# Biodiesel



## OutbackPM (Sep 14, 2005)

With diesel fuel at $4.20 a gal it sure looks enticing to start making your own with all these kits they have on line.

Has anyone done it? Where do you get your oil, methnol and catalyst (KOH, NaOH)? How do you handle the ingredients?

If anyone has done a good job I expect and Outbacker to be one of them!!!


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## phxbrit (Jul 24, 2007)

Getting free oil might be an ever challenging issue. We have 28 restaurants and we sell all of our waste oil now. (A year ago we paid for collection). I'd be very cautious about jumping into this unless you can secure the oil. Investing several thousand dollars on something that takes 2 years to recoup your investment might sound great, but if you can no longer acquire the oil in 1 year where are you? Waste oil is a commodity. You might have to start competing with the commercial collection company's rate. Which is nominal at the moment, unless you calculate the transport costs, collection tanks, etc. which will be your cost.

Restaurant owners are very leery about someone who collects the oil when they need it versus a collection company that comes on a schedule. When they need to change the oil in the fryers, there must be room in the collection tank. Commercial collection companies are very reliable, they supply the tanks and some even provide additional services like cleaning the grease traps. The unreliable one's get dropped immediately. Don't be surprised if you get the cold shoulder, they've been disappointed by a collection service in the past. And they will see you as a risk to their operations.

My brother in law's uncle runs 3 work trucks off his 6 McDonalds. One of our larger fast food restaurants with 4 fryers produces about 100 gallons/month of waste oil. I don't know how much fuel you need but that kind of gives you a scale of what a fast food restaurant can produce. Small mom and pop restaurants might be an easier source of oil, but they probably don't go through enough. Additionally they may have a relative who wants to get into biodiesel or they may go out of business, and that could hamper you long term source of oil. 
Even though I have a secure source of oil, it's still not worth my time. But if I were to get into it, I'd look to a cooperative first.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Wasn't the Government all upset about this a while ago because you were avoiding that $0.24/gal gas tax?


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## phxbrit (Jul 24, 2007)

I remember hearing something like that on NPR. I think they may have a way you can pay the tax now. I suspect they are more worried about people using off road deisel than bio. I was driving to work about a year ago and they were pulling all deisel vehicles off the freeway during rush hour traffic and dipping their tanks. My neighbor who has a drilling company expalined to me what was going on. Apparently it is pretty rampent in the construction industry.


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## OutbackPM (Sep 14, 2005)

phxbrit said:


> Getting free oil might be an ever challenging issue.
> 
> Restaurant owners are very leery about someone who collects the oil when they need it
> 
> Even though I have a secure source of oil, it's still not worth my time. But if I were to get into it, I'd look to a cooperative first.


phxbrit (does that mean Pheonix Brit?) Just curious because I could do something similar.

3 good points you made.

The free oil chalenge is what I wonder about longer term as the collection becomes more commecially viable and I think mandated

Point 2 I think I could get around that with a contract to say I would pick up regularly but I may not need all they produce.

Point 3. Time maynot be that difficult but a ccoperative might be the best option to keep several soucrces open. I am not sure how to investigate if there is one I can tap into in my area or not.

I am also concerned about the quality control to make sure I don't have a bad batch of fuel from the varying oil supply.


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## bentpixel (Sep 2, 2006)

Two weeks ago I was "happy" to find diesel at $4.31/gal. Most posted $4.45/gal. Yesterday, I saw $4.59/gal.!







Some have twin tanks for reprocessed fry oil. Can't make your own in California - - that TAX thing. Also, Bio-Diesel folks got law passed to make hauling used fry oil a HazMat. Costco salad oil is almost a contender.







Still have to pay Highway tax on that too. Rumored that our Gov'nr was informed half way though a Hum V fillup.









I wish I could make my own. The exhast is much cleaner as engine go. The odor reminds me of the .049 engines on my model planes I flew as I kid.









Scott


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## BoaterDan (Jul 1, 2005)

bentpixel said:


> Can't make your own in California - - that TAX thing.
> Scott


Did I hear you right? In the People's Republic of California it's actually illegal to make biodeisel in your barn?


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## phxbrit (Jul 24, 2007)

Outback PM,

Yes it does mean Pheonix Brit.

I found a list of coops and great detailed information on this sight: Bio Coops


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

BoaterDan said:


> Did I hear you right? In the People's Republic of California it's actually illegal to make biodeisel in your barn?


Funny. That's what I've been calling California for years. I never could actually get it to catch on though.


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## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

bentpixel said:


> Two weeks ago I was "happy" to find diesel at $4.31/gal. Most posted $4.45/gal. Yesterday, I saw $4.59/gal.!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Been reading up on this for a couple of years. Talked to a guy up near Iowa City that worked at the Hospital and collected the used cooking oil, filtered it, and then put it into his truck with a few mods. He didn't say anything about paying the tax or anything but I did read an article about that. It seemed that a guy in Texas started producing his own Biodiesel. He got dipped after putting a sign on his truck that he burnt used oil (silly him). They fined him $5000 for not paying the taxes or having a liecence to produce the biodiesel. When he asked about a liecence, it was $5000 from the Federal Gov plus $2500 from the state along with the taxes on what he produced. They are trying to get some of that changed so that us small guys can make 250 gallons to run in our own units.

As far as making the biodiesel, it is not very hard or expensive to modify the truck to run on pure vegie oil. but with the price of corn and beans, this is expensive as well. The only thing I can get comfort from is that I still get a lot better mileage from my truck than I would if it was a gas engine.


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## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

Lmbevard said:


> Two weeks ago I was "happy" to find diesel at $4.31/gal. Most posted $4.45/gal. Yesterday, I saw $4.59/gal.!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Been reading up on this for a couple of years. Talked to a guy up near Iowa City that worked at the Hospital and collected the used cooking oil, filtered it, and then put it into his truck with a few mods. He didn't say anything about paying the tax or anything but I did read an article about that. It seemed that a guy in Texas started producing his own Biodiesel. He got dipped after putting a sign on his truck that he burnt used oil (silly him). They fined him $5000 for not paying the taxes or having a liecence to produce the biodiesel. When he asked about a liecence, it was $5000 from the Federal Gov plus $2500 from the state along with the taxes on what he produced. They are trying to get some of that changed so that us small guys can make 250 gallons to run in our own units.

As far as making the biodiesel, it is not very hard or expensive to modify the truck to run on pure vegie oil. but with the price of corn and beans, this is expensive as well. The only thing I can get comfort from is that I still get a lot better mileage from my truck than I would if it was a gas engine.
[/quote]

That was on the East Coast somewhere - believe it was North Carolina. Could be wrong but we have a biodiesel mfg. company right near the town I live in that sells kits in addition to biodiesel.

Brownfield Biodiesel

-CC


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Article from today's local paper:

Biodiesel Boom Is Fueling Thefts


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## phxbrit (Jul 24, 2007)

Hey that was in OUR local paper!


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

I just can't help but comment that 2 weeks ago diesel was "only" $4.49 and now it's $4.95 a gallon








We bought our truck exactly 1 year ago and diesel was $2.99

I just saw $4.03 for regular unleaded down the street...unbelievable!!!


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

phxbrit said:


> I just can't help but comment that 2 weeks ago diesel was "only" $4.49 and now it's $4.95 a gallon
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Our corner Chevron was filpping the numbers at 8am this morning. Yes, $4.03 for REGULAR.


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

California Jim said:


> Our corner Chevron was filpping the numbers at 8am this morning. Yes, $4.03 for REGULAR.


Are you sure we're not neighbors??
I was talking about our corner Chevon who was changing prices on the board around 8:00 am too...same price!

Kind of a kooky coincidence


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

Driving home from Las Vegas last night I stopped in Baker, CA to fill up before continuing on to Ft. Irwin. Diesel was $5.19/gal!!!

I didn't stop and squeezed every last drop to make it home and filled up, on post, for $4.79!!

Will it ever end?


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

skippershe said:


> Our corner Chevron was filpping the numbers at 8am this morning. Yes, $4.03 for REGULAR.


Are you sure we're not neighbors??
I was talking about our corner Chevon who was changing prices on the board around 8:00 am too...same price!

Kind of a kooky coincidence








[/quote]

They all got the memo


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

California Jim said:


> Our corner Chevron was filpping the numbers at 8am this morning. Yes, $4.03 for REGULAR.


Are you sure we're not neighbors??
I was talking about our corner Chevon who was changing prices on the board around 8:00 am too...same price!

Kind of a kooky coincidence








[/quote]

They all got the memo








[/quote]
yeah, i'd like to send them a memo of my own...


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