Ethanol cheap easy test

[Coffee_Creek]

This is easy and cheap, I took a empty water bottle, put a dab of black RTV glue about 1/4 up from the bottom, let it dry, put water even with the black RTV, fill the rest of way up, place cap on and shake hard, let sit for a few minutes, if the water level goes above the line that's how much alcohol is is in the fuel, if the water/fuel stays even with the black rtv it has no alcohol. the pic shows the level went up meaning this fuel has alcohol. The water in the bottle will absorbe and mix wiyh the alcohol making the level rise, if it does not rise there is no alcohol.


 

[WmFritz]

Great tip C-C

[coxy]

 this my be dumb but   I thought alcohol evaporated  water  why do they mix and then separate  ??? ??? ???

[beenthere]

I understand that the alcohol and the water combine, as the water pulls/separates the alcohol from the gas.  By measuring the additional volume of the gas/alcohol mix, can calculate the % of alcohol that was in the gas before.  Leaves the gas by itself without the alcohol. 
That is my guess...

[Coffee_Creek]

yep, when you shake the bottle the alcohol will mix mix with the water and separate from the fuel making the water/alcohol level rise. If the fuel/water separation line stays even with the mark there is no alcohol in the fuel.
The other day I wanted to check several service stations in my area to see if I could find some fuel without alcohol for my plane, mowers, blowers and chainsaws. I carried that bottle with the black mark on it along with a full water bottle, I'd pour water from the water bottle to the mark on the "test" bottle and pump fuel from the pump to fill the rest of the way up, put cap on tight and shake, let it sit a couple of minutes to see if it contained alcohol. Several of the stations I went to told me that their fuel did NOT contain ANY alcohol, I told them I would test for myself. After I tested their fuel I showed them the results. Point being, a lot people working behind the counter don't know and some states don't require them to label the pumps. Carrying two plastic water bottles with you is an easy and cheap way to test for yourself. No need to buy a alcohol test kit.