Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1907-01-10
INFORMATION REGARDING
DENATURED ALCOHOL
Some Erroneous Impressions REGARDING This
Subject Corrected by State Agri-
cultural Department.

mean grain alcohol that has been
denatured, either wholly or in part.
The denaturing process consists
simply in adding to the alcohol GER
tain substances which are soluble in
it and have a disagreeable taste or
smell of such an intensity as to rem
der the alcohol so treated totally
unfit for beverages. When so
treated alcohol loses none of its
useful properties for certain indus
trial purposes. For special pur-
poses, the regulations prescribe that
it may be denatured by specially
authorized denaturists. 1t should
be noted that alcohol has been made
alphabetically, i. c., by direct COM
bination of its elements. But be-
cause of the expense attached to
this method of manufacture, it is
not likely to effect its use to any
extent at least for the present, and
needs no further mention here.
Broadly speaking, industrial al
cohol can be made from any SUBJ
stance that contains a fcrmcntablc
sugar, or one that contains a SUBJ
stance which can be converted into
fermentable sugar. Whether or
not such alcohol can be profitaply
made from these substances de-
Ponds upon the ease with which
they may be so converted and the
amount of aclohol that can be OBJ
tanned from it, i. c., it is a ques-
ton tor the manufacturer. Farmers
are naturally chiefly interested in
learning what crops may prove to be
profitable when raised for the pur-
pose of being converted into alcohol.
These crops may be classified under
one of three general heads, viz,
starchy products, i. e., such as
roots, grain, rice and those contain
ing sugar, such as sugar beets,
cane, and those of fibruos ma
ture, such as refuse from saw
mills, sawdust, etc. Fortunately
Idaho would be represented under
each head.
1t is not at all likely that sugar
bects will be gro wn for alcohol maxi
ing purposes alone. More likely an
attempt will be made to utilize
some of the by-products resulting
from the manufacture of sugar.
Molasscs is a very important by
product which can be readily dis
posed of. This we understand can
not always be done. Here, it seems,
there is a material of which we
may also expect something should
anyone undertake the manufacture
of industrial alcohol, in this part of
the country. II takes about three
gallons of this molasscs to make one
OF alcohol for every long ton of SUI
gar product there is estimated to be
623 gallons of such molasses.
Counting the output of sugar in
this country as 400, 600 tons, there
could be made over 5000, 200 gall
Ions of industrial alcohol. Of course
it is quite likely that the price of
tnolasses will regulate the produc-
ton of alcohol from this source.
1t is much cheaper in some sections
than in others.
Another source of alcohol which
is more likely to be of interest to
saw mill men, is common sawdust.
Thus far no very good results have
been obtained in this country. But
Professor Classcn of Germany
claims to have invented a process
which cnablcs him to get IS gall
Ions of absolute alcohol from one
long ton Of sawdust. If this could
be duplicated in actual practice,
something of value may come from
his process.
There remains one other source
which might be utilized in the
making of alcohol, it, too, being of
interest to Idaho farmers. We re-
fer to the waste products or rsth-
or what is now clear waste of the
fruit canning products. Unfortu-
nately the regulations of the inter-
nal revenue department, it is
feared, will operate against the
utilization of this waste in max
ing alcohol. 1t would be large
cannery that could afford to comply
with the regulations prescribing the
setting up and operating still.
The uses to which alcohol may be I
put are exceedingly numerous. At
present, even with the seemingly /
almost prohibitive price, it is used /
very extensively in some industries,
viz, the manufacture of paints, var
nishes, brushes, powder, medicine,
ether, vinegar, etc. But to the
farmers perhaps the most interest
ing use to which it may be put
fS for ard tnI Tha~-