Would you "waste" a six-pack like this guy did?!

[Guru]

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7436338^13762,00.html

[High_Jumbllama]

Let's see. Beer contains alchohol. Then why doesn't beer burn? Or is it just nor concentrated enough?

[agallag]

Yeah, not nearly enough alcohol content.

[Tjalfe]

I believe it needs 40% - 45% alcohol by volume to burn.. beer at maybe 5% does not have anywhere near enough

[Marshmallowman]

Beer saves the day again, proof that you should always have a six pack handy

[Brian R.]

Lucky they didn't have strong whiskey with them

[KvHagedorn]

I had thought the beverage needed to be at least 50% alcohol (100 proof) to burn.. anyone have personaly experience with this?

[DukeP]

Depends on the temperature!

To flame deserts and such, you can generally use ordinary (43%) brandy - but only if its really hot, like poured over a frying pan or likewise.

~~DukeP~~

[KvHagedorn]

Interesting news site..

[Novdid]

Originally posted by KvHagedorn
I had thought the beverage needed to be at least 50% alcohol (100 proof) to burn.. anyone have personaly experience with this?

Correct, carefull scientific tests done by yours truly, have shown that blue Absolut(40%) is difficult to burn while red Absolut(50%) burns quite easily. Not mentioning 70% Absinth.

[Rob(QG)]

The original definition of proof is far more fun

Only the English could invent 'proof' in 1762, which was the technical standard by which strength was measured until 1st January, l980. If gunpowder and alcohol were mixed and the spirit was weaker than proof strength (57% ABV), there was just a damp fizzle. However, when whisky and gunpowder were mixed and there was enough alcohol in the mixture to cause ignition, then the gunpowder flashed, providing the 'proof' of stronger alcohol.

The British definition is still that 100% alcohol = 175.25 proof.
Although these days it is measured by a hydrometer (boring).
Even more boring it's not even quoted as proof, but as ABV

[High_Jumbllama]

How much alcohol does deoderant have then? I remember turning one stick into a torch not that the plastic casing lasted that long.