Just passed 1000 gallons of biodiesel made this year

[drnickriviera]

Now it's time for a bigger reactor. I'm shooting for 2000 gallons next year. Just added another horse to the stable, a 85' Merc 300D. So that takes the diesel powered vehicles up to 4.

Any other home brewers here?

 

[dud]

Please provide pics/links to this more information on this technology ... especially cost of converting a vehicle to run this fuel.


Thanks ...

 

[sniperruff]

i was just about to say that the low US gas tax will make biodiesel unfeasible in the US... but then he's in TN!

 

[SearchMaster]

Originally posted by: sniperruff
i was just about to say that the low US gas tax will make biodiesel unfeasible in the US... but then he's in TN!

I live in GA but travel to TN a lot....not sure about diesel but gas is usually cheaper in TN than GA.

On a side note, there was a time when Atlanta had one of the ten cheapest fuel prices in the world (yes that includes Venezuela and the Iraq). Alas those days are long gone.

 

[drnickriviera]

http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html
http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/

Lots of reading to do. No conversion cost since biodiesel will run on most vehicles. You may have to replace some orings and fuel lines on older vehicles. Some direct injected engines don't like it either.
Not counting my time and with the high methanol prices right now, i'm making it for around $1/gallon. Come summer time, I should be able to get it back down to 60-75 cents/gallon.

 

[Eli]

Damn.

I need a diesel Insight. That way I could get 60+MPG, and only spend ~1$/gallon on gas doing it.

 

[Bartman39]

Well good to see this...

The company I work for (Daniels Bldg & Constuction Managers) has anothe company called Hardin County Fuel which is located just behind the owners home in a large barn and is setup to produce 500 gallons per batch... Soon they are moving on to building 2500 gallon per batch setups and will be selling and installing these setups (500-2500 gallon rigs)...

Currently they are using it in some of our trucks and equipment and a few commercial customers but have had a few minor issues but nothing severe... According to what we have read and been told most diesels that were built before 1994 need new lines and seals but later years are fine with the bio-diesel... Smells funny and tends to make engines a little harder to start but with a $1 per gallon credit from the US gov. its petty hard to beat...

Also we have 3 different presses to we are experimenting with to press cotton seed and Canola seed to extract oil to process... Canola is of course a year round crop, so for South Texas its perfect...

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: dud
Please provide pics/links to this more information on this technology ... especially cost of converting a vehicle to run this fuel.

Pretty much nil. Biodiesel makes MUCH, MUCH more sense than ethanol as a "green" fuel. Too bad there are so few small-scale diesel cars in this country.

 

[alfa147x]

Im not interested in making bio diesel but I still wanna see pictures !

 

[alfa147x]

pictures or it didn't happen

LoL j\k

What I thought it was funny

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Originally posted by: drnickriviera
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html
http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/

Lots of reading to do. No conversion cost since biodiesel will run on most vehicles. You may have to replace some orings and fuel lines on older vehicles. Some direct injected engines don't like it either.
Not counting my time and with the high methanol prices right now, i'm making it for around $1/gallon. Come summer time, I should be able to get it back down to 60-75 cents/gallon.

if methanol is added or created in the process, it will disolve the fuel system in a car. Top Gear just aired an episode where they competed in a 24 hour race with a 2003 BMW 330d. Their bio-diesel ate the fuel pump.

 

[drnickriviera]

Originally posted by: The Boston Dangler

Originally posted by: drnickriviera
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_make.html
http://www.biodieselcommunity.org/

Lots of reading to do. No conversion cost since biodiesel will run on most vehicles. You may have to replace some orings and fuel lines on older vehicles. Some direct injected engines don't like it either.
Not counting my time and with the high methanol prices right now, i'm making it for around $1/gallon. Come summer time, I should be able to get it back down to 60-75 cents/gallon.

if methanol is added or created in the process, it will disolve the fuel system in a car. Top Gear just aired an episode where they competed in a 24 hour race with a 2003 BMW 330d. Their bio-diesel ate the fuel pump.

That's because they didn't do a good job making it. I bet they didn't wash it to remove the methanol and soap.

 

[LennyZ]

Make sure you placard your refining area so if you have a fire the Fire Department knows what chemicals they are dealing with.

And dispose of glycerine and any other by-products properly.
It's starting to become a huge problem and may lead to cracking down on in the future.

 

[LTC8K6]

What happens with the taxes?

I'd hate to think people are using the roads and not helping to pay for the construction and maintenance of them and the associated infrastructure.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
What happens with the taxes?

I'd hate to think people are using the roads and not helping to pay for the construction and maintenance of them and the associated infrastructure.

Income tax, sales tax, use tax on the purchase/transfer of new vehicles, registration tax every year...

 

[thomsbrain]

Originally posted by: Eli
Damn.

I need a diesel Insight. That way I could get 60+MPG, and only spend ~1$/gallon on gas doing it.

Running on diesel, an insight would probably be averaging over 100 MPG.

 

[beat mania]

Originally posted by: LTC8K6
What happens with the taxes?

I'd hate to think people are using the roads and not helping to pay for the construction and maintenance of them and the associated infrastructure.

I believe each state has a ceiling where if you produce below that, you don't need to pay for the fuel tax.

 

[Instan00dles]

if you dont mind me asking, what do you use as your source for the biodiesel, waste veggie oil? I would love to make some biodiesel for my car

 

[drnickriviera]

Yes waste veg oil. Making boidiesel isn't for everyone, it takes space and time. Prepare to spend your weekends making it.

 

[JEDI]

Originally posted by: drnickriviera
Now it's time for a bigger reactor. I'm shooting for 2000 gallons next year. Just added another horse to the stable, a 85' Merc 300D. So that takes the diesel powered vehicles up to 4.

Any other home brewers here?

use red (tax free) diesal. low % chance cops will check if the vehicle isnt a truck.

 

[ZickZJ]

What do you do with the left over glycerine?

I've been thinking about making BIO but never knew what to do with the left overs.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: drnickriviera
Yes waste veg oil. Making boidiesel isn't for everyone, it takes space and time. Prepare to spend your weekends making it.

And you do not include your time spent making it in the cost per gallon?
I'd love to try this, or a straight oil conversion, but I'd have to get rid of a car or two before the wife would go for it.

 

[drnickriviera]

Originally posted by: ZickZJ
What do you do with the left over glycerine?

I've been thinking about making BIO but never knew what to do with the left overs.

Right now i'm pouring it on my compost pile. I'll be moving in a couple of months and the next house has a cow pasture behind it and a bunch of deer in the area. I plan to demethanol it and let them have it. I hear cows go apeshit for it. There isn't a good way to get rid of it.

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
And you do not include your time spent making it in the cost per gallon?
I'd love to try this, or a straight oil conversion, but I'd have to get rid of a car or two before the wife would go for it.

Well i'm self employed so I can leave home a little late or come home early to do a bit of work. Most 9-5ers prefer to do it all on the weekend. Although it's possible to do it a little at a time each afternoon.

Probably looking at 2-3 hours per batch.

 

[TitanDiddly]

How much do you buy your methanol for, and what part of the country?

 

[drnickriviera]

Paid $3.80/gal a month ago. Not more than 6 months ago I was paying $2.25. I don't pay the drum charge as I always have one to exchange. I'm outside of Memphis

Don't you have a diesel merc Titan?