Ethanol, anyone brewing there own?

[scarless]

With gas prices and recent problem of not being able to get high octane gas recently, I'm looking into changing the stang to use pure ethanol, 115 octane biofuel. Is anyone brewing your own in the Atlanta area? If you brew your own please contact me.

Steve

[Flamed03]

Ethanol is not cost effective to make, unless you apply for a gov. subsidization. Right now producers of ethanol are getting 60 cents a gallon to produce it, thats the only reason it can be sold slightly cheaper than gas. It also takes more energy to produce than it puts out.

BioDiesel is viable and cheap though.

[scarless]

I don't know where you get your information, but it's wrong. You produce a gallon of ethanol for under $2 including raw materials and the cost of propane for the boiler. With the price of 93 octane at about $4.17 a gallon I think it's cost effective.

[Flamed03]

Lets look at some math. It takes 22lbs of corn to make 1 gallon of ethanol. Corn is selling for about $5.00 a bushel, which is 56lbs. So theres $2.00 a gallon for nothing more than the corn.

Either way, good luck to ya! I just think if it was cost effective, the government would not have to subsidize 60 cents a gallon, and farmers that make the stuff would be using ethanol rather than diesel or gasoline in the tractors they use to harvest the corn.

[vortech_95-gt]

Damn....everything I read says $1.10 and higher


http://www.beutilityfree.com/still_home_page/faq_alcohol.htm


http://running_on_alcohol.tripod.com/id1.html

http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2006/12/bad_math_and_ethanol.php


Who knows , Ive never looked in to this until I read your post , Im sure you guys know a whole lot more than I do about the process.

[Flamed03]

Damn....everything I read says $1.10 and higher


http://www.beutilityfree.com/still_home_page/faq_alcohol.htm


http://running_on_alcohol.tripod.com/id1.html

http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2006/12/bad_math_and_ethanol.php


Who knows , Ive never looked in to this until I read your post , Im sure you guys know a whole lot more than I do about the process.

Well, the first and third articles you posted were written in 2006, the second one's writer passed away in 2004, so it was obviously written before then. btw, in 2006, corn was around $2.00 a bushel.

Hey, I'm not against it, and more power to ya if you guys start making it, I just personaly don't think it can be made cost effective. I think if it were cost effective, 1, farmers who grow corn would be using it, and 2, the gov. would not have to subsidize 60 cents a gallon.

Good luck guys!

[scarless]

Corn is one of the most expensive sources right now. I'm looking at using molasses, sorghum, or waste fruit produce. The cost would be $2 or less a gallon. Using waste fruit from grocery stores or apples/peaches for local growers is free so the cost is the yeast, propane, time, and dump fees for left over waste.

The State of GA is the biggest obstacle right now, the laws aren't setup for a home producer.

[Flamed03]

Corn is one of the most expensive sources right now. I'm looking at using molasses, sorghum, or waste fruit produce. The cost would be $2 or less a gallon. Using waste fruit from grocery stores or apples/peaches for local growers is free so the cost is the yeast, propane, time, and dump fees for left over waste.

The State of GA is the biggest obstacle right now, the laws aren't setup for a home producer.


Thats killer! I honestly didn't think about using waste fruits. I know it can be made of just about any sugary product, But I generaly think of corn, sugar cane, sawgrass, etc. when talking about ethanol.

With the laws, surely it would be similar to producing biodiesel, or atleast it seems like that!

Either way, good luck to ya.

[scarless]

Here is a really good site: http://ethanolpro.tripod.com/

Unfortunately not, most people don't drink diesel. The laws are more geared toward liquor producers than fuel refiners.

[Flamed03]

Hahaha. Good point.

Well, either way, I appologize, I was wrong on the price because I was thinking of corn being the crop of choice.

[scarless]

You were right if you use corn, but we have a lot of other choices and some are free. Think of how many bad peachs, apples, strawberrys, etc that are seasonally available?

Check out this it runs on sugar: http://www.efuel100.com/Efuel/Doc/EFuel100%20Product%20Information%20Brochure.pdf

[joecoupe]

my dad can get u some but last time i got a jug it was like 40 a gallon:lick:

[scarless]

Don't drink 190 proof ethanol Joe, it'll kill you dead! :rock:

[joecoupe]

the brewing part got me mixed up:rofl:

[vortech_95-gt]

Well, the first and third articles you posted were written in 2006, the second one's writer passed away in 2004, so it was obviously written before then. btw, in 2006, corn was around $2.00 a bushel.

Hey, I'm not against it, and more power to ya if you guys start making it, I just personaly don't think it can be made cost effective. I think if it were cost effective, 1, farmers who grow corn would be using it, and 2, the gov. would not have to subsidize 60 cents a gallon.

Good luck guys!LOL. I didnt realize the dates.....anyway I was trying to prove both points made regardless of the timeline. You said that it takes more energy to produce ethanol than it puts out and one of the articles I posted says the exact same thing almost verbatum. I was agreeing with you on that point lol. As for the price.....Im sure its no different than anything else...everything is higher now , the articles mention several different ways to make it other thasn corn so the price can vary by a good amount. So you both were right

[vortech_95-gt]

surely it would be similar to producing biodiesel, or atleast it seems like that!

.Does anyone reading this thread use Biodiesel? Im curious as to how reliable it is....any problems caused by continious of this product? I have a friend considering it.

[scarless]

I don't use it, but if made properly there should not be a problem. Kits can be expensive or you can do it yourself like this: http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_processor10.html The bigest problem is finding a supply of free oil.