alcohol and beeswax

[whiskey]

Anyone know of a reason to not put alcoholic beverages in a beeswax lined gourd. Other than the taste of the beeswax, I can't think of any adverse health effects.

 

[Halftail]

Would the alcohol disolve the beeswax so as to make the gourd leak?

 

[rice1817]

It will work fine with mild forms of alcohol, like wine, beer, or even grog. I have not tried hard liquor like whiskey or straight rum in mine. I think it would still be OK since it is not the same stuff as the rubbing alcohol that does dissolve wax. There are no health effects from the beeswax... at least not that I am aware of. We used to consider it a treat as kids for the local beekeeper to give us a chunk of un-processed beeswax still laced with honey to chew on. Maybe we were just lucky??????

 

[Tamora Rademacher]

I've chewed on my share of beeswax as well. It can't hurt you any worse than those wax lips or wax cola bottles filled with liquid we chewed on as a kid...wait, they don't make those any more do they....

As long as you don't pour hot Cap'n Morgans mixed with a little Tang and cinnamon in your beeswax lined mug, you should be fine! Although I do suggest a clay mug for just such a warm brew on a frosty cold camp night.

 

[AZ-Robert]

I can't think of any adverse health effects.

The US FDA says "we can't either." They give it a health risk assessment of "low" (go figure!) and note that it is a "known food use."

As for alcohol melting the wax, I'm guessing only if the temp is right. Throw a chunk in a shot of your favorite spirits and watch to see how it holds up.

Check this out:
[url] http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/report.php?type=INGREDIENT&id=10942[/url]

 

[TANSTAAFL]

May not be germane, but just read an account of US troops in the Mexican War throwing away their India rubber and tin canteens, replacing them with stoppered gourds.

 

[AZ-Robert]

I'm failing in my effort to overcome curiosity... why did they toss their tin canteens?

 

[brubincam]

was at DIXONS couple of weeks ago,,there was a drum shaped gourd canteen,looked good,i forget the price

 

[Norskie]

I keep my leather casing liquid (mostly wood alcohol) is a glass bottle with a wood stopper soaked in beeswax. Doesn't seem to attack the wax at all.

 

[Va.Manuf.06]

I'm failing in my effort to overcome curiosity... why did they toss their tin canteens?

That is a good question Robert. I have never heard that either BUT... The Mexican Army used a gourd canteen and it is possible that since the tin canteens had a habit of heating its contents in the hot sun and a gourd doesn't that they decided to "go native"? Still, I don't think that their officers and NCOs would have been too happy about them throwing away government property... Oh, and who used an India Rubber canteen? Militia or maybe state troops? Very interesting. :hmm:

 

[Riley/MN]

I keep my leather casing liquid (mostly wood alcohol) is a glass bottle with a wood stopper soaked in beeswax. Doesn't seem to attack the wax at all.

Hey LeatherMoose,

Just outa curiosity-why the grain alky for casin? My own mind tells me it would tend to evaporate fast and dry out the leather, No?

~Riley

 

[Norskie]

Well, this is kinda off topic, but, the alcohol (dang, that's a hard word to spell) soaks in fast and lubricates the fibers of the oak tanned leather. Casing is a step in making leather goods where you are getting ready to mold, carve or polish the leather. Since the next step is saddle soaping or dyeing or oiling, drying out is not a problem. The other reason for the alcohol is so my casing liquid doesn't get funky smelling on me. I use water, alky, and some saddle soap dissolved in the mix.
They sell 'shoe stretch' liquid to flatlanders and it's just alcohol and water.

 

[musketman]

I've chewed on my share of beeswax as well. It can't hurt you any worse than those wax lips or wax cola bottles filled with liquid we chewed on as a kid...wait, they don't make those any more do they....

Beeswax is a pollen product, so if you have a pollen allergy you could be at risk for a reaction, other than that, it's inert...

 

[TANSTAAFL]

Being uninsulated, they heated up and the India Rubber ones made the water taste like manure, the tinned ones just got way too hot. They much prefered the stoppered gourds carried with a strap around the neck.

 

[shmrck1]

Makes sence!
snake-eyes :hatsoff:

 

[pondoro]

I can't think of any adverse health effects.

Check this out:
[url] http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/report.php?type=INGREDIENT&id=10942[/url]

This web site lists products that contain beeswax but they never mention "patch lube"!!!