I'll add one book to that list: "The Lore of still building : a primer on the production of alcohol for food and fuel" by Kathleen Howard and Norman Gibat no ibsn number on this one that I can see, but the publisher is Noguska Industries 714 North Countyline St Fostoria Ohio 44830-1004 Phone 419 435 0404 Fax 419 435 1844
This is a small paperback that adds many of the small factual oddities that you MUST know in order to successfully produce ETOH. The biggest useful facts is the formulas to use in order to construct the physical plates inside of a large fractionating tower. If you plan on making fuel ETOH in any quantity, you should be concentrating on how to build a functional continuous feed/output column. A continuous still is great for turning out ethanol in the 95 plus percent ABV Alcohol By Volume range. It is not so handy for producing booze for human consumption since it does not remove the methanol that boils over before pure ethanol. Methanol is poison to humans but will burn just fine in an internal combustion engine. 85 percent ABV ETOH will work just fine as a stand alone fuel. You need nearly Anhydrous ETOH to mix with gasoline or else it will tend to separate into layers. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Randy Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:49 PM To: sustainablelorgbiofuel@sustainablelists.org Subject: [Biofuel] re Anyone on this list making ethanol? You can also check out Tony Akland's webpage http://www.homedistiller.org Tony operates an informational webpage about the distillation of ethanol for human consumption. The principals involved aren't any different for fuel ethanol except that you don't need to be as careful with the draw off points since you wont be drinking it and you will be denaturing it IAW applicable federal and state laws (wont you ?). http://www.amphora-society.com is a combined effort by Mike Nixon and Mike McCaw they are associated with Ian Smiley. The two Mikes are licensed professionals in Bio Chemistry and Chemical Engineering respectively. They have a book named "The Compleat Distiller" (yes spelled differently) isbn 0-473-08135-0 which should be considered a must-have for designing a home distillation apparatus. Another book by Mike Nixon and John Stone called "The Distillation of Alcohol: A Professional Guide for Amateur Distillers" isbn 0-473-06608-4 is also a very useful book for understanding the unique technical aspects of building a still that isn't going to blow up in your face. Ian Smiley also has a book out named "Making Pure Corn Whiskey: a professional guide for Amateur and Micro Distillers" isbn0-9686292-0-2 this book is also invaluable for explaining the entire process of converting natural cereal grain into something that is readily fermentable. A common theme in all of these books is a simple fractionating column design on a small scale that is simply constructed using common hand tools and plumbing fittings. The amphora society has announced that they will be releasing plans for a fuel ethanol distillation apparatus in the near future. If Mike Nixon designed it, I can assure you that it is safe and will perform exactly as described. And you can see his work for less than 30 bucks. Hire a Distillation Column expert and he will spend that much before he consumes his first cup of coffee. Another awesome book about making fuel ethanol is "Making it on the Farm: Alcohol fuel is the road to independence" Available in 4 different forms at http://buffalo-creek-press.com/alcohol The original was written back during the Arab Oil Embargo during the 1970's. It has been updated onto the CD and E-book in 2000's. I have the original hardcopy and it is wonderful. The updated version has to be even more impressive. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Keith Addison Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 1:06 PM To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org Subject: Re: [Biofuel] Anyone on this list making ethanol? Hello Stratis >Is anyone on the list involved in the making of ethanol? Yes, many, but they might not want to admit it. >If so are you producing it for personal use? > >Selling on a small scale? > >If selling, how did you get around the testing issues that forces out Thomas >Leue from Ashford to close his fryer-oil refinery after the Environmental >Protection Agency refused to allow him to register his biodiesel fuel and >sell it to power vehicles unless he first tests its health effects? First, that's got nothing to do with ethanol. The NBB health effects data issue with small-scale biodiesel (not ethanol) production is a large and complicated subject (see "EPA hassle" in the archives), but in fact that wasn't Tom Leue's problem, which was that he hadn't paid his road taxes, and back taxes amounted to quite a lot. Anyway they didn't close him down. >Are you using at still or are you making ethanol from cellolose by acid >hydrolysis? Acid hydrolysis isn't very economical, AFAIK, okay for small amounts probably. > >From the archive I saw: "Producing ethanol from cellolose by acid hydrolysis >is a long-established method still used all over the world, and it's still >the only method available to backyarders, though that could change anytime >with new enzymes and new techniques being developed." > >So are there any backyarders here using this method? If so, how is it >working for you? > >Has this changed with new enzymes and or techniques as the original post >implied are are we still waiting? Ethanol from cellulose http://journeytoforever.org/ethanol_link.html#cellulose >If using a still, is corn the main feedstock for "backyarders"? Biofuels Library http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel_library.html Best Keith _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ _______________________________________________ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/sustainablelorgbiofuel Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (70,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
