[futurebrewer]

I am very new to Organic chemistry. In fact, we haven't really covered it in my General Chem class much. I have a couple of really random questions.

1.) Is it possible to make methyl butyrate? What I mean is can I make this in my home or does this have to be created in a lab setting with fancy equipment? I'd love to try if it's possible.

2.) Can somebody point me in the direction of some easy experiments that I can do from my home. My main interest in chemistry comes from brewing, but I am fascinated by anything to do with tastes, scents, etc.. (hence the metyl butyrate). I'll take any fun experiment ideas you have!

3.) Why is it that you can drink Everclear, which is 95% alcohol, but you cannot drink ethanol in a chemistry lab? I apologize if this is a stupid question. I'm just confused because I thought that Everclear is pure alcohol (ethanol).

[Arkcon]

For 1, you probably should make it in an organic chem lab.  The standard student's ground glassware kit is better than a mason jar and a rubber hose for controlling reactions, keeping the product contaminant free, heating with a steam bath instead of open flame, etc.

Its just bad behavior to consume anything in a laboratory.  We simply want to separate the eating from the laboratory parts of our lives.  Basically, we can't be sure a consumable we've made in a laboratory is free of a toxic contaminant, even if we've just made it, or its carefully labeled.  And I'd never accept working next to anyone who might be tipsy, even if they were sure they were, "just buzzed, but I'm cool to synthesize -hic-." I think they can just do that without me in the room.

[futurebrewer]

Thanks Arkcon! I agree about drinking in a lab. That is just ridiculous. I was curious because I read on another website that ethanol has something in it that can't be consumed. Like I said, I thought Everclear was pure alcohol (well as pure as you can get it), so I figured you could drink it--Not that I would actually drink ethanol in a lab. This is more of a hypothetical question. For example, is it actually drinkable?

As far as the kits go, what would you recommend? Something like this?

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/labware/glassware-catalog/glassware-kits-corning-organic-chemistry.html

There are no prices. Must be expensive! 

[futurebrewer]

Can you explain to me how methyl butyrate is made? Doing some research I found that The principle behind making esters is the combination of an Alcohol and a Carboxylic Acid. I'm assuming you can't just mix methanol and butyric acid right?

[Arkcon]

Correct.  Esters are made in the classroom by a esterification reaction under dehydrating conditions.  First years always get to make those -- its nice, for once in your life, to make something in an organic lab that smells nice.  Chemistry life often goes sour soon.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ester#Preparation

You're not going to like it very much, when you get your butyric acid 'tho.  That one is not nice smelling.

[fledarmus]

I was curious because I read on another website that ethanol has something in it that can't be consumed. Like I said, I thought Everclear was pure alcohol (well as pure as you can get it), so I figured you could drink it--Not that I would actually drink ethanol in a lab. This is more of a hypothetical question. For example, is it actually drinkable?

You have to read the labels very carefully...

Everclear is alcohol that has been purified as far as possible by distillation - since a mixture of alcohol and water has a low boiling azeotrope that is 96% ethanol, you cannot concentrate it further by distillation.

Absolute ethanol in the lab is concentrated further by adding an entrainer such as benzene or cyclohexane to distill off the remainder of the water. These compounds are toxic. You do not want to drink ethanol that has been purified in this manner.

Also, alcohol intended for consumption is heavily taxed, and thus much more expensive than alcohol which is not intended for consumption. To keep people from buying the cheaper alcohol and drinking it without paying the tax, the alcohol not intended for consumption is usually denatured by added nasty tasting and toxic compounds to it. You do not want to be drinking this ethanol either!

You can get ethanol for lab use which is actually safe to drink, but the regulatory hurdles for this are considerably higher.