The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Bacardi_20mothball_20emergency_20fuel_20kit_2e



<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=bottom>Bacardi mothball emergency fuel kit.
Trunk equipment.</TD><TD vAlign=bottom><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=7> </TD><TD vAlign=top align=middle><NOBR>http://www.halfbakery.com/img/score15x25_1.gif</NOBR>
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It is no fun to run out of gas. But it is unsafe andmaybe illegal to keep a full gas can in your car. Plus gas is only good for one thing: running the car (and maybe cleaning off tape residue). Could their be a safe alternative?

I was very impressed that on Mythbusters, they added crushed naphtha mothballs to gas and concluded that it increased the octane. I know in Brazil they run their cars on pure ethanol. So, the emergency kit: a bottle of Bacardi 151 and a tub of naphtha moth crystals. In an emergency, the crystals can be added to the rum, shaken until dissolved, and added to the tank. The mothballs should compensate for the water in the rum, with an end result suitable for 10-20 miles. The rum would also be useful for cleaning sticky scum, sterilizing scissors, or (with a rag inserted as a wick) an emergency flare/lantern. The mothballs could be used for moth repelling purposes.

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

Sure Sure. :smokin:

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

Under some circumstances the 151 in your car poses more risk than benefit.

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

Well it is a bit of a half-baked idea but it might be worth a whirl in a SHTF situation.

Regardless Bacardi 151 can be used as an anteseptic, as a sterilizer, as a mixer for a drink or possibly a molotov, and its not a bad firestarter.

I like multi-use stuff.

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

I want to get a case of Bac151 or 150 proof everclear... perfect for SHTF use and party punch.

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

I've been stockpiling those two liquors for a while. I practice rotation on these stocks, but I find the Bacardi's 151 supplies keeps running low. Everclear is 180 proof, and Diesel brand claims to be 190 proof. 180-190 proof alcohol needs to be cut with water (no more than half) and needs to sit for twenty four hours to allow the molecules to bond, or else it is very hard on your liver.

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

Err, source? Ethanol is Ethanol, regardless of whether it is beer, wine, Bacardi or Everclear. Your liver doesn't know the difference.
I hace a 5 gallon can of petrol in the boot (trunk) of my car all the time - not for if TSHTF, but because if I go somewhere and realise I'm running out, I'd rather put in my 5 gallons and keep the foot to the floor than worry about where I can next fill up.

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

Alcohol does not sterilize.

I say this as a former lab tech. It is very good for cleaning oils and grease off the skin (taking any dirt with it), it evaporates quickly and does not promote bacterial growth. But when we needed to ensure a sterile sample we used an iodine solution.

As for 151 and naptha,....I don't know. The claim that the naptha would take care of the water sounds a little dubious. Anybody ever tried to dissolve mothballs in water? Could be wrong, but I suspect they wouldn't mix.

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

achohol itself takes care of the water achohol, readily blends with water

achohol is the main ingrediant in fuel system drying additives you buy to put in your gas tank to dry out the water.

achohol ..both methanol and ethanol are already approx 100 octane in their natural forms so adding mothballs to the achohol would not be appropriate

adding mothballs to old or low octane GAS would be more appropriate as naphtha is a chemical used to increase gasoline's octane

as mentioned by others before achohol does not "sterilize" in the true meaning of the word but can be a reasonable disinfectant/sanitizer, in a SHTF situation it would be better than washing a wound with just water.

Heat is the most effective sterilization method in SHTF

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

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

Miscibility is a term in chemistry that refers to the property of liquids to mix in all proportions, forming a homogeneous solution. In principle, the term applies also to other phases (solids and gases), but the main focus is on the solubility of one liquid in another. Water and ethanol, for example, are miscible since they mix in all proportions.

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

Ethanol is a versatile solvent, miscible with water and with many organic solvents, including acetic acid, acetone, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, diethyl ether, ethylene glycol, glycerol, nitromethane, pyridine, and toluene.[8][9] It is also miscible with light aliphatic hydrocarbons, such as pentane and hexane, and with aliphatic chlorides such as trichloroethane and tetrachloroethylene.[9]

Ethanol�s miscibility with water contrasts with that of longer-chain alcohols (five or more carbon atoms), whose water miscibility decreases sharply as the number of carbons increases.[10]

Hydrogen bonding causes pure ethanol to be hygroscopic to the extent that it readily absorbs water from the air. The polar nature of the hydroxyl group causes ethanol to dissolve many ionic compounds, notably sodium and potassium hydroxides, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, ammonium chloride, ammonium bromide, and sodium bromide.[9] Sodium and potassium chlorides are slightly soluble in ethanol.[9] Because the ethanol molecule also has a nonpolar end, it will also dissolve nonpolar substances, including most essential oils[11] and numerous flavoring, coloring, and medicinal agents.

Two unusual phenomena are associated with mixtures of ethanol and water. Ethanol-water mixtures have less volume than the sum of their individual components. Mixing equal volumes of ethanol and water results in only 1.92 volumes of mixture.[12][8] The addition of even a few percent of ethanol to water sharply reduces the surface tension of water. This property partially explains the �tears of wine� phenomenon. When wine is swirled in a glass, ethanol evaporates quickly from the thin film of wine on the wall of the glass. As the wine�s ethanol content decreases, its surface tension increases and the thin film �beads up� and runs down the glass in channels rather than as a smooth sheet.

Mixtures of ethanol and water that contain more than about 50% ethanol are flammable and easily ignited. An alcohol stove has been developed in India which runs on 50% ethanol/water mixture.[13] Alcoholic proof is a widely used measure of how much ethanol (i.e., alcohol) such a mixture contains. In the 18th century, proof was determined by adding a liquor (such as rum) to gunpowder. If the gunpowder still just exploded, that was considered to be �100 degrees proof� that it was �good� liquor � hence it was called �100 degrees proof.�

Ethanol-water solutions that contain less than 50% ethanol may also be flammable if the solution is first heated. Some cooking methods call for wine to be added to a hot pan, causing it to flash boil into a vapor, which is then ignited to burn off excess alcohol.

http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/CHEMWEEK/PDF/Ethanol.pdf

When an alcoholic beverage is swallowed, it passes through the stomach into the small intestine where the ethanol
is rapidly absorbed and distributed throughout the body. The ethanol enters body tissues in proportion to their water
content. Therefore, more ethanol is found in the blood and the brain than in muscle or fat tissue. The ethanol is greatly
diluted by body fluids. For example, a 1-ounce shot of 100-proof whiskey, which contains 0.5 fluid ounces of ethanol
(about 15 mL), is diluted 5000-fold in a 150-pound human, producing a 0.02% blood alcohol concentration.
Figure. Blood alcohol content versus time after
consumption of 1, 2, 4, and 6 ounces of ethanol.
Ethanol is toxic, and the body begins to dispose of it immediately upon its consumption. Over 90% of it is
processed by the liver. In the liver, the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme converts ethanol into acetaldehyde, which is
itself toxic.

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

As a former Vet. Tech, I can tell you all that this is the truth. Did you know that when you bring Fluffy in for vaccines and they "swab the area with alcohol" it is only to make the owner feel better? People think it is wrong to do it without.

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

I see nothing there relating strength to toxicity, given equal amounts. Care to find a medical source?

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

I'm still looking. It's just something I've always heard in the distillation circles. It only makes sense to me that any toxic substance diluted into a 50% solution, would be less damaging to your liver. It takes water to metabolize alcohol. How about helping me, and find a source that backs your position? Maybe we should start another thread to discuss this? It's kinda off topic.

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

Why would I need to help you? I know what I know, why waste time searching publications for evidence that does not exist... Microbiologist PHD here, you?

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

Just to be thorough, wanted one plus TTAZZMAN:

Sterilization, sanitization and disinfection are killing microbes to different degrees. (http://www.bio.net/bionet/mm/microbi...er/004135.html). Alcohol does kill some gram positives orgs, like staph and strep. But is less effective against gram negs (Clostridium perfringens = one type of gangrene). And it doesn't kill endospores (Anthrax, like around farms), fungi or viruses (http://www.iacuc.wsu.edu/documents/f...malAseptic.pdf).

So, agreeing with TTAZZMAN, it would definitely be better than water for a first wound cleaning (repeated use might damage tissues).

Besides heat, another good way to sanitize/disinfect (kill bacteria, fungi, and viruses) is bleach. Approved for use in food processing facilities, hospitals, drinking water supplies,....http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/factshee...hfactsheet.htm. Not good in wounds, though....:wink:

Re: The wonders of Bacardi 151
 

Well, then you have your three tassels hanging on the wall, but have no interest in educating us, that's fine, don't help. I'm just a former bootlegger.