Difference Between Vodka/Rubbing Alcohol/Everclear?

[ssjones]

Ok I'm about to go on a bit of a tirade, bare with me....there are some functional differences between ethanol and isopropyl alcohol when it acts as a solvent. In ethanol the carbon chain is stright with an alcohol group on it (OH) where as isopropyl is not a straight chain it looks more like the inside of a peace sign with an alcohol group attached to it. However with that said, for the purposes of cleaning out a pipe, atleast in practice they both seem to do fairly well and they act very similar (without knowing the composition of what makes a dirty pipe dirty, I wouldn't know exactly tho) personally I use isopropyl (I try to find as close to 100% as possible) because I know it has a fairly low evaporation point and they usually dont add anything extra in it. I would NEVER use denatured alcohol in my pipe. The whole reason it's called denatured is because that means they have added something to it, like a bittent or other fowl chemical, to make it no longer good for human consumption.... And get some of that "bitter x" in your pipe forget about it. It's so bitter its detectable in concentrations of something like 1 ppb. Might as well toss that one in the fire.

This sums it up nicely. It was this information,gleaned from a decade of reading similar threads, is what led me to switch from Everclear to 99% Isopropyl alcohol. Iso evaporates faster than water, which might well make a good agent. But the iso works so well, I've never been inclined to switch.
I just went past my 200th pipe restoration, so I feel that that's a decent body of work to draw this conclusion.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Hot running topwater works a treat.

That may be true, but it doesn't sanitize.

It does at the level of washing flatware and dishes, but neither is at the level of truly sanitized. For a newly acquired estate, I'll do both before the first smoke. First alcohol, then hot water.

 

[Chasing Embers]

It does at the level of washing flatware and dishes

I use bleach for the dishes.

For a newly acquired estate, I'll do both before the first smoke. First alcohol, then hot water.

That's what I was getting at. Alcohol to clean away any germs or mold on a newly acquired used pipe. Antibacterial soap for acrylic stems though.

 

[tennsmoker]

Everclear user here, but I've got a bunch of my own herd that need to be cleaned. I'm going with jpmcwjr and use alcohol then hot water on 'em.

 

[cigrmaster]

Everclear is what I have used since I began cleaning my pipes. I have found it to do a very nice job. If I cannot drink it, then I don't want it in my pipe.

 

[Chasing Embers]

If I cannot drink it, then I don't want it in my pipe.

Can you eat or drink pipe tobacco?

 

[acidpox]

Most of my humble(cheap) pipe collection are estates, I've only used rubbing alcohol to sanitize mine and thus far dont think I will ever change. It's cheap, it works and I always have a bottle on hand for 1st aid stuff. Plus vodka is for drinking, and everclear well cant say I haven't drank it but that was back when I was in my late teens and couldn't fathom what hangovers can be once you hit 30 lol.

 

[mikethompson]

When I googled Everclear I imagined a specialized product for cleaning and sanitizing. I can't imagine someone would drink that stuff!

 

[donjgiles]

Back in the day, we would hollow out a watermelon and fill it with Everclear. Let it soak for a day and ... instant party.

But yeah, it will take the paint off your car!
Don

 

[Chasing Embers]

Goes great with gummy bears too!

 

[donjgiles]

Gummy bears + Everclear = Numb Me Bears

 

[Chasing Embers]

Gummy bears + Everclear = Numb Me Bears

 

[acidpox]

We used to take those 5 gallon water coolers with the spigots at the bottom you use on construction jobs and whatnot and cut up a bunch of various fruits mix in a 2 bottles of everclear/golden grain and top off with lemonade, orange juice, fruit punch, apple juice, basically what ever juice you want. Let rest over night and next day BOOM, party. Cheap way to get alot of people drunk on the cheap lol

 

[jcsoldit]

I mix Everclear with lemonade, which I drink over ice while cleaning my pipes with Isopropyl alcohol. Works great every time! ::

 

[ray47]

We used to take those 5 gallon water coolers with the spigots at the bottom you use on construction jobs and whatnot and cut up a bunch of various fruits mix in a 2 bottles of everclear/golden grain and top off with lemonade, orange juice, fruit punch, apple juice, basically what ever juice you want. Let rest over night and next day BOOM, party. Cheap way to get alot of people drunk on the cheap lol

As I was reading this I could feel the heartburn kicking in.

 

[PaulTheScandinavian]

We used to take those 5 gallon water coolers with the spigots at the bottom you use on construction jobs and whatnot and cut up a bunch of various fruits mix in a 2 bottles of everclear/golden grain and top off with lemonade, orange juice, fruit punch, apple juice, basically what ever juice you want. Let rest over night and next day BOOM, party. Cheap way to get alot of people drunk on the cheap lol''
In Finland, We use to call this stuff like Bol / Booli' shall I say Its quite popular summertime refreshment'

 

[hugodrax]

Jungle Juice.

 

[Chasing Embers]

Good times, at lake parties we called it hooch.

 

[instymp]

isopropyl highest I ever seen is 91%.

Walmart has 99%?

 

[mikethompson]

I just checked the bottle in the medicine cabinet and its 70%. Now I'm going to look real fishy asking for the higher proof rubbing alcohol!