Alcohol stoves in use?

[skygazer]

I just went and looked at a spare Origo up in my barn, to visualize how the neoprene would be inserted. This stove came with a boat that I haven't had time to work on yet.

To my surprise, there was a neoprene disk on the burner! It fits over the circular wick area with the screen top, and under the metal disk that swings back and forth with the flame size control knob. It's just big enough to cover the first raised ring stamped into the housing of the alcohol cannister.

I think it's a great idea, and would not know about it without this discussion. By eye the neoprene is around a 1/16 of an inch thick. OK, for the sake of accuracy I just went back and measured the thickness. It is 1/16th of an inch, perhaps a (red) hair over. A bit hard to be accurate as it is very soft and the caliper jaws compress it.

This softness is what distinguishes it from inner tube, more than the thickness. Soft enough to conform easily to the gap, without deforming the metal. I'm definitely going to put one on the boat that is in the water, to at least use when leaving the boat.

Thank you to those who brought it up in this discussion.

[skygazer]

Originally Posted by MedSailor

I dunno about you, but to me, burning alcohol just seems like a crime. A party-foul at the very least!

MedSailor

The real crime is making poison alcohol in the first place. Think of the poor sailors who went blind after breaking the compass to drink the alcohol. Talk about blind drunk!

[CapnBones]

I have a 2-burner Origo on the boat and love it. My buddy's boat has an old pressurized stove on it, and as stated you have to know how to light it but alcohol is a lot easier to find in foreign ports, or so I am told, I will find out soon enough. Also alcohol is cheap, grab a gallon from the hardware store and it has lasted me 2 seasons of every weekend and 2 week long trips. I don't have gaskets and have been fine as far as evaporation. Friends use those little round pieces of rubber that you use to open hard to open jars, you know for extra grip, as gaskets prob a lot cheaper option than buying the Origo ones.

Also propane retrofits need specialized storage for the bottles and a lot of hassle, not worth it in my opinion when the alcohol works so darn good!

[ltgoshen]

Originally Posted by 4arch

A 1976 original stove is almost certainly pressurized alcohol. Not too many people are using them anymore. But plenty of people are still using non-pressurized alcohol such as the Origo mentioned above.

As for propane, it can be difficult to retrofit a proper installation onto a boat that wasn't designed for it in the first place, especially for boats 30' and under. I'd strongly consider it if I lived aboard, but as a weekend warrior/daysailer, the NP alcohol works fine as long as it's used properly.

I have a pressureized stove. It works well. I did have to stop some leaks when I first got the boat. All is well now. I am going to try the Oven this weekend and see how it works.

[BubbleheadMd]

Nothing really new to add except a "me too!".

I started with a Kenyon Homestrand 206 model. I nearly singed an eyebrow off in a flare-up when starting it the first time. (I was new, sue me.)

I decided that I really like cooking with alcohol, but didn't like the pressure aspect, so I retro-fitted an Origo 4000. As everyone previous has said, thick cookware is the key to cooking with fewer BTU's. Cheap, thin "pot metal" just lets the precious heat escape.

I liveaboard, and cook regularly. Everything from grilling, to the Origo, to a microwave oven. The simplicity and safety are what appeal to me the most. I can wait a couple extra minutes for the water to boil.

[downeast450]

I "discovered a trick" that seems to eliminate flareups with my pressurized alcohol stove. I just put the stove back on the boat today. I have been cooking on it at home for a few days. If I open the burner valve for a count of 4 then shut it. I pump up the pressure first. Put a heavy CI pan on the burner and light the alcohol pool under the burner. Let it burn out completely with the CI pan absorbing any flare ups. After it is out, open the valve and light it, Voilla! It is hot and blue and roaring. I think having the CI roof over the burner helps it warm up properly. The CI pan really does absorb any early flareups while the original alcohol burns off. It worked every time. Try it and let me know what you pressurized alcohol stove users think.

I love my pressurized alcohol stove now that it isn't a potential source of third degree burns to get it cooking.

Down

[tap]

I bought an origo 3000 at a swap meet and it didn't come with the gaskets either. Rather than buying them for $16 each plus shipping I got a piece of rubber from mcmaster with some other stuff and cut my own.

I found online that they are supposed to be 92 mm in diameter. This just covers the raised part around the grate like skygazer said. Unfortunately I didn't know the thickness and guessed. I got 1/32" thick Buna-N rubber, shore 40A hardness. 40A is described as the hardness of a pencil eraser.

While the gaskets initially worked ok, they seem to wrinkle and then stop sealing. I'm not sure if they are just too thin or if the buna-N can't stand up to the alcohol. The underside of the gasket gets all wet with condensed alcohol. It's supposed to have good alcohol resistance, but maybe something else would be better.

Has anyone tried bicycle tubes? Those are butyl rubber.

I did manage to also use a bit of the rubber to seal the inflation adapter for my dinghy into the hose for the pump. I have about a dozen different sized ends for the hose but none are the right size. So even if the gaskets don't work I still got something for the $6. And I still have most of the sheet left. I think it would work well glued to the bottom of stuff to keep it from sliding so easily on boat tables and counters. And dampen hatch vibrations.

[GufShoz]

Ditto on the rubber jar opening discs. They're cheep and mine have lasted years, or did until I put them on before allowing the burner to cool...oops.

[dugout]

I do not care to deal with propane. Too complicated. I see no reason to change from my pressure alcohol stove. It's simple and reliable.