is it safe to put ethanol ONLY based hand sanitizer in still

[jatgm1]

i have a direct flow still made of pure stainless steel, it uses a water pump and ice water or water from a hose that is cold to keep it cool. if i distill ethanol based hand sanitizer, that contains no methanol am i correct in the assumption that it is actually safer and more efficient that distilling my mash because their not allowed to put methanol or anything harmfull to the body in the hand sanitizer because it makes contact with your body and will or will not most the chemical be left behind? i used a store brand version that said "compare to purell" is it not true only ethanol will leave the still as long as i stop collecting at 90 degrees Celsius? we are speaking hypothetically of course.

[ShineonCrazyDiamond]

Janitor? Is that you?

[jatgm1]

im sorry, im not sure who janitor is however i belive your mistaken. would you mind sharing your knowledge?

[skow69]

Sorry I don't have an answer for you but I have to ask, why do you want to distill hand sanitizer?

If ethanol is the only volatile in the product, then I would expect the ethanol to come through the still and whatever is left to stay in the boiler. But I don't know what the boiling point of hand sanitizer is. You may need to dilute it with water to get it to boil. And then of course your distillate will be a mixture of ethanol and water. I don't think you will cause any problems as long as you clean the still properly before using it for any thing potable.

This is just the opinion of an amateur stiller, not a trained chemist. Proceed at your own risk.

[skow69]

Also I would be careful of burning or scorching it. The thicker /more solids, the more danger of scorching.

[jatgm1]

after adding salt (which raises the boiling point of water) hand sanitizer becomes a 65% alcohol 35% water mixture.

[skow69]

What is it before adding salt?

[Truckinbutch]

Again , can't answer your question . My question is why would you ? Are you going to engage in the craft or just distill rotgut ? We can get about as picky here as folks on a beer or wine forum about the craft .

[skow69]

am i correct in the assumption that it is actually safer and more efficient that distilling my mash because their not allowed to put methanol or anything harmfull to the body in the hand sanitizer because it makes contact with your body

No. You can buy iodine, for instance, over the counter, intended for topical use. It's poisonous as hell.

[skow69]

Truckinbutch,
Does hand sanitizer make good rotgut? I heard you should use laundry soap.

[DAD300]

No you are not correct.

A. You are assuming that your mash has methanol in it. If it is pure fruit, it will have less methanol than orange juice.
B. You are assuming that there are no other harmful and more volatile compounds in the hand sanitizer. No hand sanitizer is meant for consumption, so it is not tested for consumption.
C. There is no economic justification for this. Hand sanitizer will cost more than sugar and yeast.
D. Ethanol is a POISON! And they allow it to be sold for you to rub it on your skin.

"A hand sanitizer or hand antiseptic[1] is a supplement or alternative to hand washing with soap and water. Many preparations are available, including gel, foam, and liquid solutions. The active ingredient in hand sanitizers may be isopropanol, ethanol, n-propanol, or povidone-iodine. A familiar ethanol-based hand sanitizer is Purell. Inactive ingredients in alcohol rubs typically include a thickening agent such as polyacrylic acid for alcohol gels, humectants such as glycerin for liquid rubs, propylene glycol, and essential oils of plants. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are more effective at killing microorganisms than soaps and do not dry out hands as much.[2]

Here's your answer...propylene glycol! So, it will kill you...

You say, "i used a store brand version..."

So, how did it taste? Are you still alive?

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

Eww

[SoMo]

No hand sanitizer is made from Ethyl alcohol it's made from wood and will kill you. Dude you need to read there's more methanol in a 8oz glass of orange juice than in 20 gallons of fermented mash or wash. Are you seriously considering that as an appropriate means to getting alcohol? If so you are in serious trouble if you proceed any further with this idea.

[skow69]

Awe, c'mon, guys. You don't really think he was gonna distill Purell for spirits, do you? I assumed he was gonna use the leftovers for a base for perfume or explosives or drugs or fertilizer or something.

[SoMo]

You never know what another may do until it's already done. Even for other means it's such a high concentration it would pose a serious explosion hazard.
DO NOT TRY TO DISTILL HAND SANITIZER, THAT IS NOT A GOOD IDEA!!!!

[cob]

dad300; ethylene glycol is toxic. propylene glycol is nontoxic and used in some food production.

jatgm1; most on this site are doing their absolute best to make the best quality spirits they can

top shelf purell will never exist. stop, drop, and read.

[SoMo]

Propylene glycol is antifreeze, not deadly in small amounts but still not good for you.

[metalsmith]

i have a direct flow still made of pure stainless steel, it uses a water pump and ice water or water from a hose that is cold to keep it cool. if i distill ethanol based hand sanitizer, that contains no methanol am i correct in the assumption that it is actually safer and more efficient that distilling my mash because their not allowed to put methanol or anything harmfull to the body in the hand sanitizer because it makes contact with your body and will or will not most the chemical be left behind? i used a store brand version that said "compare to purell" is it not true only ethanol will leave the still as long as i stop collecting at 90 degrees Celsius? we are speaking hypothetically of course.

We won't see a 5th post from him, he will be dead.

[cob]

Propylene glycol is antifreeze, not deadly in small amounts but still not good for you.

not saying propylene G is good for you. for years it was used as RV antifreeze. ethylene G is the one that killed
dogs and cats. propylene G is legally classifird as harmless to humans. and used in food.
from the safety section here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow .
in food here. http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0, ... 16,00.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

i am not a proponent of propylene G. just an opponent of misinformation.
it's in your beer and pop!!

[bearriver]

Just waiting for the mods...

[SoMo]

Here it is black and white one google search.
Edit mods have been alerted.

[WhiteDevil504]

Ok so long long ago, I may or may not have been in an area that was not conducive to fermentation, forbade beverage alcohol and had an inordinate amount of ethanol based hand sanitizer (read the ingredients they are not all created equal, many Use isopropyl, or have odd additives. Best case it's full of methyl cellulose as a gelling agent) laying around and a group of guys may or may not have run it through a crude still.... Even in that situation again I would spend that energy elsewhere. It will never taste good, it could make you very sick and it will absolutely trash your boiler and element. If you are hell bent on doing this come hell or high water make sure you dilute that stuff down, way way down. You won't be able to use a hydrometer so you'd best be good at math to ensure its diluted enough. But please, just don't do it. I can promise you it will taste awful,you'll be so much better served with a tried and true recipe.


Now please the rest of you forget I ever mentioned this, i was young, dumb and geographically isolated from the pleasantries of western society.

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

No hand sanitizer is made from Ethyl alcohol it's made from wood and will kill you. Dude you need to read there's more methanol in a 8oz glass of orange juice than in 20 gallons of fermented mash or wash. Are you seriously considering that as an appropriate means to getting alcohol? If so you are in serious trouble if you proceed any further with this idea.

You realise that ethyl alcohol is just another name for ethanol. Methanol is the alcohol that comes from wood.

[Truckinbutch]

Truckinbutch,
Does hand sanitizer make good rotgut? I heard you should use laundry soap.

Neither one will do well . 2 gallons of rubbing alcohol , 20 gallons of water , shaved plug of tobaccer , 3 burnt peaches , dash of strychnine and a couple of pinches of arsenate of lead :let the mixture age for at least 4 days to 'mature' . Now , that's good rotgut . Guess you might 'polish' it a bit with some shaved lye soap to give it a 'bead' .
>I sure as hell hope that you were being as facetious as I was when I posted the ingredients .

[Halfbaked]

OK hand sanitizer. Really. Why? It is better to buy at local likker store and better than distill hand sanitizer. At HD we are not about distilling hand sanitizer, we are about making our own through good practices in a safe tastey way. Hand sanitizer sounds like prison hooch. We are about raising the bar on shining or making better drop than you can buy.

NO TO HAND SANITIZER and suggesting it.!

[Tokoroa_Shiner]

It would be better and probably cheaper to buy store bought likker and just redistill it. But then what's the point.

[woodshed]

If your gonna troll you gotta do better than that to catch anything.

[Truckinbutch]

If your gonna troll you gotta do better than that to catch anything.

That child wouldn't do well trollin with a gill net and dinnymite

[RevSpaminator]

Hand sanitizer has a place...it's on you hands.

This is stupid.

How come I feel like we are all putting on a big feast for a troll?

[heynonny]

if i distill ethanol based hand sanitizer

You could make pruno and distill it. Prolly safer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pruno