How flammable can I make McDonalds?

[@ExplosionsAndFire]

You should subscribe to Thought Emporium, and then he will have to help me out with my next terrible idea kzbin.info/door/V5vCi3jPJdURZwAOO_FNfQ

[@justinblake420]

Just so ya know man taco bell is fucking disgusting! I moved to orange there is one here its over spiced mince slop

[@graealex]

What to do when already subscribed? Unsubscribe and resubscribe?

[@francistaylor1822]

I do love how you used mcdonalds spoons to manipulate the items in the nitrate bath. Oh, and why did you make nitro in a glass beaker? Dont you listen to yourself?

[@yedoom]

@@DonePlaying idk about exclusive but they also don't call it Burger King but instead Hungry Jacks

[@georgeh5075]

We missed you 🥺 Went through a shitty long term relationship breakup in april and I reached out to you and asked if you'd be posting in the next few months and you delivered ☺️♥️ So thanks, waiting for this video has been what's kept me going tbh.

[@andrewsmith1204]

"Once my patience has ended." You don't get this kind of honesty anywhere else in the flammable fast food youtube video landscape.

[@halogeek6]

You do. You just don't get this kinda honestly and then actually get yo watch the cartoon pois-i mean food burn. Most of the creators in this sphere die horrible nitroglycerin related deaths...

[@bryanl1984]

Oddly specific... or are there others?!?

[@dakoderii4221]

McDonald's has far more patience. Their food will still be left here when everything else has degraded back to dirt or burned back to ashes.

[@ZeroLuckMitchy]

Well played, Andrew. A rare chuckle was produced. Couldn't tell you the last time I was made to audibly laugh by a KZbin comment

[@andrewsmith1204]

@Edward Elizabeth Hitler let us shake our fists in defiance!

[@architakumar2579]

This man got more excited for a toy than a 8000 ms-1 det velocity explosive. Phd really does change people.

[@That_Chemist]

grimace is pretty great tho

[@ExplosionsAndFire]

I have absolutely changed. Not for the better.

[@j.yossarian6852]

Which vids that explosive?

[@arad1278]

Grimace is a known war criminal but he got off scott-free due to his connections in the United Nations.

[@JohnDBlue]

Now I'm sad we don't get Grimace here from McD. We just have rotating licensed shit toys :(

[@Justanormalishguy]

Average NileRed viewer: surprised when the end product doesn't work Average Explosions&Fire viewer: surprised when the end product DOES work

[@purplecat4977]

Me: *watches NileRed* Also me: Why does KZbin keep recommending a channel called 'Explosions&Fire'? Also, also me: ... Oh. Right. Chemistry.

[@NoisyBones]

I feel like Nile and E&F are like branching evolutions from Pokémon, like they came from the same chaotic chemist Eevee.

[@PoorPlyser]

​@@NoisyBones Chem-vee evolves into E&F, Nile, or Walter White

[@NoisyBones]

@@PoorPlyser if you get Chem-vee in a highly charged enviroment you might even get Styropyro I feel like I have an art project to do

[@Rover1309]

@@PoorPlyser This comment is solid gold

[@MafiaCow01]

A couple of questions: 1. What possessed you to make this video? 2. Can you freeze-dry Grimace?

[@zyphergaming3187]

1. the unfortunate realization of running out of youtube ideas 2. Very sadly, no

[@tomdupree2758]

want to know if you can nitrate grimace

[@captainotto]

@@tomdupree2758 NitroGrimace has a nice ring to it.

[@clairekholin6935]

Why would you freeze dry grimace?

[@Gregory_12]

@@clairekholin6935So you can *enjoy* him later 😏

[@CKOD]

"Just pouring a lot of oxidizer all over the food and lighting it on fire. That feels like cheating" There goes my hopes of him drying out some fries and the bun, and soaking them in ozonated liquid oxygen. It wouldn't feel like cheating if youre scared shitless of the object you just created.

[@sirapple589]

I know nothing about chemistry, on a scale of “small spark” to “Barbecue the atmosphere” how dangerous is that combination?

[@kmit9191]

@@sirapple589 in our uni the liquid oxygen is in the top floor in a corner room so that an explosion would not impact the structural integrity of the rest of the building too much. So basically bomb threat levels.

[@kmit9191]

@@sirapple589 also when we were working with liquid nitrogen, the procedure when someone accidentally makes liquid oxygen would be the following: evacuate the room, open window, one guy sacrifices his safety by going in throwing the canister out the window where it wouldn't be dangerous anymore.

[@sirapple589]

@@kmit9191 I now understand why the example OP gave is so dangerous. Thank you for the explanation. Good lord is OP’s example scary now.

[@ThanksALott]

​@@sirapple589 At my Uni one professor always had a special christmas lecture with lots of fun experiments. In one of these he would cut through a metal plate using a cigar that was soaked in liquid oxygen as a blowtorch.

[@skoomymooms8845]

The golden arches are actually yellow, therefore this is yellow chemistry, so I expect this to be unreasonably difficult

[@PanzerPlant]

And the fries themselves are technically yellow! More yellow chemistry…

[@valthorix7347]

Really the biggest achievement here is that you managed to not violate Australian customs laws in a chemistry video.

[@rtmpgt]

*Border Security music screaming in the distance* TONIGHT ON BORDER SECURITY

[@Sky-._]

Would the dried tomato and cucumber seeds count as a violation...?

[@kevinwells9751]

​@@Sky-._ If you ask customs then probably yes, but realistically those seeds aren't viable anymore so there's no real risk

[@SirPieRoyal]

I love that you felt the need to add a mould warning after turning a chicken nugget into something that looked like blood-marmelade

[@tomedmonson501]

Blood Marmalade: New-Band-Name-I-Called-It.gif. 😂

[@TMaxElectronics]

Now available at your local McDonalds: the new McNitro with extra oxygen! Let the taste blow you away

[@randomgoat3886]

uhmmm acthwually it doesn't detonate it just combusts🤓🤓🤓

[@dn275]

I don't think this is what the nitro in nitro cold brew meant, but I don't know enough about chemistry to dispute it.

[@randomgoat3886]

@@c2n10 im a chemistry n00b so could you explain what deflagrated means?

[@polishnope5609]

@@randomgoat3886 Basically deflagration has velocity under speed of sound and detonation is above the speed of sound some things deflagrate when they are unconfined for example nitrocellulose if you burn it with something like lighter it just created a ball of flames but if you put it into a tube with some blasting cap or smash it with a hammer it will detonate basically if you put something in a tube with blasting cap the blasting cap will detonate increase the pressure of the tube and cause secondary explosive like nitrocellulose to detonate also or you can hit it with a hammer it will also cause it to explode

[@randomgoat3886]

@@polishnope5609 so basically low explosives that aren't enclosed in small spaces

[@EvocativeKitsune]

The precious phosphorus pentoxide being used on McDonald's is the height of comedy.

[@gluesniffingdude]

fr though, it reminds me of that time Babish threw fucking truffle slices into a McDonald's quarter pounder

[@temp_name_change_later]

what's the deal??? it's so expensive!

[@wingedfish1175]

@@gluesniffingdude ah classic food channels doing stupid shit

[@JaxMerrick]

For a laugh, I tried to look up the price of phosphorus pentoxide, and it's cheaper to buy 100 rds of 9mm range ammo (35-40 USD) than 100g of pentoxide (48 USD).

[@NetAnon]

@@JaxMerrick I found a kilo for 33 USD so I have no idea why it is so expensive.

[@Streetcleanergaming]

"Does a Chicken Nugget dissolve in dichloromethane??" You sir are truly at the forefront of science.

[@chalor182]

I was honestly truly sad when it didn't

[@chromecrescent]

It'd be cool to see chicken nugget(aq)

[@xenotimeyt]

That’s a paper right there

[@bingbong1919]

Hello mr explosions and fire. I would like you to know that i have completely lost control of my life and just scarfed down enough mcdonalds for 2 people at 2am while watching this video. Genuinely the best mcdonalds experience of my life. Love your videos, keep on doing em if it makes you happy. Cheers

[@ExplosionsAndFire]

You’re living the dream sir bingbong

[@RyanMoser]

Ripe ol'age of 105, too!

[@gameswithnate]

The reason the McDonald’s got moldy, is because preservatives aren’t what keep it from getting moldy. It dries out quicker than the mold can grow. When you close it in a container you preserve the moister, thus the mold.

[@rcrawford42]

And the fries, believe it or not, are just potatoes, no preservatives. They're sliced at a factory, given an initial frying, then frozen. They stay frozen until they're dropped into hot oil. But wouldn't the oil on them also have formed nitroglycerin?

[@andersjjensen]

@@rcrawford42 Yes, but less so than the meat. A fry is typically about 7% fat by weight after the dunk'n'drain. The industrial meat waste they use for the hamburgers was 18% fat last I looked.

[@MadScientist267]

Yeah I couldn't figure out for the life of me why he's trying to *dry* something in a sealed container with only itself... 🤔

[@clashblaster]

​@@rcrawford42 Salt is technically a preservative

[@Silver-Rexy]

@@MadScientist267 He wanted the mold to grow, he simply lied to you.

[@formoney5255]

If you had told me in 2012 that in 10 years i would be watching an actual, real life mad scientist trying to make McDonald's flammable, I'm not sure I would believe it. I don't think I would have been surprised to learn said mad scientist is Australian though, that kinda checks out.

[@belyear]

I might’ve believed you if you said the mad scientist was from Alberta or Saskatchewan. Other places….. not so much.

[@RussellTeapot]

What about a peculiar Canadian mad scientist here on YT which (among other impressive experiments) turned literal cotton balls into cotton candy? Would you have believed that?

[@papadev1702]

@@RussellTeapot I wouldn't be surprised if said Canadian was a master of piss chemistry

[@mrcmoes]

Mad scientist burning McDonalds: not believable. Mad scientist burning Maccas: checks out.

[@belyear]

@@RussellTeapot circa 2012, I likely wouldn’t have either. Nigel and Tom are special bunch.

[@tegridyfarms6197]

"we want the food to somewhat resemble food" McDonalds had the same thought.

[@burningpentagram666]

But failed miserably.

[@graealex]

@Pinko Slink Only with a warped perception of what food is. I haven't had fast food in a few years, particularly McDonald's, as it just so vile. The patties are like, what are you even? Certainly not beef. And to my knowledge, here in the EU we have stricter laws on what is actually allowed to go in. Like only muscle meat in ground beef, mostly potatoes and no sugar in fries.

[@Stop_Gooning]

@@graealex You skipped over a key word in my man's comment: McDonald's food LOOKS like food... a lot of things can _look_ like food....

[@VerbenaIDK]

@@Stop_Gooning yeah that carbonato tetraamine cobalt complex looks like grape juice, delicious, hydrating, awesome grape juice

[@graealex]

@@Stop_Gooning McDonald's doesn't even look like food. Maybe you have never seen a real burger patty...

[@Nilns]

The fact that you actually drove 700km for a crunchwrap supreme is one of the funniest things I've seen. Can confirm it's the best item on the Taco Bell menu. Next time you have to ask them to put their creamy jalapeno sauce on it though.

[@gd2234_]

This is when it pays to have a friend with a pilots license and small plane. Imagine the shenanigans you could get into

[@ralphralpherson9441]

@@gd2234_ Captain Ryan at your service, although the Cessna 172 is considerably less posh than your typical coach seat... no bathrooms either, just a "piss jar" so female passengers can have a hard time with that.... so bring a funnel for the ladies.

[@Xenibalt]

questionable

[@moos5221]

@@ralphralpherson9441 is everyone required to piss in the jar or can we just use the bathroom before takeoff?

[@AndyGraceMedia]

I can take you up in a Citation Mustang but I'd need to borrow about 380 gallons of kerosine from your lab. Then we could refine it a bit, get rid of any residual water in solution with all that phosphorous pentoxide you have, add a bit of dinonylnaphthylsulphonic acid, add a splash of methyl carbitol (it's just a fancy ethanol so VB is probably ok too). Then you can try any of these US imports. In-N-Out burger, Carls Junior, or a US Wendys burger as they are now here in Australia. Spewing for the actual Aussie Wendy's ice cream chain but hey - we need US cultural icons squish our piss-weak imitations.

[@marlonbrando1631]

7:28 Ah yes, I always dry my food by putting it in a closed, waterproof container.

[@joestevenson5568]

Maximum idiocy

[@Time-yo5mw]

thank god this comment was here as I became irate over that.

[@tedarcher9120]

It has holes in the lid to protect it from snakes and spiders

[@snakewithapen5489]

In a sunny spot too, where condensation likes to form.

[@thomasdickson35]

Listen, when your mum stops drying out your food you'll understand.

[@mrgreenguy]

Does soaking the dried burger in that nitrated glycerin count as cheating? I wanna see that flammability score reach 11 😉

[@Peter_Schluss-Mit-Lustig]

McDynamite

[@oliverhorgs2298]

@@Peter_Schluss-Mit-Lustig mc boom

[@Versuffe]

Yummy! I sure do love getting heartburn, literally!

[@n1elkyfan]

@@Versuffe more like heartboom

[@LiveSeruio]

Yes please

[@fritzdow4819]

Food scientist here. There have been some times when I was just spontaneously wondering "Is he ever going to do something with food? I'd love that". Than I saw this and it sincerely is the best thing I've ever seen. Thank you so much.

[@bjmcculloch]

My dude. Have you seen the unconventional salt episode? That was my introduction to our lovely host.

[@barfoom]

hey, Fritz, hows that non nutritive cereal varnish coming along?

[@8fledermaus8]

You would probably be happy to learn why English muffins are rarely used as reaction vessels, especially for chloric acid. ^^

[@lousarsol9005]

@@bjmcculloch that was the first video I was recommended of his too!

[@fritzdow4819]

@@barfoom it's pretty hectic mate

[@rascal6112]

As an Aussie who has also had to deal with "It's technically THIS so it's allowed to go through the mail!" The sending of the maccas jerky was very relatable

[@brianmanuel6241]

Honestly surprised he's called grimace there when McDonald's is called maccas there. I would've guessed something like grimmy. "Get me a grimmy toy from maccas would you?"

[@trissylegs]

It would be either Grimmo or Grizza

[@Timbobjr]

@@trissylegs Isn't Grizza a member of Wu-Tang Clan?

[@ralphralpherson9441]

Oy! How good, mate? I got me a Grimmo, Birrdingo, and Hamburga-gazzo

[@unclejack8295]

You forgot to say cunt Key to all asturailian speak is the 2 words of shrimp and cunt

[@thefroggybannana]

“The point of chemistry is to play god” you know, I feel like that is a fair statement

[@oscarlama]

Tom is doing the real scientific work answering the important questions while we are wasting our time with "sustainable hydrogen storage" and "enzymatic plastic degradation"

[@gluesniffingdude]

when will we get our COCK enzyme (carb/oxonitrotase-cytochrome K) to just do the nitration for us

[@ShotGunner5609]

bunch of slackers the lot of ya!

[@danielmulqueen2375]

I'm two months away from defending my PhD in Mechanical Engineering and "Does a chicken nugget dissolve in dichloromethane?" is the most relatable thought I've encountered in a while.

[@SlntFrtr]

Jeez. I have just transitioned to peak dad joke mode. Literally riding in my car alone and out loud state "now that's how you burn calories " then snickered to myself proudly.

[@UselessZero]

I am taking this. And you can not stop me.

[@BackYardScience2000]

💯

[@webby2275]

They actually used to measure the amount of energy in food (calories) by burning it and measuring the heat output.

[@RainyResident]

There's a classic story of a young Gilbert Stork throwing a steak into a bath of aqua regia. He was worried that it could potentially explode. In his own words: "I became frantically concerned because fat is glycerides. So, I'm hydrolyzing the fat to glycerin. You make nitroglycerine by taking glycerin and nitric acid and sulfuric acid, and obviously, I'm going to produce a pile of nitroglycerine and blow up the entire building with my steak. Now, what is an interesting point there, why didn't it? And of course, the reason is kinetics. That is, the kinetics of oxidation of the glycerol at that temperature is much, much, much, I mean, infinitely faster than the cold temperature nitration of glycerin. And so the place was safe."

[@hx5525]

So how cold does it have to be for the glycerin to be nitrated? An academic question ofc

[@mduckernz]

@@hx5525 As close to 0 deg as possible. Sometimes cooler if you use salt baths. If you’re doing large batches it’s really important to keep it really cold because it can runaway really easily

[@hx5525]

@@mduckernz Since he did use an ice bath, the oily and solid bits were nitroglycerin?

[@rickt10]

There is a saying in chemistry: Theromdynamics proposes, but kinetics disposes.

[@whattheblah8773]

“the point of chemistry is to play god” too accurate

[@EdenLippmann]

That's pretty much the point of all science, apart from Media Studies, where you just complain about other people playing god.

[@VerbenaIDK]

"I made it so I can play with it"

[@rando5673]

Biology/medicine is the worst for this. Doctors read through Frankenstein like it's a guidebook, ethics violations and all (loosely justified with "the greater good"). Look up the headless dog experiments or anything to do with chimeras

[@vincentd1120]

This is funny to me because in chemistry, we've literally turned lead to gold. Granted it's like a few atoms, but the point is, it's been done.

[@-vermin-]

@@EdenLippmann Where the hell is media studies considered a science?

[@FhtagnCthulhu]

The effort that goes into the side diversions like "Do McNuggs dissolve DCM?" or even just "McD's with gasoline on it" makes this video into a real frenetic joy. I also appreciate the effort that went into trying to keep the food looking as close as possible to its original state.

[@tukhanh2812]

Did i spend 2 dollars on Patreon for him to set fire to burgers ? Yes Do i regret it ? *absolutely not*

[@SpaceCircIes]

Money well spent. That's cheaper than a coffee

[@Batman-xl2bg]

You’ve convinced me. Im joining

[@webby2275]

This video has made me want to donate at the next opportunity because this was amazingly silly, yet so interesting.

[@annoloki]

Looks like you've got yourself an ablative shielding effect there when trying to use a blowtorch, protecting the food underneath, stopping further ignition. I think you need to get the whole thing super hot first, like, get it ready in a microwave so the whole thing heats up, then use a lower flame to avoid the rapid carbonisation on the surface that stops heat getting behind it.

[@dreadus8125]

Microwave wouldn't work, there's no water left after freeze drying and I'm not sure what polar molecules are left in the food after that but I'm guessing not many. I could be incredibly wrong though, I'm not a chemist I'm an electrical engineer.

[@legatelaurie]

@@dreadus8125 I think the easiest and best way might be wrapping everything in foil and then in an oven (or maybe a bain marie or something to stop too much more drying out making stuff weird)

[@webby2275]

​@@legatelaurie Honestly just putting it all in a pan on low would work too, although the oven on warm would probably be the best method, especially if he has access to a convection oven.

[@legatelaurie]

@@webby2275 If he doesn't then an air fryer is relatively cheap and a brilliant thing to have anyway

[@theSILKROAD210]

a wonderful episode of "Will it nitrate?" to your question how we would have done it: dehydrate, degrease (soxhlet preferably), nitrate with pure HNO3 and only small amounts of H2SO4, neutralising it with NH3 vapour, adding back the fat. I'm gonna think about is and write an other comment if I have a useful idea.

[@comatose1818]

would it actually be feasable to extract the fat and then restore it?

[@theSILKROAD210]

@@comatose1818 I'm not totally sure, but I would try both. the dry and greasy ones seemed to be burning very well. basically stinky candles. I don't think you could make them burn very well without adding oxidizer to it, which was prohibited by the challenge. so it's more like a wet-chemically burning all the not so well burning stuff away or at least adding some oxidizer covalently. the degreasing step is primarily to enable the aqueous solutions to disperse into the food, I think that was the main hindrance in Toms approche.

[@SafetyLucas]

Instead of degreasing, the triglyceride fats could be transesterified into biodiesel with ethanol and a base. The resultant glycerol could then be nitrated as well into nitroglycerin. I would also do some vacuum degassing during the nitration step to force the acid mix all the way to the center of the food.

[@Andy_M.S.c]

You (and NileRed) are my sole and unique role model and motivation while doing an undergrad chem degree

[@ExplosionsAndFire]

you’ve got this !

[@nualahalpin6119]

same here!

[@dogshake]

@@ExplosionsAndFire deez nutz

[@prapanthebachelorette6803]

@@nualahalpin6119 me too 😊

[@deutscher1a]

So your rolemodels are a physicist and someone who stopped his academic career? Hows the degree going?

[@science_and_anonymous]

My advice for this project would be to add freeze-dried food into the vacuum chamber whilst its nitrates. The air will escape the food, causing the acids to be able to permeate the food more effectively. For the meats, you can steam distill to get the pure fats, and then proceed to nitrate the leftover proteins, and fats, separately, avoiding unwanted glycerol nitration alongside "meat" nitration.

[@fatassthebig]

Just speed-pickling the mackies basically lol

[@Hailfire08]

The vacuum chamber was my first thought too

[@zyeborm]

yah, releasing and re-applying the vacuum a few times can help to pump the liquid into the void spaces too. Might crush the matrix though so re-pressurise slowly.

[@SuperUltimateLP]

Like they do with stabilizing resin!

[@originalmianos]

I was yelling this at him while watching too.

[@N1RKW]

The thing that surprised me most was my complete lack of surprise upon learning that nitro-glycerine could be derived from McDonalds food.

[@Jaydee8652]

I mean you could make it from humans too, it’s just nitrated fat.

[@combustiblelemon3992]

​@@Jaydee8652fight club moment

[@SkulledKing]

⁠@@Jaydee8652That’s the most Bond villainesque comment I’ve ever heard.

[@DeliciousDeBlair]

I would simply evacuate the fresh food to remove the air pressure, and then refill the chamber with NO2 or N2O5 and let it soak in, and repeat this a couple of times until it stopped reacting. It would either catch fire in the reaction, or eventually become very nitrated.

[@erictheepic5019]

Bonus points if it catches fire *after* being nitrated, which would work very well in the case of the burger.

[@SerumCRM114]

I was thinking the same thing. Nitration of the freeze dried food in the gas phase would solve a lot of issues (and probably introduce a lot more).

[@graealex]

My thought also, like you get resin inside a wood matrix. Just vacuum out the air.

[@VerbenaIDK]

How he would make N2O5? also, what if we chlorinated a burger? and maybe, then, nitrated it?

[@jacefairis1289]

this would definitely ""work,"" but it also sounds stupendously dangerous

[@justinh8810]

I think the reason the fries got so much mold is do to the lid being sealed. If you look at the one frame before the mold is shown it has a lot of moisture trapped inside. Heat, moisture and biodegradable material trapped in a mini sealed greenhouse.

[@LRK-GT]

But, can he make mold, flammable? Deflagrating Aspergillus, when? 🤣

[@jogandsp]

"However, a problem arises when instead of packaging material we try using the insides of a sentient creature" *tries to nitrate French fries* I love the implication that potatoes are sentient.

[@douglasboyle6544]

I know some people who would be outsmarted by a potato, so it's a fair debate.

[@affegpus4195]

He has a phd, he knows his stuff

[@sprongll]

Well the current leader of the opposition party in Australian politics is a bit of a potato. Not too sure about the sentience though.

[@LegalSC]

Hence the Irish. There's your lifetime supply of low hanging fruit.

[@MsZsc]

@@douglasboyle6544 "How are you holding up? Because I'm a potato. *clap *clap *clap"

[@willhaigh9531]

"The point of a chemistry channel isn't to be barbaric, the point of a chemistry channel is to play god" Coming out with the straight bangers here today mate

[@208414]

"The point of chemistry is to play God." I love it.

[@JiMMy-xd8nu]

Grimace timestamps: 1:40 1:50 8:06 16:54 16:57 (the council) 19:46 Please reply if you've found any more sightings of grimace, thank you.

[@hayuseen6683]

Grimace

[@nvmyutube]

we needed this, thankyou.

[@taylordavis1543]

Is no one else wondering how he expected those fries to dry out in a plastic container? With a lid.

[@LateNightHacks]

yeah, the lid was a bit of a fiasco 😆

[@ArrakisMusicOfficial]

It was just a bit of a bad script writing imo

[@taylordavis1543]

@@ArrakisMusicOfficial if I were to dry out fries I'd lay them into flat and let them dry. Not throw them in an impermeable plastic container. This has nothing to do with script writing. The fries molded because he locked in the moisture. That was not drying them out.

[@ArrakisMusicOfficial]

@@taylordavis1543 It is because of script writing, because he put it in an impenetrable plastic container on purpose and then communicated his expectation that they would dry out, which they obviously didn't. Of course he knew they will mould and that was clearly the goal to show it on video. So in the end it was just an example of clumsy storytelling

[@thedrunkenrebel]

It was obviously for fun. For creating a funny tangent into the story because otherwise the whole video would've been done in 3 minutes if everything went according to plan

[@Lizlodude]

I love how many random previous events this video incorporates. The science YT Taco Bell run, Thought Emporium's random clip of a freeze-dried burger, it's great. Though I think it says something about Australia that you're a half day away from a Taco Bell, and the easiest way to freeze dry a burger was to literally ship it to another continent. Also I've seen the video shown at 16:46, you are definitely not enjoying the food like a normal person XD

[@washingtonirving1345]

Normal people don't season their fries with rubidium chloride????

[@cloaker7237]

“Does a chicken nugget dissolve in dichloromethane?”

[@shottysteve]

taco bell ending is perfect. couldnt have done it better

[@Michalosnup]

The look of his face when he doused meccas with gasoline was priceless, he hasn't felt this much joy since he started PHD

[@Chlorate299]

I had never stopped to wonder if it was possible to nitrate cheese, but I'm glad to know that the answer is "yes, kinda".

[@chemistryofquestionablequa6252]

I mean you can nitrate most or all sugars, so it makes sense.

[@brown56765]

I'm very glad to know that the answer is "yeah, but it'll make nitroglycerin, so don't" XD

[@mduckernz]

Jizz also nitrates fairly well (but requires WFNA, otherwise decomposition occurs). Result does not detonate but it does burn very vigorously

[@c567591]

"The problem arises when instead of packaging material, we try to use the insides of a sentient creature..." Greatest quote ever!

[@spinafire]

I am LOVING the 12 point flammability scale. I appreciate "speed of sound" means it has exceeded conflagration and is in detonation territory. Please make this show up in future videos too! EDIT: weird observation, but does this mean touch powder is an 11 for flammability even though we don't see fire?

[@zinobi]

I'm not a chemist, but I can't figure out HOW we could see a flame in a detonating compound.

[@andersjjensen]

@@zinobi If the detonation speed exceeds the light emitting exaltation level of the surrounding molecules they will emit light... That's a fancy way of saying that temperature is just molecular velocity, basically :P

[@loklan1]

I would definitely enjoy a series on making different household objects more flammable.

[@zinobi]

@@andersjjensen Ah yes, I looked into the definition of a flame and you are totally right. I just _felt_ like a "flame" should be some kind of secondary light emitted by heated soot particles. But you are totally right, any ionized gas that emits light counts as a flame.

[@andersjjensen]

@@zinobi Yup. Also alcohol burns completely soot free, yet produce a very pretty blue flame. Methanol is nasty though, as it burns with a flame that is all but invisible in sun light. But on the note of detonations: the really high grade explosives (so detonation velocities in excess of 8000m/s) only produce light for as long as the shock wave is moving through the compound itself. It looks sick on ultra high speed camera. You see light, but no movement. Then the light is gone and EVERYTHING starts moving at stupid high speed because a solid turned into large volume of gas essentially no time at all.

[@evolutionislife]

Mate after 25 yrs of Academia I would really appreciate it if you could write your thesis in the same manner you conduct these vids. This is how science should be taught 😆

[@Mzerron]

I have so many questions revolving around this, with the simplest being why... But then I started thinking about it and came to the conclusion that someone has to do it. Lastly it made me realize how much more I can learn - how many inane ideas out there are just ignored because "who would do that, why would someone do that, and what purpose would that serve?" stopped them from doing it. Explosions&Fire - you are a true inspiration.

[@andersjjensen]

Since this is explosions and fire there are always a couple of different possible answers to why he does what he does: A) Because! That's why! B) Because Tom is a genuinely disturbed individual. C) Because it is dangerous as fuck and can only be done using a sketchy method because he doesn't have proper industrial equipment. D) Because it's so ungodly difficult that attempting it will lead to months or years of frustration. E) Because it's an express way to get on every law enforcement agency list in the world. If those look like entirely reasonable criteria to you, then you belong here. If those sound like the worst reasons ever for why anyone would ever do anything... May I kindly suggest subscribing to Disney+ or some such? :P

[@Smashed_Hitler]

Finally another person on the internet that knows the word inane, i had a group of people on Twitter literally fight me about me misspelling insane when i meant inane

[@MadScientist267]

@@andersjjensen 🤣

[@MadScientist267]

@@Smashed_Hitler In fairness a lot of them can barely form sentences, nevermind grasp the concept of a new word

[@NoMusiciansInMusicAnymore]

Just think of how many things you haven't even though of!

[@Jammermaker]

Crunchwrap Supremes are literally the only thing I ever ordered at Taco Bell and they are exactly how you make them out to be.

[@MoneyChanger02]

And in America, you can get a breakfast crunch wrap, which I would argue is the single best fast food breakfast item available.

[@njott1021]

@@MoneyChanger02 it is by far some of the best fast food breakfasts you can get.

[@BackYardScience2000]

I concur.

[@technoman9000]

Last time I got a Crunchwrap it was mostly lettuce and all the meat was in one corner, so it all depends on how stoned your "taco bell burrito artist" is...

[@Jammermaker]

@@MoneyChanger02 haven't tried it yet, ill have to give it a shot

[@remigusker]

Can confirm, the crunchwrap Supreme is fucking divine. I recommend swapping the ground beef for steak or chicken though.

[@fabledbikeride9515]

Chicken is the move

[@djtambor3063]

Crunchwraps are unbelievable.

[@JamieLeece]

They are indeed good. Easy to make your own at home as well.

[@DSteinman]

Hear hear. I'm a ground beef boy on my crunchwraps tho

[@veryfakename2644]

Taco John's better... Tho u can't find them everywhere more in north America... But I've lived in a lot of states and all the taco John's were better than the taco Bell's. Tho that's just an opinion

[@maerlon101]

Just saying that Grimace is made of juicy, flammable, petrochemicals. Honestly surprised he survived.

[@jamescorcoran5000]

Fuck I love Grimace

[@CarbonKevin]

I'm not sure consuming Taco Bell before a 700km drive home was the best life choice, but I'm glad you got your Taco Bell in the end!

[@gluesniffingdude]

I'm sure he got a bit of Taco Bell in his end after that

[@wtechboy18]

I think you could increase the, er, penetration of the liquid chemicals into the larger food items by submerging the food in the liquids and then putting the container in a vacuum chamber, and drawing a decent but not super strong vacuum on it for about five minutes, and then releasing the pressure, lather rinse repeat. That should draw most of the air out and replace it with the liquid. It'd be a long process but it's the same thing you do when you want to cast something solid in epoxy or resin and get the epoxy all the way into the item.

[@ninethirtyone4264]

The problem is that you can only do this once and the process he used requires at least 3 baths. Once the air is out and the first liquid gets inside the food you won't be able to do it again.

[@kevinwells9751]

The trouble then is how to dry it out at the end. If you do what you're suggesting you're ensuring that every tiny bit of it is full of liquid, and getting that liquid back out is hard

[@coleramsey6705]

You could try pulling a vacuum on the freeze dried food when it’s in the nitration bath to get all the air out and when you let the pressure back in the mixture will go into the food. Same with the other baths

[@inthenightandy4616]

Interested in seeing other vegetables nitrated considering how well the tomato went.

[@caffienatedtactician]

Personally, I would LOVE to see how much nitroglycerin you can make from an average happy meal! ...I'm definitely on a list now

[@ceescockrell9694]

The list of GRAND FUCKIN IDEAS mate. welcome to the club.

[@Flesh_Wizard]

How much nitroglycerine can you inject into a big mac?

[@The_Bird_Bird_Harder]

@@Flesh_Wizard *Chomp* "This afternoon in Queensland..."

[@wessltov]

Considering the explosion of flavors that's in every Happy Meal, it must be a lot!

[@wessltov]

@@The_Bird_Bird_Harder "...there have been reports of a horrendous Happy Meal related incident. Reportedly a child was offered 'concentrated happiness' by a man wearing a clown costume..."

[@joni.l]

I came here from extractions and ire and I didn't know there was a main channel! Just discovered your videos and I'm having so much fun watching them even though I don't understand much! I hope I get to learn lots so I can enjoy them more!

[@brendenirving7463]

“thats how chemistry works. You take something and you do something else to it…it gets more poisonous” *NileRed: “hold my beaker”*

[@Gunbudder]

this reminds me of doing DIY calorimeter experiments in high school! it quickly devolved into "what food burns the best without an accelerant?" The answer is wintergreen altoids! they burn like sterno

[@lefthandedspanner]

you got mould on the fries because the residual water evaporated in the sun and then condensed back onto the surface - the condensed water was unpreserved, so it was an excellent growth medium for mould best thing to do would be to leave the lid slightly loose, so any evaporated water can escape the container

[@amykathleen2]

Help me I can’t stop watching this video. I’ve been watching it constantly for like three weeks and I can’t stop. I just keep coming back to watch it again. I don’t even eat McDonald’s OR do chemistry.

[@Disc0-Delta]

Taco Bell bringing everyone a different type of Explosion and Fire.

[@Blowfeld20k]

Bravo m8 underrated comment

[@Stop_Gooning]

"I'm something of a chemist myself" lmao

[@jogandsp]

I'm 23 and these jokes are older than I am lol

[@tone618]

waste product fuel rocket in the taco bell bathroom

[@L.Pondera]

People who get diarrhea from taco bell are weak and their bloodline should be forgotten. -Worf

[@mersilvaureus1525]

The smile on his face as he watched the gas covered maccas burn. Such a happy man.

[@baarum]

The sound of Summoning Salt on Maccas was brilliant

[@checker9845]

i fucking love grimmace

[@bwc1976]

I love how you just casually have a beer sitting on the table behind you while you're talking all this sciencey stuff! And congratulations on trying your first Taco Bell Crunchwrap! Taco Bell in general is surprisingly good, for all the trash we like to talk about it. And finally, I'm glad you still have Grimace down under, I haven't seen him in America in ages for some reason.

[@BubblewrapHighway]

5 layer, no beans, add rice and spicy ranch. Thank me later.

[@beardeddragon8864]

I love how the intro of him writing on the chalkboard makes the video look like an educational video but then he tries to make McDonald's flammable

[@simrock_]

4:15 The history of dissolving a chicken nugget in DCM speedruns

[@housellama]

This entire video is the definition of "letting the intrusive thoughts win", even more than usual for this channel.

[@slimee8841]

After the whole meat thing, I'm expecting a "can we make barbecue into explosives" video soon.

[@graegoles8382]

Fuck yeah dude please

[@raideurng2508]

So busy asking if you can, not enough asking if you should.... make explosive meat.

[@kasuraga]

Exploding ribs Drumstick grandees

[@benjaminpainter378]

This was one of my favorite videos. The happiness and joy you have during the video makes me happy. And the grimace bit is just great- I don't know if you were sarcastic but I want to believe you actually like grimace and I loved it. I didn't like grimace till now but you've sold me on it. Crunch Wrap Supremes are really amazing, you will love them. Also try Taco Bell's Chicken Chalupa Supreme, it is really great. You have all the equipment needed for freeze drying if you ever wanted to do it.

[@knpark2025]

1:45 "I'll.... f*ck... Grimace." -Ex&F, 2022

[@felpshehe]

About the issue of the freeze dried stuff floating on the nitration bath, you could've just warmed the whole thing up a little bit, to like, 35~40 C and then colled it down to ambient or lower. Doesnt really matter, so long as the air bubbles are expelled as it warms and the remaining air contracts soaking up the bath when it cools

[@cypherdk85]

You have completed my life, I've always wanted to know this and could never find anything in the literature about maccas flammability.

[@sadtown]

"the point of chemistry is to play god!" You're goddamn right

[@unrelatedshark]

Can you make combustible lemons? Specifically the kind that Cave Johnson's engineers could never make?

[@nicholasbradshaw]

Y E S .

[@The_Bird_Bird_Harder]

Fill a lemon with nitroglycerin, see what happens.

[@marcussmart3275]

If you fold the peal and pinch it near a flame it will shoot a small flame.

[@wackywixted]

@@marcussmart3275 works best if you preheat the oils first. Used to do it regularly when bartending for a garnish - heat the skin gently for 5-10 seconds with a lighter before squeezing the peel and spraying the oil across the flame. Has a rather nice flavour too.

[@ronove]

This was the first video of yours that I ever saw, and not only has it prompted many archive binges of your content, but I keep coming back to it. I know shit fuck all about chemistry, or science in general, but your videos make it entertaining and accessible. Cheers.

[@ejrambadt]

Honestly, the random thoughts and then testing is just stellar shorter form content. Good edits and wacky premis of DCM vs Chicken nugget is great and then the just no. I loved it

[@aSinisterKiid]

It's funny you decided to do this with Micky D's. I have a special place in my heart for McDonalds because I grew up with an official McDonalds Playground in my backyard to play on whenever we wanted. Just about everyone in my neighborhood knew we had it and people were always knocking on our door asking how they could get to the playground so their kids could play on it and we had to tell people it's not for the public, it's actually our own playground. edit: And I should mention that it was the metal playset they had in the 80's-90's before they switched to the plastic playset with tubes, nets and ballpit. The one we had was their original playset that was the giant metal double twisting slide, the single slide with steps you walked up the side, a giant double quarter pounder in the air held up by a tube you went into to climb up and inside the cheese burger (it was themed after Mayor McCheese) and also the little ship bouncer things you sat on like a rocking horse, except these were mounted on a giant spring to bounce back and fourth.

[@thesledgehammerblog]

E&F walks into a McDonald's and orders a burger. "Would you like fires with that?" In terms of suggestions: I'm curious what effect stabilizing resin (such as Cactus Juice, which seems to be primarily methacrylates) might have on the flammability of the food. Basically, you would immerse the food in the liquid resin in a vacuum chamber, pull a vacuum to remove as much air as possible from the food, then when the pressure is released the resin would impregnate it, after which you would dry it in an oven to cure. Peter Brown's channel has examples of this. The end result would be something that still looks like food, but I have no idea how flammable the resin itself is, nor how easily the results could be nitrated.

[@SomeMorganSomewhere]

kinda falls into the "cheating" bucket though as it'd mostly be the resin burning rather than the "food"

[@LateNightHacks]

resins are not all that flammable though and not porous either so very difficult to go past the surface also not entirely sure they could even be nitrated, not with this method anyway

[@dustinbrueggemann1875]

@@LateNightHacks What happens if you nitrate the resin first?

[@LateNightHacks]

@@dustinbrueggemann1875 it wouldn't be a resting anympre I suppose a resin could be formulated specifically to have both properties but that's a ton more complex

[@bigboy6704]

I thought that second part was part of the joke and got very confused

[@Sem5626]

only just recently got suggested your channel by youtube, and all i can say is i am impressed mate i went the more physics / engineering direction with my schooling and chemistry never just worked in my brain... but the way you run through things and explain it makes it so much more interesting and it actually sticks i think

[@maxkeyes3479]

You know it’s a good day when this man uploads

[@TGnM]

yes it is

[@ppmico]

i adore the clear time and effort you've spent in increasing the flammability of a md to then measure and record it with great care and correctness

[@omnirath]

3:24 that cute psychopathic smile of the pyromaniac chemist warms my heart deeply

[@tannerdye9692]

This grimace stuff aged well

[@Crazy___Ginger]

4:10 Summoning Salt Presents: A Normal Aussie Attempting to Dissolve a Chicken Nugget in DCM

[@DanielGBenesScienceShows]

This was WAY more fun than I thought it could be. Also, I’m glad the oily substance on the OUTSIDE of the beaker played nice.

[@Erden99]

This kinda made me feel better about eating McDonalds, somehow all the negative coverage about how it supposedly doesn't mold and is so preserved it can never rot made me think I'm eating a chemical cocktail. Seems like it's mostly just unhealthy, not unholy!

[@jasonkeith2832]

While the claim that it never molds is exaggerated, he is eating Australian McDonalds, which likely has a higher regulation on preservatives and additives in food than the US.

[@Dovorans]

The most important preservative that McDonalds uses is just a heck ton of ordinary salt. If you make something salty enough and then leave it in a dry environment it will last for ages.

[@_goyonder_4899]

Just because it molds doesn't mean it's not full of chemicals. There's over 20 ingredients just for the bun, which should be 4, over 30 ingredients in the sauce, 10 for the pickles (which should be just cucumber, vinegar and water) and the meat is a mystery, 100% pure beef doesn't mean anything and could contain lots of crap

[@josefanon8504]

@@_goyonder_4899 thanks for the interesting info

[@leomadero562]

@@_goyonder_4899 I remember that their advertisement for "100% real beef" or whatever it was was actually just the name of the company they got it from, technically not lying but no telling what they were actually using

[@other_dave]

first video i've watched of yours, LOVE IT, i think your method is solid from a chemistry perspective but for better infiltration you could either vac chamber (posiitive or negative pressure depending on whether you're using fresh, dehydrated, or freeze-dried) or an autoclave (obviously more expensive and/or complex but potentially better for a number of reasons) then from a drying perspective, if you can, i would be drying an a supercooled alcohol or liquid nitro bath depending on what steps you've done beforehand

[@tommihommi1]

"How flammable can I make McDonalds?" *literally makes nitroglycerin from it*

[@Lizlodude]

And that was accidental when he was trying not to. Imaging if that was his goal XD

[@toastpoint]

The day is improved and my delight is immeasurable

[@ormarion552]

I think i would have put the nitration mix under vacuum for the freeze dried one. To extract air and make nitration more homogeno- Am i really trying to improve a Mac Donald nitration protocol?

[@dreadus8125]

Yes, the world needs your knowledge.

[@etiennebaylac8445]

I think using a presure pot could work to The air bubbles insides would shrink and suck the nitration mix in

[@ormarion552]

@@etiennebaylac8445 best idea to put a nitration mix into a pressure cooker xd 5min pipebomb craft

[@etiennebaylac8445]

I mean it's EXPLOSION & fire

[@MrRave...0]

This will be the last time I will randomly come across your channel. The idfk why I didn't already subscribe. Love your content, especially cause your humor is just as f****d as mine🤣🤣🤣

[@tarot1136]

You became my chemistry hero right when you decided to disolve a nugget in DCM

[@gluesniffingdude]

I'm glad it doesn't dissolve meat, otherwise I'd be pretty concerned the next time I work with the shit

[@SomnolentFudge]

1) freeze dry, pull a vacuum then replace air with nitrous oxide and repeat process a few times to impregnate the spongy material with nitrous oxide. 2) freeze dry, grind into fine powder, mix with chlorate / nitrate salt, use as model rocket fuel while measuring thrust and duration to see if you can calculate the caloric content of the meal from the power of the resultant rocket engine. youtube channel "ElementalMaker" has done a bit with model rockets and measuring their output he might be able to help with this one.

[@kachetofes]

Hands down the best chemistry, science and food channel all at once.

[@Vok250]

I like the part when we cut to "History of dissolving a chicken nugget in dichloromethane any%"

[@Saintdraconis]

This reminds me of an old video of a guy lighting up a fry from mcdonalds, and not only the fry stayed burning like a candle, it also emited this weird green flame around it. Always wondered how the person did that.

[@MrTheSmoon]

Probably just drenched it in some flammable liquids+boric acid for green

[@klontjespap]

in fireworks they use barium chloride to create the green color, often they add a bit of nitrate to make a green-yellow ish quick fuse too. it is used a lot for dyes in plastic and the such too, seeing as plastics are extremely complex matter, and some types have a real hard time being colored in a way that doesn't look like shit, so there are some pretty elaborate methods including the ones they use for powder coating metal, some plastics can use the same ionizing method you can make that using boric acid, and some other shit or you can turn it back into boric acid if you really wanted to seeing as you want to not paint the fry, but just infuse it to burn with a color, you're going to need the boric acid together some kind of flammable agent,/medium indeed.