Grain Alcohol
Ethyl alcohol, or ethanol, C2 H5OH, is a clear, colorless liquid, with a burning taste and characteristic, agreeable odor. Ethanol is the alcohol in such beverages as beer, wine , and brandy. Because of its low freezing point, it has been used as the fluid in thermometers for temperatures below -40° C (-40° F), the freezing point of mercury, and for other special low-temperature purpose, such as for antifreeze in automobile radiators. Ethanol is normally concentrated by distillation of dilute solutions. Commercial ethanol contains 95 percent by volume of ethanol and 5 percent of water. Dehydrating agents remove the remaining water and produce absolute ethanol. Ethanol melts at -114.1° C (-173.4° F), boils at 78.5° C (173.3° F), and has a specific gravity of 0.789 at 20° C (68° F). Ethanol has been made since ancient times by the fermentation of sugars . All beverage ethanol and more than half of industrial ethanol is still made by this process. Starch from potatoes, corn, or other ce