site banner

Small-Scale Question Sunday for July 26, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

1
Jump in the discussion.

No email address required.

Most alcohol poisoning in the US is using homebrew that was messed up somehow. Sometimes this is a fungal contamination and sometimes it's making methanol instead of ethanol. Industrial alcohol contains something to render it undrinkable, but this is normally gasoline rather than methanol.

Wouldn't that cause a problem in the lab by making the "alcohol" immiscible with water?

For industrial uses? I’m not sure what they do in chemistry labs.