Steve,
We are looking forward to seeing your processor when it is completed. Your understanding is correct, you should have all water removed from your WVO prior to processing. You could use your processor to do this, but it would take a lot of time and energy to get the oil hot enough to evaporate the water out of the WVO. I have found the simple approach is usually the best, I use a propane gas turkey fryer(~$40 @ Walmart) to heat the oil hot enough to determine if it has water in it, if it does, I just heat it until all of the water is removed, this also preheats the oil and it doesn't take as long to heat in the processor. I also filter the WVO, put it into a 55 gal drum until I have enough to transfer into my processor. Keep us posted on your progress.

Mr. Bill, Thanks for the advice. By the way, I would appreciate any opportunity to sit in when someone in Southcentral PA is going to brew a batch- I'd like to have at least one under my belt before I turn things over to my students. For anyone interested, I'm really close to the Turnpike/Rt. 15 intersection and will gladly drive for the opportunity to experience the process first hand.

Hello All, Ok, here it is. It's not even scratched or dirty yet. The processor and KOH tank are mounted together on a mobile framework. The wash tank is also on wheels. It just BARELY fits through the door so we can use the facilities in our chem lab. Not shown is a WVO storage drum with oil/water seperator and filter, which will plumb directly into the processor. We'll be doing a titration exercise next week with neat oil, and then with WVO and hopefully brewing our first batch the beginning of April. Thanks to all for your input. 'Will let you know how things turn out. Feel free to critique as you see fit! Steve

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Folks,

I'm just south of the border off the Suquehanna River and was hoping I could get some 1st hand knowledge about home brewing Bio-D.

Can anyone help?

BTW, I know nothing about it and all the info online makes my head spin. What I need is to see it done 1st hand.

Thanks!!

- Dae

CAREFULL sounds like someone looking for "illegal producers". or maybe not

sniff sniff do I smell a spy??

Illegal producer??? What the heck are y'all taking about? When did it become illegal to make Bio-D?

I just need someone to show me what's involved in making the stuff and how hard or easy it might be. If you're not far from Port and want to stop by my place and show me how to make it using the Dr Pepper method, I'd be happy to give you my address. Regardless, making a couple liters at a time won't work for me because I need it for a 3/4 pickup.

When one's burning though 90 gallons of fuel a week, one needs to make at least 45 gallons to make it worth while.

BTW, have you guys heard .... Cummins has approved B20 for most all their diesel motors since 2002.

- Dae

Hello PA,
I am in Newport in Perry county. I have a pretty solid system set up and have been teaching teenagers about bio at my summer camp. We use ity in our farm truck, my jetta and a our tractors. If anyone wants to come out to our lab for a brew or some assistance building equipment, I'd be interested. Our lab has good signs & a mural showing what things are & a visual version of the reaciton. I like to learn by reading, but fel bad for thos of you who are more visual. The forums can be boggling when you just need to see something working.

Jon,
Great to hear from you. You are not that far from my location, I would be interested in seeing your setup, PM me with directions. I took a look at the web site and it looks like you are involved in a very positive service to the community. Any information you would be willing to share would be greatly appreciated.

Mr. Bill,
Thanks for your kind words about our program. We certainly are trying.
The 2 other fellows that I PMed through the SC PA forum are coming up this Saturday around 6 PM. Could you come then? If not we can set something else up. Below is my message to steve (sotba,) including pdf directions. Feel free to email me directly at jon@longacre.com.

I checked in with my wife and it looks like 6 PM will be a good time to get started. I will probably like to forge ahead at 6, since it can run a bit late into the evening, so if you underestimate your travel time & arrive early, you are welcome to sit & enjoy the creek or have a self guided tour of the lab (in the garage by the creek,) until i can trot down to meet you. As you probably know, the tricky things (titrations, measurements) come at the beginning.

Just in case you want to print them out, directions are available in a pdf here: http://www.longacre.com/downloads/DirectionsJensenHouse.pdf


See you then!
Jon

Woops, I thought that was going via private mail. I've been reading here for a long time, but just getting around to posting or PMing. In anycase, if you are in a situation where you would like to visit a brew, please let me know, rather than pay a surprise visit. Jon

Hey all, I'm Dara and have just moved back east from Colorado. I'm gonna be based out of Philly for the next few months and was looking to get a centrifuge for filtering.

Anyone using one right now? If so I'd be interested in getting some advise and maybe even check out your system. Ledt me know. Or call me at 301-367-9245

Hello All, My students and I just completed our first batch, it's all washed and dried. I dumped some in my tank to make (roughly) B20. Maybe I'm prejudiced, but the engine seems to run smoother and has more torque! I got the heebie jeebies when our waste oil titrated at 11ml KOH- yuck!! I smelled up the whole wing of our school when I was preheating the WVO to get rid of the water. After all was said and done, did the 3/27 test and no precipitate! Thanks to all who helped with my questions!

Now, where can I get KOH for less than $25 per kilogram? The school's lab supply houses are WAY too expensive!

Steve

And I now can proudly add:

86 VW Golf, turbodiesel (10psi boost, tweaked fuel pump), GTI suspension and brakes (looks like junk, as fast as my wifes TDI) B20 for now, B100 by summer!

Steve,

Congratulations on your success! As for the KOH if you don't want a 50 lb. bag... you can get 24 lbs. in the form of 12 x 2 lb cans, from Boyer Chemical. 1 800 323 3040. I think they're in Indiana. I recently bought 12, 2 lb cans and including haz mat shipping, it was about $64. That's not the best price out there, but the 2 lb cans are just soooo convenient.

All the best.

Steve,

I am an technology education major at california university of Pa. and I was wondering what type of school do you teach at, and have you had any problems with the administration letting you make biodiesel?

Thanks for the lead on KOH, will check it out!

Hey, My mom's orange 74 VW was stolen during the oil embargo (really): Superbeetle with a sunroof! It was all my fault since I was the last person to drive it. Maybe it's hers! What's the VIN?

I teach high school, and the theme of our senior textbook is sustainability. Our principal, an ex science teacher, is very supportive of the idea. Fortunately our board found a company who funded the construction of the processor and related equipment. What I'm gunning for is a small diesel tractor so that we can cut the grass on "homebrew"!

Hey PA,
I'm just getting started here in Columbia. Brewed two 1-liter batches with the blender and am now comfortable with the chemistry. I've been busy studying and acquiring the necessary equipment, but am moving in the next month so I will wait until then to set up my processor. In the meantime, I am buying my BD from Rineer Fuels in Strasburg. They B5 and B100 pumps, so you can run whatever blend suits your needs. I also checked Allied Oil in York. Their methanol is now going for $145/barrel. I'm going to girlMark's class at Dickinson College in Carlisle in September. I'm also counting on you all for help. Will certainly return the favor when I am a little more knowledgeable.
Aloha!

Hey Pb,

I'm in York Springs. If you want to get together, I'll (hopefully) be brewing mid-July at my high school. PM me. By the way, when is Girl Mark's class at Dickinson? I'd REALLY like to go.

Steve

Al,
Welcome to the forum. I am sure you will be able to find all of the information needed for home brewing BioDiesel on this site. It is good to hear that more local people are getting interested in brewing. If you PM me with your vital signs I would be more than willing to show you the setup I have or answer questions that you have. Good luck on constructing your processor, and welcome to the neighborhood.

Hello All,

We are interns working in Dickinson College's biodiesel plant in Carlisle, PA. This summer we have been producing biodiesel basically autonomously with general supervision of "farmer" who you may see posting on this forum from time to time. So far we have finished 12 batches (each of ~50 gallons). Other than generally redesigning the layout of our shop to make it more efficient, we have been working on figuring out a process to consistently make reliable soap out of glycerin. Also, we are preparing to hard plumb our entire process to reduce the amount of spilling and mess that tends to result during each batch. In association with that process, we are looking to install solar heating to improve our energy balance.
Thanks to the help of this forum, our advisor, and our own research, we are starting to get to the point that we can start answering questions about the process, but we are always looking for advice or suggestions.

Thanks,
Dickinson Biodiesel Project
dsonbiod@hotmail.com