Ethanol: Does anyone here make there own? Kit recommendation?

[kansasblue]

ATF permit dos and don'ts.

Looking to make some ethanol. Any advice welcome.

[YOY]

1. It's called a still bro

and I'm pretty sure they are not quite legal. Perhaps I am wrong.

Ask your local moonshine maker...or a Russian immigrant: tell him you're looking for some "Uncle Sam." :)

My Bulgarian in-laws still their own brandy...nectar of the freaking gods. The car can't have any!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Still

[kansasblue]

3. I'll need a permit from the ATF. But it's legal for fuel. nt

[YOY]

5. Just make sure that it's nowhere near the main house.

In a shed, barn, or seperate building. They're not exactly...fire friendly. I've seen a gypsy shack burn down to the ground in a village not unlike Borat's.

[Sanctified]

4. They are legal if you get a federal permit.

And you are required to put poison in your ethanol so that you are not using it for consumption but it's regulated on the honor system.

[Warpy]

6. You have to be licensed and the licenses are pricey

or the revenooers'll git ya.

[pscot]

7. In Budapest a few years back

we had just checked into a little hotel on a back street. The desk clerk says "you like a toast? Prozit?" I don't like to offend local customs so I said "Sure." He reaches under the counter and pulls out two glasses and a 2 liter plastic pepsi jug filled with a clear, white liquid. "Slivovitch" he said. And indeed it was. Nectar, with a kick like a plow horse.

[YOY]

8. Good stuff no?

Slivawitz, Raki, white lightning...it's all good.

[Sanctified]

2. Is your car E85 compatible?

I have heard of people making ethanol with moonshine stills, basically ethanol is 190 proof moonshine.

[Xithras]

11. People DO need to remember to check that.

My car has a warning in the owners manual about it. E85 voids my warranties and will probably destroy the engine. Subaru recommends that no ethanol be used in their cars, but if it is required by law (as it is in California), mixes shouldn't exceed 10%

No ethanol for me!

This is one of the reasons I don't get the ethanol craze. I read something recently which claimed that only 5% of US vehicles are actually designed to run with high ethanol mixes, 25% weren't designed to, but probably will anyway, and 70% will be damaged if you even try. I don't know how accurate those numbers are, but if they're even close this craze is entirely without basis.

Did I mention that my car is a 2006 with only 11,000 miles on it? We're not even talking about old clunkers here.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. Biodiesel might be easier to make

I don't know what kind of starting stock you're using, though.

Smallish-scale ethanol manufacturing is a well-known technology. Contact one of the energy companies and tell them you are putting together a business plan, and you need some advice. Since the oil companies currently buy most of their ethanol from farmers' and small producers' co-ops, there are probably a number of programs for the small producer.

--p!

[poopfuel]

10. read the book!

permaculture.com
"Alcohol Can Be a Gas!...."

Everything you've always wanted to know.

[hankthecrank]

12. Nice link

Thanks for posting it. Has some good stuff

or Google alcohol stills lots of links to kits

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en-us&q=alcohol+stills&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8