great vid dan , would like to see a 1ltr water boil race with different fuels , we now know bioethanol burns quicker , does it boil water quicker for same amount of fuel ?

A small tip, put a small amount of water in the fuel, about 10% still burns very well but stops smoking, and stays on the kettle clean.

Hay Dan. Great video. I tend to use Meths due to it been available at more places so easier to buy. I will keep my eyes peeled for the bio though.

Great comparison video , I’ve got an alcohol stove on order so I’m just doing a bit of research . I’ve subscribed and will check your videos when they come out 👍

There is an old saying. " the candle that burns twice as bright, Burns half as long "

This is perfect just bought a trangia and needed to know what fuels best , thanks mate

I have to be honest and confess...... My names Alan and I'm an alcohol stove aholic..... lol. I have been using Trangia stove for many many years and still use them today. I have tried all kinds of different fuels and for whatever the reason, I tend to gravitate back to Meths. I would agree that the Ethanol is much cheaper, cleaner and safer, but I still use meth. Over the last year I have started to use a Crusader MKII stove set and love it, but the old faithful Trangia is always with me.

Hi Dan those little bottles you had the fuel in look like the ones I have for soap, if they have a little flip top opener on top of the lid they are. Just wanted to warn you that they can possibly get flipped open in your rucksack, it happened to me once made a right mess. If your unscrewing the lid anyway might be safer to tape up that flip opening, they are good containers otherwise. Rob.

If you look at the Safety Data Sheets for each, you'll find that the bio ethanol is 100% pure ethanol, while the meth contains about 5% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, and 5% butanol. The ethanol and butanol are both 100% clean burning fuels, but the isopropanol does not burn cleanly. That is the ingredient that makes the meth burn sooty. 6:20 Since the two fuels are nearly identical, they contain nearly the same amount of heat energy. It stands to reason that if one releases its energy quicker, it will be used up sooner. If you switch the fuels in the stoves and run it again, you might find that the biofuel still burns quicker/hotter, or you may find that the stoves were the difference, and the meths burn hotter/faster in the other stove.

In the Netherlands Methylated Spirits is called "Spiritus". Besides a significant amount of Methanol it also contains a additive that causes vomiting when the stuff is swallowed. The colourant caused nasty deposits inside my Trangia burner.

Your test shows that bioethanol burns hotter, and faster. You should boil half a litre of water on each one and see how long it takes. For boiling water, my guess is that the bioethanol will win. I've heard you can add water to the bioethanol to cool it down a bit. :)

The meths smell does not worry me as I cook outdoors weather permitting. Under a large canopy if not. I add 10% water which seems to cure the soot problem. I get enough heat to cook with meths, the ethanol would probably burn food too easily. But if you need hot water fast the ethanol would do the job nice and quickly..... Horses for courses really. But I think I'll stick with the meths. Great video, Thank you.....

Hey Dan, great test. Although the meths lasted longer doesn't mean it is better. The bio ethonol maybe just releases it's energy quicker. Its how you harness the energy coming from them that would be important. With the bio fuel you could use the simmer ring and reduce its use of fuel maybe to the same level as the meths and get a longer burn time. I don't know the calorific value of them, maybe one is higher meaning it has the potential to produce more energy (heat). There are loads of people doing these test on youtube, The problem with meths is it can be a mixture of different alcohols so different brands may give different results. I have a alcohol stove but don't use it when camping as the risk of knocking it over or some spillage in the environment would not be good. I love the silence of alcohol compared to gas. I hope you have a fire extinguisher/blanket when you are doing this as it could quickly go wrong. Maybe mention something about safety in your videos. Keep up the great content mate. ATB-Phill

just watched this Dan , cheers mate i just got my stove ,my choice is the Bio one ..just because it will boil stuff faster with the Heat it gives off

Interesting test Dan. I suppose if I was just boiling up some water, its the Bio. For cooking it maybe a bit too hot for something that takes a while. 🤔 Regards Allan.

Youve sold me on the bio another great review

I just bought a trangia system and bought an aditional trangia gas burner. I made a cup of tea using Go Outdoors own bio fuel, took 8 mins to boil, used colman performace gas and took less than 3 mins to boil. The alchol burner is very quiet and been told it operates in all conditions.

Alright mate. Don’t put the screw lid on first,as you will burn up the rubber seal ring it it. Let it cool first. The seal will last longer. All the best.

Good start. Since its for cooking rather than light output, it'd be good to see not just if it lasts longer but the over heat. I guess you could see how many litters of water you could boil. The ethanol you'd really need the simmer ring to tame that output maybe? Experiments experiments.

As usual, Great video Dan 👍🏻

I'd be more interested to know which was the most efficient to boil or cook on rather than just how long it burned for - that doesn't mean too much in isolation really. Thanks for doing the video anyway though 👍🏻

A boil time comparison would be good, presumably, the hotter burning bio ethanol would boil quicker, but who knows. You probably already know, but burners like the speedster burner are spill proof which is obviously safer👍🏻

Meths for me, the flame is more 'tameable' for cooking/simmering and I can add water to make it even better for cooking (less heat and obviously less soot). Most hardware stores sell it and reasonably priced in bulk. I used to watch the American guys boiling 2 cups of water (500ml) in around 6 minutes and think, hang on it's taking me 8 to 10 minutes, until I realised they were using bio ethanol. If I wanted quickness I'd get the old gas canister out. Using alcohol burners is great and I'm constantly buying different stoves (and burners). Currently I'm trying a Toaks Siphon stove (although actually it's a burner) and that just roars, very, very light though. Keep up the good work with the videos very informative mate.

Youve started something here mate, im also interested to see boil tests with each fuel in each stove.

Dan. So which one to you prefer ? I would still prefer no mess and smell even if it doesn't burn as long but what do you think ?

Great video. I'd be interested if the fuels burnt at the same rate if you swapped the fuels over in each burner.

Are they both “Trangia” stoves- ? If not that may account for the difference in flames- how about reversing the test,to see if the flames & burn times are any different

Dan, are the stoves exactly the same. The threaded parts look different on them.

Strong Yarksher accent there pal! All the best from Lancashire! 👍 I find the Listerine mouth wash bottles are great cheap fuel bottles.

Great video it would be nice to see you swap the stoves over by putting meths in the one with the ethanol and ethanol in the meths one to see if you get the same result. Because I'm guessing that the burners are different makes/models so it could be that the one with the meths in is a trangia if I'm not mistaken and the one with the ethanol in isn't a trangia. The trangia with the meths in might burn more efficient than the other one.

I wonder if the burners made any difference as I noticed they were different and have you tried Isopropanol?

Well I was trained to paint by the master Norman Greenwood from Barnsley and he would always use Meths to clean windows. 30 years on and I still use that advice. So my Lixada will always have meths.

My, what a lot of comments! I am getting a Trangia and did some research on fuel, wandered round the town and bought some Meths, went into Blacks and bought a bottle of 'Firedragon' supposedly 'eco friendly' made from 'Denatured ethanol' whatever that is, will wait till the stove arrives to find out.

Dan Yes the bio burns quicker... but the question is would they both boil the same amount of water for the same amount of fuel. Would the Menthylated spirits boil more water but take longer if as you said a quarter left.

Hi Dan, I think the word you are searching for is 'calorific value'. Bio ethanol has a higher calorific value than Mentholated spirit.

I am afraid to tell, but I want. Burn times depend of the burner variance, also maybe of if it is ethanol (not so human toxic) or methanol (toxic). Maybe also added ingredients, sooting definately. So I can't much give you credit from this video in information value. They are always interesting though, so thank you from them :) Burn distance matters, from burner to pot. How long the burner keeps going. Something like an inch (2.54 cm) and below keeps the Trangia type burners in quite blue hot flame. It won't much soot my pot bottom with my Sinol denatured ethanol fuel. Someone once tested about flame distances and found out that about 1.44 inch was fastest in making the water in pot boil. Flames kept in laboratory situation under the somewhat large enough diameter pot. Not much difference between 1.25 to 1.75 range. About fuel consumption I would say, though not fastest. Less than an inch burn distance. Depends of the pot diameter too and material, Is an optimum. So as a conclusion my opinion is that Hiram Cook's sweet spot (point?), one inch is quite optimal for most situations. I try keep my meat consumption in about 150g a day, but I'm only a 75 kg guy. As a comment about your beefs :) Why I prefer denatured alcohol, I boil my tea water for my single cup also at home and can hear when the temperature is right to stop and not let the burner go dry burned. Green tea about 8 ml and black tea maybe 10 --11 ml fuel. Needs of course my 30 ml cough syrap cup to feed my Trangia type chinese knockoff lol.

Hi didn't you have problems with the colouring agent sticking to the bottom of the alcohol burner?

I add 10% water to my meths.. less soot very economical no brainer.. great vid.

To be a proper comparison you'd need to run the test again, but swapping the burners, this would allow for any differences between the way the burners use up the fuel.

Aggressive burning is not necessarily a good thing. You will get more soot on the bottom of your pan. You can calm the bio fuel down by adding 10-15% water to it. I prefer the way meths burn as it burns cleaner. Thank you for the video.

Think I'd go with the meths. Steady flame did it for me. Would make cooking a whole lot easier

@EWM them small bottles from Pound land ? do they leek TA

What brand lighter did you use Sir ?? Nice and informative video fella. I personally like the bio ethanol as you want heat and clean burning flame. No one likes soot under the bottom of any pan. What is the gallon or 3.78 liters price at your end Sir for each fuel used ??

Cricky the testing game could go on and on with all the variables and combinations. For example the addition of water, full test would need to add different mixes of water to fuel, burn time, boil tests, and, I guess even mixed fuel test, if you're happy to mix water in with both, then how about mixes of Bio and Meth to bring the two together to get a fuel mix for all occasions: slow simmer, fast boil, higher mountain days and valley days. As outdoor enthusiast I guess we should all lean to "BIO" fuels, and reduce our carbon footprint, BUT, I can't get away from the convenience and safety of a gas canister burner, and not worrying about fuel spillage. I had a really "exciting" moment years ago with an old liquid fuel Primus stove, got the pressure a bit high on the hand pump and then kicked the whole thing over, thankfully it was on very wet ground and no where near my tent, those things were lethal! I feel the same way now about any liquid fuel. Don't get me wrong folks love the simplicity and easy of use and swear by their trangia, we've all had one - those old enough to remember the trangia or the primus being the only option switched to the trangia, but liquid fuel and synthetic fibres in tents and clothes - Nah!

One burner is newer then the other clearly visible by the oxidation of the brass, a new trangia burner vs a well used one will have exact results as this in flame size and fuel use. A well used burner will have a lot bigger flame and burn quicker. Bio ethanol is a good trangia fuel though.

The meths is a beautiful colour.

I tried to buy bio ethanol last time I restocked fuel and couldn't find it at even an ok price. In a city. So I bought couple of bottles of meths from a small local hardwear store, cheaper than big shops. Am fine with it. Maybe next time for the bio.

I think the difference is: bioethanol is purer - usually more ethanol, which is what burns best in alcohol stoves, so it burns hotter and faster. The methanol and other addititves, even a little water in meths is what means it burns longer but colder. Apparently there is more calorific energy in pure alcohol, ethyl alcohol than methanol, but I'm not a chemist, just what my research has shown.

Would be interesting to know if the stoves are the same too. If I remember rightly Dan, one is trangia and the other a copy? Could make a difference.

Meths is Ethanol with added Methanol. Methanol has less energy content than Ethanol so may burn longer but produces less heat'. Both produce the same toxic fumes which don't smell so neither is safer than the other, always use in a well ventilated are. I've been using methanol and ethanol for over forty years and in reality there is little difference in stove performance. Don't add water all it does is slow down cooking time. Nice video.

Also do a 50/50 mix comparison

Have you tried adding water to the meths ? I normally add 10% keeps you pans clean and burns just as hot

I like cooking nice meals. Temperature control is notoriously difficult on alcohol stoves. Usually being way too hot and focused. So I much prefer bio ethanol over methylated spirits. Because it doesn't burn as hot. Yes if you only use your alcohol stoves for boiling water then methylated for the win. But if you wanna bake an egg or grill a cheese toast. Bio ethanol is a bit easier too cook on.

great video thanks! can i just ask, can you only buy bio ethanol from camping shops? I'm in the UK and I see methylated spirits everywhere but never seen bio ethanol on the shelves!! Also, can i ask about your lighter. never seen one as good as that! Can i ask where you bought that from please?

The one on the right looks like Swedish army Svea stove. They burn slower than the Trangia as I’ve done similar tests

Great experiment, cheers. I read that Methanol (purple or clear) isn't safe to burn indoors because it gives off hydrocarbons, what's your take on it? Also, if you're burning regular ethanol, rather than bio ethanol, is it true that it's got to be denatured or it gives off fumes too? 🤔 Bio ethanol definitely seems more energetic. I'd put a vertical fine stainless steel mesh mantle on it for safety, and put a reflective heatshield behind it to so it acts like an infra red heater. There's a UKposts channel by a guy named *Robert Murray Smith* , he shows a simple heater made from tins on there where he did that very thing. Bloody wonderful 😊

I think I'll stick to Meths. Far too much flame to lick around the pot and get wasted with the Bio. I rather like the odour from the Meths as it takes me back to boiling a brew on the Empire Stove in the beach hut 60y+yrs ago when I was a kid. Thanks for the video - it was good to see the comparison. By the way, I would say that the more stable flame of the Meths makes it quite possible - with care and in the proper stove set-up - to cook in the porch.

Use a ceramic wool sponge for the bio ethanol and then it will outlast the Methylated spirit you can also use white fiberglass to make it last longer.

There is obviously a reason why Methylated Spirits IS recommended as a fuel. OLD SCHOOL TOP TIP: Try adding a desertspoon, 15ml, of water to the Meths and it will stop the pans from getting dirty with soot and burns cleaner with no smoke. As with all liquid fuels, be very careful when using. Especially in a tent vestibule. After 45 years I've got used to the smell, and the silence! Thanks for the video Dan, appreciated.

Is the one on the right,the meths burner, a 3 crowns burner, Reason I ask is because it hasn't got a proper thread for the lid

Good video

What is the lid with a hole for chocking up the flame?

Always meths with me and never by my tent...great vid

Nice vid', cheers. New subscriber. In your opinion, which do you think would boil more water per 100ml of fuel? I've tried bartoline meths and found it about unusable in a TBS burner with cross supports in no wind at all - nightmare to light in the cold, 5mins to prime and like 15+ mins to make a coffee on a stainless 750ml TBS cup with 350ml of water in it. Your thoughts please?

Yes, but the purple one is pure alcohol (Ethanol) the same stuff as spirits you drink. What is the clear one?

The biofuel was hotter but burned out quicker. If you were to time it and see how long both burn, then you could calculate the heat generated.

Two different stoves by the looks of them do a reverse test to see if you get similar results .... soot on your cookware ..... use a used teabag itll wipe straight off

It would be interesting to repeat your test and swap the two stoves. The right one seems not to be an original Trangia stove.

I think the meths has more water initially before the 10% water is added. This makes it last longer. I would like to see what happens if 20% water is added to the bio ethanol.

English Woodsman you are the main man.... I watch your videos all the time for inspiration, but this video is inconclusive, you can't compare to different fuels using 2 different alcohol burners. the only way to accurately compare different fuels is to use the exact same burner.

See some boil tests. Be interesting to see which one boils water quicker or if they boil in te same time.

Never tried the bio, I've used meths for ages and have no problem with the smell.

I use the bio for the reasons A meths is crap in winter, bio is great in winter . As you say no soot with bio and it burns hotter

Would like to see how long water takes to boil so then I would know if you need more or less biofuel

How's about equal amounts of fuels mixed together with 10/ percent water?

Also which boils 1/2 litre the quickest - at which point you shut off the flame then Re weigh residual fuel

Where do you purchase your fuel? I've just bought a stove and am itching to get it going.

What about the smell? Does one smell more than the other when burning? And does one soot more than the other?

Is it ok to drink bio ethanol?

anybody know Is the bio fuel safe to cook directly on the flame of? Ive always assumed the meths isnt right?

Interesting thought the bio lasted longer Meths is handy if kids are about, colour and smell

Haa anyone tried mixing them to get a compromise between heat / burn length / lack of soot?

The neck of the stove that has the bio fuel, looks bigger than the other. I've found that all my large stoves burn out quicker. You could swap the fuel to see if the fuel is what is making it last longer or the stove.

Not really had much issue with sooting or smell with the meth.. and I do cook in the vestibule with it.. was looking at the bio cos I’ve seen it cheaper but that flame is super aggressive and I’d defo think twice about using it i the old vestibule.. in your vid the meth lasts longer due to it burning less aggressively or with more control.. I think if the bio burned with the same control as the meth they would both have very similar burn times.. closing note, youd defo warm up your tent nicely using the bio in your tent.. :)

The left side of the screen is Trangia, and the right side is a Chinese product. Looking at the lid part, the width of the screw is different. Chinese products have a wide screw pitch, and Chinese products do not burn well in either ethanol or methanol.

Can you time how long they take to boil a set amount of water?

Bio might boil quicker You should of tried to swap trangia as well as they looked different Otherwise the result are inconclusive mate

What would Methanol be like not methylated spirits as it’s just ethanol with mineral spirit in it

What was it you were testing? Putting the lid on the already exhausted (out) bio fuel burner was unnecessary and doubtless damaged the Oring. Common sense and countless UKposts vids say "Don't do it" The burners are not SPACE HEATERS. Test under working conditions, that is what they will be for, work that is not tests. But as you found out the Bio pumps out more heat, so it's logical to deduce that it will boil the same quantity of water faster than the meths... or Bio will boil more water for the same quantity of fuel. Each of us might have specific requirements, Weight, Cost, Speed, Smell, Clean burn, ... But generally we use what we have, and if not happy we will swap it out. I tinker about, mod this, try that; but then I am a tinkerer. Most equipment does its job. Thanks for the vlogs Take care

For me anything that doesn't leave me with sooty pans is the winner!

Could you tell me where to get the ethanol from. Having problems where I live. Anybody help. Living West Wiltshire

You can slow down the rate the bio ethanol fuel is burning by adding a little water to the mix before you even light the stove.

So how long all together for the meth

I was impressed with that video having never used eitherbut with the bio ethanol would it burn long enough to heat a griddle pan up and cook a steak?

A very late comment guys but found an on line bio supplier which sells a better version than the B&Q Hacienda at 2 quid + a litre cheaper. and It burns just as clean . The 10 % water in meths is ok in the summer but in the winter the water freezes and renders the stove useless.

I wonder; if you put 10% water in the Bio Ethanol it may reduce the ferocity of the flame, must test! The Bio ran out first but produced more energy, probably more volatile than the Meths. Let's see the test with both fuels having 7 to 10% water please.

Methylated spirits is a mixture of Ethanol and Methanol. Methanol is highly toxic and can cause blindness and even death, where as Ethanol (Ethyl alcohol/bio ethanol) is just pure consumer grade alcohol found in your every day beverages. Both only produce carbon dioxide and water vapour when combusted though, so no harmful carbon monoxide etc, it's just the pre-combustion handling that's the issue...The methanol slows the combustion down by increasing the number of carbon atoms in the combustion chain for a slower and less efficient burn (hence the soot), but the liquid virtually contains the same overall energy (marginally less). So how long did a full stove of bio actually last for then???

Meths 👍🏻

I'd go Bioethanol purely for odour and residues with meths

Links ist ein original Trangia Brenner, rechts ein Nachbau. Das Original brennt immer stärker, unabhängig vom Brennstoff.