I'm doing LOTS of practicing before the big concert. I want to be able to play this fiddle with my eyes closed.

I know these questions have been asked and answered 3 billion times but I can't find a concise answer in the search results.

I tried both my WVO and some virgin Canola and soy in the Dr Pepper reactor. (Pat Pending)

They all passed the 3/27 conversion tests.

However, after very careful washing via Tilly's instructions and 3 days of room temperature settling, they still look like apple cider. I even heated them to make sure the water was gone. When warm, they look crystal clear. But a few hours later they look like yummy cider again. Not really bad, but no crystal clear. (see pics)

I used KOH at 7 for the virgins and 8.75 for the WVO which titrated at 1.75. The glycerin settled right out as expected and everything else looked as people said it should.

Ideas?

Oh, and I'm getting the white globules on the bottom of the pan but ONLY see it when I heat up the samples. At first I thought it was soap but I thought soap floated (?) now I think it is emulsion - but I'm following the directions - especially washing - as absolutely carefully as I possibly can. On one batch I heated the hell out of it to see if I could affect the globules: No effect. On another batch I isolated the stuff and tried mixing it with some glycerol as suggested: No effect. Then some citric acid: No effect. Hmmm.

I have yet to produce any fuel that is crystal clear (except when warm) like other people's samples I see. I have BD envy!

I got frustrated after several gallons made 1 liter at a time and threw it all in my car tank anyway - which made it run a bit better.

I refuse to use my reactor until I'm really comfortable with what I'm doing but I'm getting bored with these little bottles.

- Chris

After several days:

Immediately after washing:

quote:

Originally posted by Chrismyth:
. . . and 3 days of room temperature settling, they still look like apple cider. I even heated them to make sure the water was gone. When warm, they look crystal clear. But a few hours later they look like yummy cider again. Not really bad, but no crystal clear. (see pics)

Three days of settling is probably not enough for your fuel to dry. You heat your fuel and it clears, then goes cloudy again upon cooling. Your fuel is still wet.

Did you let the BDset in the bottles for the three days? Was the cap on or off?

Chris

To me they still look wet, take 400grams and heat till 250degrees then reweigh. anything above .2grams loss is still to wet to pass ASTM

Trc

Just still wet. Do you have an aquarium pump that you can bubble air into it? Overnight and it should be crystal clear.

quote:

Originally posted by Foxden:
Just still wet. Do you have an aquarium pump that you can bubble air into it? Overnight and it should be crystal clear.

This is what is confusing to me....I did heat them - although not quite to 250 more like 220 - and they went CLEAR while in the pot. I did not see or hear much cracking or popping - just a few little bubbles which tapered off after 5 minutes. They looked beautiful. I then poured them back into the bottles and within 5 hours of cooling they looked like the top photo again.

And those damn little globules on the bottom that flow around when you tip it. They appeared upon heating and would not disappear upon further heating. Hmmm??

- Chris

quote:

And those damn little globules on the bottom that flow around when you tip it. They appeared upon heating and would not disappear upon further heating. Hmmm??

Most likely water.

quote:

Originally posted by Andrew M:

quote:

And those damn little globules on the bottom that flow around when you tip it. They appeared upon heating and would not disappear upon further heating. Hmmm??

Most likely water.

Hotter heat for longer time then? I was a bit concerned about heating the hell out of this stuff. (but then again, it is fry oil...)

I's suggest trying a shallow pan. If the depth of the BD is enough, it will hold the water down to some extent. Then, if you heat more, it can/will pop and spray.

quote:

Originally posted by Andrew M:
I's suggest trying a shallow pan. If the depth of the BD is enough, it will hold the water down to some extent. Then, if you heat more, it can/will pop and spray.

Ah..I bet that's it.

Thanks!