Our lab grade calcium acetate appears as a white solid and is hygroscopic. It is popularly used to make Ethanol Jelly, also known as "California Snowballs".
You can easily create your own ethanol jelly fire-starter by mixing a saturated solution of calcium acetate with ethyl alcohol. This way the ethanol fuel is more practical to store and transport.
Here is the recipe:
- First make a saturated calcium acetate solution by mixing 17 gm calcium acetate with 40ml of water.
- Next, in a separate container, measure about 100ml of ethyl alcohol.
- Add the ethyl alcohol to the calcium acetate solution and stir. You should see a jelly-like substance form instantly.
- Pour off any excess liquid and store the ethanol jelly in a ziplock bag until needed.
Historical note...the basic commercial mixture was invented around 1900 with an evolution since of names. In 1918 the manufacturer promoted the product as a gift for a soldier going overseas. NOW the mixture is commercially called STERNO™ to use as a food warmer.
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