The following is something I saved from the web (URL unknown). WARNING: Could be hazardous. Does anybody have any other formulas (or good URLs) dealing with any type of cooking-fuel production?

Ingredients:

• Calcium Acetate
• Ethanol
• 6 oz tuna can or cat food can
• 2, Clean 35 milimeter film canisters
• Coat hanger (strong metal)

++++++++++++++++ Mixing Procedure:

Mix 11 Miligrams of Calcium Acetate (1/2 a film canister) with 10 mills of water. (fills up the canister) Then shake for 10 seconds, let it sit for approximately one minute then shake once more for 10 seconds, make sure the Calcium Acetate is completely dissolved. Measure 10 mills of the solution and pour into can. Slowly add 40 mills of ethanol. As you add the ethanol, the mixture should "Gel" instantly. At this point I poured off any remaining Ethanol (a very small amount, looked like about 1/10 of an oz.) Because this mixture gels instantly, you do not have to combine the two until you need to use it for cooking Once the solution has Gelled (approximately instantly), it is ready to use.

+++++++++++++++ Cooking Each can of "Canned Heat" will put out enough heat to fry anything for a period of 22 minutes. We used a 12 inch aluminum frying pan for the testing. (we were able to cook two eggs, two pancakes, and 6 pieces of bacon with one can.) If what you are cooking will take more than 22 minutes, have a second can ready to use. STOVE: You can use or make whatever is necessary to support the pan over the canned heat while cooking. I used a heavy metal coat hanger. I bent it with some pliers to form a support stand with four legs. The above mixture produced enough canned heat to cook 2 eggs, and 2 pancakes. It only filled 0.25 inch in a tuna can and lasted for about 20 minutes).

-- Zach Anderson (z@figure.8m.com), October 10, 1999

Answers

Ethanol is pure straight grain alcohol (booze). How easy is that for the average Joe to get?

What source for the CaAcetate?

-- Beth (bethkl19@idt.net), October 10, 1999.

For ethanol (and water) distillation, I was considering the rig I saw at www.stillife.com

Over at the Prep forum, I have done a repost, if anyone wishes to follow up.

-- Zach Anderson (z@figure.8m.com), October 10, 1999.

In regard to a source of ethanol, Everclear is sold in some states, including Alaska; it is about 95% alcohol.

-- Merv Mullins (mullinsme@yahoo.com), October 18, 2004.