisher in the kitchen but I also have my water feed hose on a Y connector with both openings on ball valves. One to the still head and the other unconnected valve has nothing attached to it but the ball valve is closed. If anything catches fire I can open the unconnected valve for full water pressure, it's already pointed at the still and it's on my way out the door.

I would add a carbon monoxide alarm if you're working inside. It has an insidious onset. Safety first.

Halon all the way...put anything out that and no mess when your done...

2 dry powder (BE), one at each of the two doors into my stilling area so I can grab it on the way out. Will swap to CO2 when I can afford it, so I don't get left with a major mess if they get used.

Plus two charged hoses with spray nozzles standing by, one at each door.

We have 4 CO2 ABCs in the kitchen and garage and a bucket of water close to the still if she'd running. When we lived in the mountains I just used a shovel.