Fast Production on a Budget

Alcohol is an inexpensive, clean and renewable fuel source.

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e85bimmer
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Fast Production on a Budget

Post by e85bimmer »

I am very interested in producing alcohol as a fuel source, but there doesn't seem to be a clear choice about the best still to build. I would need something that could produce atleast a gallon to two per hour for it to be economical, but Im not sure what the cheapest design would be that would be capable of that. I have built and successfully ran a pot still for whiskey, would a continuous still be too technical? Bokakob stills seem easy enough to construct but I would likely need a 4 inch column(?) and combing through the threads i couldn't find anyone building one that big. So anyways, what would you guys recommend?

I did search the yahoo ethanol fuel board but everyone on homedistiller seems to have more knowledge about equipment and production
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DAD300
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Re: Fast Production on a Budget

Post by DAD300 »

The problem becomes size...there is no such thing as economically producing alcohol for fuel. But as too fast? Size is the key, huge ferments of cheap sugar sources, and huge diameter columns on top of huge boilers. Remember your car drinks GALLONS per hour!

And huge implies a fed permit...
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drinkingdog
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Re: Fast Production on a Budget

Post by drinkingdog »

I would say that you are not on the right forum. This one is about us drinking and not the car
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He also used to say. I didn't say it was your fault. I just said that I was blaming you.

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wv_hillbilly
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Re: Fast Production on a Budget

Post by wv_hillbilly »

By the time you're finished, you'll be paying more per gallon of ethanol than you would for gas. You'd get less fuel mileage as well, so what's the point?
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Re: Fast Production on a Budget

Post by Prairiepiss »

drinkingdog wrote:I would say that you are not on the right forum. This one is about us drinking and not the car
Did you look at the section it was posted in? LOL

There are more then a few threads around here. That go over the viability of making you own fuel alcohol. And each one points out it really isn't viable. For many reasons. Yes there are many sites that claim you can do it cheap. But real world conditions say no. Sure you can make your own fuel. But at what cost? And for what? Unless you have an unlimited supply of a fermentable sugar that is free. Then you are just spending your wheels. Even if you have that supply. You still need to figure in time and energy consumed in production.

But to answer your question. You will need a 4" or larger plated still. With enough plates to reach 95% ABV. A plated and packed hybrid would be better. 2 or 3 plates and at least a 24" packed section. This could give you around 4 Lt an hour or so. But still this would take 20+ hours of running the still. Manned at all times for safety sake. Just to fill an average gas tank. And 20 gallons would only be equal to 18 gal of gas.

20 gal of 95% would take around 100 gals of ferment around 20% ABV. And that would take 300 lbs of sugar. Even if you could get it for $0.25 a pound? Highly doubt you can find it that cheap. That would be $75 in sugar alone. And $3.75 a gal of 95% ABV. Now add in the turbo yeast, water, energy, and time used. You are closer to $15 a gallon. Roughly. More if you include time for tending the ferment and making it. So now you have at least 24 hours tied up in making 20 gallons of 95% ABV and more then $300. And that 20 gal wouldn't even get me back and fourth to work for a week. And took half my paycheck to make. Plus took my whole weekend to make.

I think the $3.40 a gal I just paid for gas is a much better plan then making my own. I could be wrong. And would love for someone to prove it.
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