Is there a way to seperate DEET from ethanol?

[GalaxyNinja66]

Is it possible to separate DEET (that garbage in "off" insect repellent) from ethanol? Again, I need to at least be buzzed to talk to people. Any help is appreciated!%):D

 

[sekio]

Distillation.

 

[GalaxyNinja66]

Distillation.

...Explain...?

 

[sekio]

If you need to be drunk to talk to people you should be seeking therapy or talking to a doctor and not attempting to distill ethyl alcohol from insect repellent.

Without an expensive fractionating column or multiple distillations you aren't going to be able to get it free of DEET. Besides, if you are too young to be buying alcohol then you probably shouldn't be drinking anyway.

 

[GalaxyNinja66]

Well said, sekio. Then again, I've been wracking my brain over it for the past 5 minutes and can't really figure out what circumstances would lead one to need to do this in order to get drunk. Just go and get some 40% abv vodka to get yourself well bro, or perhaps if this is the only thing accesible to you due to where you live or something like that, it's best to abstain. After all, DEET is a poison, environmental hazard, etc. With just a simple distillation would still be contaminated for whatever purposes you would like to use it for, so, I would like you to please procure some pure EtOH from a better source rather than attempt distillation upon DEET-ethanol mixture.

*sigh* and the search for harder booze continues...



*ai

 

[Weltmeister]

How to make tons of alcohol :

1. mix water, yeast and sugar.
2. wait 1 - 2 month
3. water has 10% - 20% alcohol content

 

[WSH]

How to make tons of alcohol :

1. mix water, yeast and sugar.
2. wait 1 - 2 month
3. water has 10% - 20% alcohol content

You forgot the most important step:


4.

 

[Solipsis]

Yes it's a good idea, but it does require things like big tanks or jugs and you must monitor the temperature so that your yeast doesn't go off making methanol and other shit. I was gonna say it will also probably taste of nothing but yeast but hey maybe that is an upgrade from DEET. At the very least get some flavor chems, those can be pretty cheap (not aroma's though)... ideally just make hard cider but hey that tends to be at least as expensive as buying cheap beer.
Is DEET actually cost-effective by the way?

The ironic thing is that to process mash (fermented sugary water) you ... wait for it ... DISTILL xD
(but not necessarily quite as professionally perhaps)

By the way, ingesting DEET is very unsafe and can get you killed. So forget it.

(I would consider the type of booze insect repellent is 'extremely hard' regardless of alcohol content)

 

[sekio]

If you're going the fermentation route, I strongly encourage you to do some research on ethanol production via fermentation of sugar and perhaps do a little arts and crafts to make a suitable vessel. In fact, if you're going to try fermentation/distilling, I'd suggest you try to aim for a "traditional" spirit such as brandy (ferment grapes, and then distill - grapes are good because they naturally come with yeast in the must on the skins) or exclusively sugar/water mix (to make "vodka", or also try boiled potato), because if you just use whatever fruits and stuff you have around you'll effectively be making prison wine / "pruno" and I'd imagine the resulting distillate would taste like paint stripper.

Also, you'll need to invest in a good fractionating column, I don't think a Vigreaux will do unless it's mighty long.

Good luck explaining to your parents why you need a still!

 

[Weltmeister]

Yes it's a good idea, but it does require things like big tanks or jugs and you must monitor the temperature so that your yeast doesn't go off making methanol and other shit.

This a new one for me. I always thought yeast produces solely ethanol when it only receives sugar as food

 

[Solipsis]

Sort of true: the methanol is mostly a problem when you use fruit, which i do.. with a simple mash you do make fusel alcohols I think, but not from the sugar but from other things you should really add to keep your yeast healthy or that may be its own metabolites.. 'vitamins' are important
Still, always keep an eye on that temperature, you don't want goofy metabolism from your yeast as a rule imo.
It will especially taste like paint stripper because of esters and crap from bad fermentation. Using mostly sugarwater and a bit of 'starter' for the yeast is a smarter idea but I think it kind of requires the destillation as not to taste horrible - then again probably a step up from ingesting cosmetics etc.

simple hard cider, despite the actual methanol possibilities which esp concentrate if you'd distill that, may be more realistic to pull off for a beginner is all i'm saying

 

[nintey]

holy shit this question

 

[Solipsis]

holy shit this question

it's questionable? ;p

 

[GalaxyNinja66]

I have given up on this idea

 

[Ozle]

Why exactly is obtaining alcohol the normal way (i.e. buying it from the store, or having someone else buy it for you if you're underage) not an option for you? Hell, even shoplifting would be a less stupid idea than what you were suggesting.

 

[g0to]

At first I thought he meant it for drug synthesis/workup/recrystallization, ive heard of the DEET ethanol being used to recrystallize/cut methamphetamine in the dirtiest fashion possible, something about small amounts of DEET can [poison people] but at what cost, or perhaps ppl using it cant be arsed and are inadvertedly poisoning the end-user, or maybe even adding it on purpose(!?). What a shitty idea, should be frowned and looked down upon 1000%. but then again it does seem he just wanted a way to get fucked up but didnt want to leave his house for whatever reason, and not everyone lives in an urban area where they can go to any of a dozen markets and snag some alcohol, some places I would assume are remote to the point that theres only one store and shoplifting is not an option, yet someone might have a bunch of this ethanol/deet in their garage/shed

just my 2 and a half cents

 

[WSH]

I have given up on this idea

Good decision!