Hi all, I’m trying to figure out which ethanol to use for QWET. I’m located outside the U.S. This seems to be my best option so far. Is it safe to use?
This ethanol is advertised as 99.9% absolute/anhydrous Ethanol. The lab analysis is attached below.
That ethanol has been denatured, meaning adulterants have been added.
Personally I would use either everclear, diesel 153 proof, or find some lab/food grade 200 proof ethanol (NOT Denatured!)
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190proof beverage grade is probably a better bet.
check some of these threads for more info
https://future4200.com/search?q=azeotrope
eg
Ethanol specs
Iso vs ethonal
Ethanol query
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- Have you used 153 proof? I would not expect spectacular yield with all that water.
- How can you tell from that analysis that the 99.9% Ethanol has been denatured?
Thanks for the reply. Yes, I’ve read all the threads. 190 proof everclear runs at over $50 a litre in this country. I was hoping for a cheaper alternative.
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Have you had success with 153 proof? I would imagine the water content to greatly reduce yield and increase water soluble contaminants?
if you’re recovering most (95+%) of it with a centrifuge, then even $175gal (it’s about $75gal here in OR) is manageable.
Is that mostly about taxes?
Here almost 50% of it is.
can you request it back?
in the US, if you’re using it for non-beverage purposes, all but $1/gal of the federal excise tax can be requested back…but you of course have to tell the feds what you’re using it for. So it’s unclear that anyone in this business has actually filed that paperwork…
that day is coming though.
I do not own a centrifuge at this point. It’s on the list for the near future. For the moment a alcohol still will ok be used to recover as much of the solvent as possible on a tight budget. Reclaiming tax is not an option as this is a black market operation in a country where cannabis regulations are slowly emerging and we are trying to get into the
Its was all that is most potent around here… until I found 200 proof lab/food grade NONdenatured 5gallons for sale currently. Now i only use the 200 proof.
I say the word menthol in the 1st post. Immediately my denatured alarm went off
if you’re paying $50liter for food grade ethanol, then get yourself a $175 Panda…payback will almost instant.
good luck with that. someone definitely has to lead the pack.
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I’m looking into the availability of Panda and similar around here.
The extraction knowledge on this continent is basically zero. People are still open blasting and using hot plates for purging. I have the knowledge and experience using CLS and vac ovens from time I spent in the states, but to get the equipment and build out a lab is not possible at this point, unfortunately. Hopefully in the near future though.
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Mine will be here on wednesday
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I have been doing some research and I came across this link. Claims a reduction in Federal tax happened in 2018 for limited amounts of ethanol:
https://organicalcohol.com/federal-tax
Anyone know anything about this?
The end result is paying $27 in Federal tax on 5 gallons. For me starting up, this is huge.
It gets sticky fast once you start ripping though material, so be sure to keep it clean.
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I’ve been using this vendor for a year now…no problems, easy to order. They offer up to 5 gallon sizes.
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UTILITY GRADE 200-PROOF (NOT-CERTIFIED-ORGANIC) GRAIN ALCOHOL - 5 GALLON
Excluding Federal Excise Tax: $125.00
https://organicalcohol.com/utility-grade-alcohol-200-proof-5-gallon/
CANE 190-PROOF NON-GMO PROJECT VERIFIED, UTILITY-GRADE (NOT-CERTIFIED-ORGANIC) ALCOHOL - 5 GALLON
Excluding Federal Excise Tax: $110.00
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a little off to pic, but…
I don’t buy 200 proof alcohol. The azeotrope is the best buy for your money unless you have a way to scrub the water out after every use. Seal that stuff tight because unless you live in the middle of the Sahara it will pull water from the air.
If you have a way to strip the water, again just buy the 190 and clear out the water.
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Very nice. I feel then price is a bit steep but reusability goes a long way.
Idk how I missed this earlier, but those sieves are a steal at $55 for 2 kilos. Anything under $30 a kilo for 3A sieves is generally regarded as counterfeit or low quality from what I’ve heard. Hell, I just paid $15 for less than half a kilo for that has a lot of dust and non-uniform beads. I wonder what it is about these that don’t necessitate vacuum for re-activation?