Soot

[The ghost who walks]

I am pondering alcohol stoves as an alternative to gas canisters. I have tried a couple of different ones and they work fine if a bit slow, but my greatest gripe is soot.
My pot gets completely covered in a thick layer of soot, I use methylated spirits. It will be a show stopper for me if I do not find a solution.
Does anyone know of an alternative fuel that burns cleaner?
Cheers.

[crollsurf]

Add about 5% water to your Metho and you should be good

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[ChrisJHC]

A stove designed for metho shouldn’t produce soot.
It sounds like you’re using a stove optimised for other liquid fuels.

Adding water will (probably) also work, but at the expense of slightly lower calorific value per mL and therefore longer cooking times. Given you’re only talking about 5% it shouldn’t be significant.

[ribuck]

Doesn't the soot come from the additives? I would think that pure meths would burn cleanly if it was allowed to be sold.

[rcaffin]

Soot is carbon. Carbon comes from incomplete combustion.
Either raise the pot a fair distance so the flames can burn properly, or remove whatever is blocking the air from getting in. Hum ... or buy a better alkie.

Cheers
Roger

[Neo]

The classic Trangia trick, rub dish liquid on the back of the pot before cooking.

[Gadgetgeek]

What set-up are you using?
Between adding a bit of water, and the liquid soap trick (you only need the barest amount, but the downside is that setting the pot on anything will collect any leaves, grass, and dirt)
There will always be some.
Another way to deal with it is to only clean the inside of your bots and store them in a bag. less ideal, but less work.

[Baka Dasai]

It depends on the stove. I get no soot with my home-made Kojin-copy (with home-made caldera cone), but I get lots of soot with my Trangia (unless I water down the metho).

You could buy a Kojin here:
https://www.traildesigns.com/products/kojin-stove
Or you can easily make your own by stuffing a makeup tin with carbon felt.

Some excellent instructions on how to make a caldera cone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VerP7-aiEBw

Last edited by Baka Dasai on Wed 18 Mar, 2020 8:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Franco]

I too suspect the distance (burner to pot) and or air flow.
What are you using ?
BTW, when I was making soda can stoves, to get the optimal distance I would first get the water to boil just using a std stand, then removing the stand I would move the pot closer and further to the flame till I found the distance that gave me the most vigorous boil.
some laughed at that idea but it seemed to work for me.

[craigprice]

I never find a problem with good coke or pepsi can alc designs and ive tested just a few. This is a greatdesign and super easy to make https://youtu.be/ui8t3pivqtk

For my wood stoves, even double wall gassifiers, eucalyptus wood still puts out a bit of a coating on the pot even when youve got a non smoke flame, its the oils.

So for both, i just use a really lo tech low enviro impact solution - use a light weight plastic bag you buy your woolworths veg as a pot cover - just wait till pot is cool (test with finger) and pop in the empty plastic bag. This lasts about quite a while depending on how much care you take. Zero weight - recycle the bag when finished at ww in the recycle plastic bags bin. Altern use one of the bread bags (not the one you use for feet covers!).

[ChrisJHC]

Agree with Craig that I’ve never had an issue with soft-drink can stopovers and soot.

Note that if you use a Diet Coke can you can call yourself an ultra-lighter”!