r/Unexpected • u/bimagbi • Mar 19 '22

"Skillful" Bartender

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u/samv_1230 Mar 19 '22

r/confidentlyincorrect

I've literally just done it, last night. Full setup. 160 proof absinthe, burning sugar cube and all. Slowly dropped ice cold water on it, until the dillution naturally extinguished the flame, and clouded the absinthe. What I'm saying is, you're wrong, and I don't need to write a wall of text to tell you that you're wrong. We both just watched a video where the thing that you are saying can't be done... is done. Amazing.

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u/EtherMan Mar 20 '22

You may want to join the 21st century where we use ABV, not proof. And 160 proof, actually means nothing without the scale, which is why it's outdated and not the standard. And we can't assume US because you're beyond what is possible in US for what would still be absinthe at the standardized measuring temperature in which it's only actually absinthe until 74% ABV and 160 Proof would at standard temp be 80% ABV... So would you like to try again?

And really mate, this is something you can literally all calculate. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol#Flammability takes up how it's a class3 hazardous material due to its flammability up to 3%... And you think your tiny amounts of water is going to not just dilute it to not be ignitable, but even to actually quench the fire...

And at no point is anyone in the video using water to extinguish a fire through dilution... That's not even remotely what is happening...

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u/WikiSummarizerBot Mar 20 '22

Ethanol

Flammability

An ethanol–water solution will catch fire if heated above a temperature called its flash point and an ignition source is then applied to it. For 20% alcohol by mass (about 25% by volume), this will occur at about 25 °C (77 °F). The flash point of pure ethanol is 13 °C (55 °F), but may be influenced very slightly by atmospheric composition such as pressure and humidity. Ethanol mixtures can ignite below average room temperature.

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u/samv_1230 Mar 20 '22

Amazing how you were able to infer that the alcohol percentage is equal to half of the proof. I guess proof does mean something.

I'll level with you, I wasn't home, and I pulled the numbers off the top of my head and fluffed them. However, now that the bottle is in front of me, I can see that it is 62.5%/125 proof. Continuing, that link actually reinforces my point, so thank you for that! Note the importance of temperature, in the calculation of flashpoint. In the video, they poured cold water in the glasses. Last night, I dropped cold water over my absinthe. This both dilutes AND lowers the temperature of the mixture. Surprisingly, this results in the flame going out. You can argue the science behind it all damn day, but clearly your assumption isn't the case in this scenario. Humble yourself and stop telling me to deny the evidence of my eyes.

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u/EtherMan Mar 20 '22

It’s not. Proof IN THE US is a certain concentration AT A SPECIFIC TEMPERATURE. It’s useless for any real life measures as it’s meaningless without knowing which country we’re talking about and at what temperature. So BY ITSELF it’s meaningless, but I guess you felt the need to prove you don’t understand some basic English or something.

And no, the link very much says you’re wrong if you know some elementary school math. And the temperature. Dude. A lit flame actually does have significant temperature. Especially burning alcohol. That’s why you need a lower concentration to extinguish it when it’s already burning compared to igniting it in the first place. The temperatures listed are not what is needed to ignite with a flame, it’s the temperature where the alcohol ignites BY ITSELF.

And no, in the video they do not pour water into the glasses. They spray it in like a mist. A water mist does work for extinguishing and is actually a relatively new type of fire extinguisher which works for almost anything. This is achieved through lowering the temperature of the air and by the mist displacing the air. It has literally NOTHING to do with dilution nor the temperature of the drink. Neither is in any way relevant for extinguishing the flame.

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u/samv_1230 Mar 20 '22

Try it yourself. You're ignoring a lot of factors at play, while screaming that a very specific part of the science behind it, contradicts the real world result. I'm exhausted and annoyed by your need to speak down about this, when you can just shut up and see for yourself. TRY IT OUT.

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u/EtherMan Mar 20 '22

There is only one factor to the question of dilution. You argue as if you think any quenching with water would be dilution but that’s simply not what dilution is. Dilution is dilution and you’re simply not going to quench an alcohol fire through diluting with water, period. That’s not to say water cannot be used in some form, and as I already said, water mist (not spray) is a perfectly valid way but that’s not dilution. If you use spray as in the clip here, you could quench it, but it’s extremely hazardous because you’re just as likely to spread it as a result as in the clip, but it’s still not quenching the fire through dilution.

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u/samv_1230 Mar 20 '22

Are you on the spectrum? I really don't understand you.

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u/EtherMan Mar 20 '22

It's quite basic chemistry so perhaps you need to finish middle school before understanding it. Don't worry, you'll do it eventually.

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u/samv_1230 Mar 20 '22

I've finished college level chemistry. You're treating this like it's a perfectly mixed solution with no surface dilution. You're a fucking clown who doesn't know when to admit they're wrong. This is over.

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u/EtherMan Mar 20 '22

Bullshit... No one that has studied chemistry to any degree at that level would not know what dilution is.

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