Posted: 10/2/2009 6:48:41 PM EDT
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Some of you have talked about making alcohol for consumption. Could you make fuel for say a lamp or internal combustion engine? It doesnt have to be strong like gasoline, it can be like ethanol. How do you make ethanol? You make that from corn right? How does that work? Or any kind of fuel. just as long as it is liquid. Something you can store.
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Plenty of info on line. Most of what I found through Google has to do with making your own bio-diesel but I'm sure if you search a little deeper you can find how to make your own fuels in general. Seems easy, but I'm not so sure how long it'll last in storage.
One thing I've thought about doing was buying 55gal drums and filling them with gas or diesel for storage at home. Then as I need gas I can top off my car from that. The idea is that I could buy enough gas in the winter when it's cheaper to last the summer when it costs more. I estimate that I use 10gal a week in my focus, so 40gal a month, so about 2400 gal for a 6 month period. Ok, maybe that's not such a great idea after all. |
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Plenty of info on line. Most of what I found through Google has to do with making your own bio-diesel but I'm sure if you search a little deeper you can find how to make your own fuels in general. Seems easy, but I'm not so sure how long it'll last in storage. One thing I've thought about doing was buying 55gal drums and filling them with gas or diesel for storage at home. Then as I need gas I can top off my car from that. The idea is that I could buy enough gas in the winter when it's cheaper to last the summer when it costs more. I estimate that I use 10gal a week in my focus, so 40gal a month, so about 2400 gal for a 6 month period. Ok, maybe that's not such a great idea after all. The idea would be that I could make a good deal of fuel and the excess I would store. I would have to make an easy engine and something for it to pull..pretty much the early automobile. But thats all I need for work or transportation if the world goes to pot. 
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There is some great information in this thread (link) regarding the distillation of
alcohol (ethanol). Just don't get caught by LE distilling alcohol or it will be the most expensive fuel you ever owned. |
| Its not a still, for booze. I dont drink so its definitely not for that purpose. I would even add additives, to make it none drinkable, could I be in trouble then? I remember one place I lived (dubbed moonshine capital of the world) you could legally make so much for yourself, but I dont think you could sell it. |
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There is some great information in this thread (link) regarding the distillation of alcohol (ethanol). Just don't get caught by LE distilling alcohol or it will be the most expensive fuel you ever owned. I saw that, and it gave me the idea, it would be combustible wouldn't it? |
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There is some great information in this thread (link) regarding the distillation of alcohol (ethanol). Just don't get caught by LE distilling alcohol or it will be the most expensive fuel you ever owned. I saw that, and it gave me the idea, it would be combustible wouldn't it? I'm not sure how many distillations it would take to concentrate the alcohol enough to be combustible and to remove enough impurities. I'm sure it does become combustible at some point in the process, I just don't know when. The fun way to find out would be to buy some alcohol at different proofs and see which of them ignite. Then just drink the rest. Or, you could search on the internet to find out. The first method is probably more fun, the second is definitely faster and cheaper. 
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
There is some great information in this thread (link) regarding the distillation of alcohol (ethanol). Just don't get caught by LE distilling alcohol or it will be the most expensive fuel you ever owned. I saw that, and it gave me the idea, it would be combustible wouldn't it? I'm not sure how many distillations it would take to concentrate the alcohol enough to be combustible and to remove enough impurities. I'm sure it does become combustible at some point in the process, I just don't know when. The fun way to find out would be to buy some alcohol at different proofs and see which of them ignite. Then just drink the rest. Or, you could search on the internet to find out. The first method is probably more fun, the second is definitely faster and cheaper.
I like the way you think.......... |
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First off, its a $4 tax stamp you need for making ethanol for automotive use.
Secondly, you need to double or tripple distill your hooch for it to run efficiently in your car. Lastly, it takes energy to make fuel. In a SHTF situation, making ethanol will take a back seat to scavanging it from disabled/derelict cars. |
| in order to make fuel legally you have to file a form with the BATFE, TTB F 5110.74 Application for an Alcohol Fuel Producer Under 26 U.S.C. 5181. by doing this, you agree to allow the BATFE to come into your house at ANY TIME to inspect your equipment so they can confirm that you are not making illegal "shine". personally, there is no way in HELL i would allow that. |
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Do lots of research before you start. We did this as an experiment at school way back in the late seventies. One guy even went to the ag welding class and made a small still. It looked dangerous enough the teacher wouldn't let him try it out. The process is a little long and involved from fermenting to distillation, but doable. The best way would be to use feed grains as fermenting stock, then feed the grains to your animals. All you are taking is the sugars and starches. If you could get enough heat out of solar to distill, it would really reduce your need for energy to make fuel.
This would be a long process and time consuming. Not something for everday life. If you had a need for it, i.e. no infrastructure, it might be worth it. Expensive non the less. Key word: research |