Ethyl Rubbing Alcohol

[pastordaniel]

I do not drink and have been using ethyl rubbing alcohol (70%) as my cleaner for my cobs (don't own briars). I had a choice of either METHYL rubbing alcohol or ETHYL rubbing alcohol and for whatever reason I chose the latter.
1. I have come to the conclusion most are opposed to using this on pipes. What is the scientific reason? NOTE: I only own MM cobs.
2. Given I use cobs only, why not clean the bowl with it (as well as everything else)?
3. If you were to convince me to purchase something at the local liquor store, I again pose question #2 with this new spirit: Why not clean the bowl with it if using only cobs?
Thank you in advance.

 

[pipebuddy]

I use rubbing alcohol for the airhole and inside of the shank.

Don't put alcohol in the tobacco chamber, whether it's a Cob, briar, meerschaum or any other material to make a pipe. I don't think it's a good thing. You can gently scratch the excess carbon with a small knife as required. Rest time is what allows the chamber to smell better.

 

[michiganlover]

I've used it in the past. In theory since it should evaporate off there should be no ill effects. I can still taste it on the first bowl though, and since it's not meant to be consumed it's maybe problematic to a very slight degree.
You can buy small bottles of drinkable spirits for a dollar or two which will last for many many cleanings, so I don't see any need to bother with rubbing alcohol.

 

[anarchisthermit]

Make sure you buy unscented rubbing alcohol. The bowl generally will not need cleaning with alcohol.

 

[multuminparvo]

Well it seems that your refer to the questions in the other thread.
1) The reasoning behind using consumable alcohol is that you don't leave any extra added chemical nasties in your pipe even if the pure alcohol (ethanol=ethyl) itself evaporates s.a. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denatured_alcohol
Methanol = Methyl hydrate is by itself a highly toxic nasty and not fit for human consumption, so I won't let it near anything that I put in my mouth and inhale by degrees.
2) and 3) In general the majority of pipe smokers find that a little cake is a good thing. It should protect the walls of the pipe from the overall heat and from specific hotspots that develop sometimes. Some say it enhances or deepens the flavor of a specific tobacco if smoked exclusively in one pipe. It is also the main medium which transfers the either feared or welcomed spill over of flavours (ghosting) from one genre of tobacco to another if you smoke different tobaccos in one pipe. It is hygroscopic and porose that means that it takes in some moisture that otherwise the wood or cob of your pipe has to deal with (different densities of materials). Alcohol, whatever you use, will take this carbon layer off.
Pipe smoking is not an exact science so if you have good experiences with your mode of operations then don't change a thing and enjoy your pipe.
All the best

Hannes

 

[darwin]

When I use the 91% isopropyl alcohol/cotton ball method for de-ghosting a bowl I let the pipe sit at least a week before smoking it and I've never encountered any taste issues. I let my pipes rest at least that long anyway so it's no big deal. Care must be taken since any kind of alky is death to finishes. As inexpensive as cobs are de-ghosting them just isn't worth the trouble.

 

[brudnod]

Don't use methyl alcohol. Most rubbing alcohol is isopropyl and is safe for the purpose of cleaning pipes (as above, don't use it in the bowl, not good for the briar and probably not good for corn cob). If you find ethyl alcohol for rubbing alcohol you probably have to push some bum out of the way as he would want to purchase it first - that's the drinking alcohol after all...

 

[jpmcwjr]

If I need to clean the bowl with alcohol (I use Everclear), and often between smokes otherwise, I rinse it out with hot water, then dry with a paper towel in the chamber, pipe cleaner through the shank and stem. Works a treat, and removes all ash as well. Pipe can be smoked immediately, though that's the time I rest it at least overnight.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

I use Isopropyl Alcohol on the stem, shank, and the bottom of the bowl where all the wet dottle sits. Basically I'm using it as intended, as an antiseptic. (Edit: Reading my own description I guess it's going to remove a lot of tobacco oils too. Which sounds just fine to me after reading some descriptions of "stop gunk" devices in old pipe advertisements. *shudders*)

The ingredients listed on the bottle are Isopropyl Alcohol and Water, nothing else. It's commonly used to remove oils cleanly and is going to leave much less residue than an alcohol sold for human consumption. It tastes slightly sweet when freshly applied but you don't have to worry about toxic effects as long as you're not drinking it (Wikipedia lists 15 grams for a 70kg human as having toxic effect, but the lethal dose is higher).

As far as human interaction (it is sold for human contact) your body metabolizes it into acetone, which is a normal byproduct of daily life, you always have acetone in your breath.
The biggest worry with pipes is that you avoid stripping the finish on the outside, no different from any other alcohol.

 

[frozenchurchwarden]

Thinking about my sister's children, this is probably a good place for a reminder to keep these things locked up to some degree. I actually have several bottles strewn about with my cooking supplies.

I'm also reminded of the phrase "top shelf".

 

[lestrout]

Some rubbing alcohols also have a bit of skin treatments like lanolin in them to ameliorate the defattening properties of straight alcohols. So if you choose to use them, you might help your pipe mesh with Lamb Slices.
The solubility properties of the various alcohols differ: the order of the simpler hydroxyl compounds is water (H2O), methanol (CH3OH), ethanol (C2H5OH), and isopropanol (C3H7OH). The longer chain stuff dissolves oily, waxy and tarry compounds a bit better.
But of these compounds, #'s 2 & 4 are more toxic than the other two. True, they all mostly flash off, but hydrogen bonding and such could cause some retention,even over a few days of drying.
hp

les

 

[ejames]

All I've ever used was the 91% Isopropyl. I use it because of it's lower water content.

 

[cortezattic]

I used to give my pipe bowls an isopropyl alcohol soak with a cotton ball; but on some advice posted a few years ago I stopped this practice, and now I clean only the stem and shank with isopropyl alcohol. I haven't noticed any difference, so I conclude that the pipe fouls-up in the shank and stem, not the bowl.
Some folks avoid using isopropyl alcohol because it is toxic. As frozenchurchwarden alludes, one will suffer far greater exposure using it to disinfect a skin abrasion than from smoking a pipe that has been cleaned with it.
Also, I find a certain irony in smoking tobacco, yet having concerns about exposure to toxins. :lol:

 

[instymp]

+1 Ejames, & 151 Bacardi rum & Everclear.

 

[tennsmoker]

Everclear. Lasts forever. I've also used Tennessee sippin' whisky, Old No. 7.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Some caution: over use of these cleaners may alter the good properties of briar. Don't hesitate to rinse with very hot water. Some will shudder at the thought, but I find it cleansing in every way- mostly a mental note that it's as clean as it can get. Sometimes I don't even swab out with a paper towel after rinsing the bowl and stem, though I do run a pipe cleaner through the stem and shank.

 

[dude]

I wouldn't use methyl alcohol. That is rocket fuel, man. You may get more then a nicotine buzz. (it would probably clean the hell out of your pipes,though.)
I have used ethyl and isopropyl, and from my observation, ethyl does a much better job. Bacardi 151 really seems to work the best, but Bourbon seems to do the job. (And although you don't drink, you may have occasion to offer some to a guest.)

 

[danimalia]

Pastordaniel:
I am an ex-drinker myself, so I can relate your concerns. However, at the temputatures we're talking about, the alcohol should evaporate off. Just like cooking with it.
If you're worried about keeping any booze in the house or trying to avoid temptation, you can get a tiny, airplane bottle or perhaps ask a trusted friend to do it for you.

 

[blackbeard]

Like others above I use 91% Isopropyl. Seems to do the trick, is easy to get, and inexpensive. Salt & Alcohol treatments are the only way it really goes into the bowl and I always give them a good rest before smoking. This has been doing alright so far. There hasn't been any occasion yet that I've tasted the alcohol. I like to use a q-tip dipped in it for the mortise as well. It's surprising what a pipe cleaner seems to miss.

 

[andrew]

I always use 99% iso for cleaning, never had a problem. I'd never waste drinking alcohol on pipe cleaning.