how long start to finish?

[iwantaturbo]

if i buy a kit to make my own bio, how long does it take to make?

lets say i got the oil and the meth in the shop how long till i pour in to the tank?

i would be making 40 gal at a time?

[Spencnaz]

To make the kit or the biodiesel? Some kits are very easy to assemble. I'm using a water heater for my processor.

If you are making biodiesel, you can have a batch in as little as 8 hours, thought I would heavily stress that you 'wash' the biodiesel to remove any extra methanol and glycerol from solution to ensure it doesn't screw up your engine.

[ToddT]

Forget buying a kit. Most, if not all, use poly reactor tanks which is not safe for a heated process. Instead, buy Girl Mark's book for $12 and assemble it yourself for $150 or less. Then, write me a check for the $2850 you saved.

Making biodiesel isn't a 1, 2, 3, done type process. It involves blending, mixing, settling, etc. So, it will involve a few hours today, a bit of time tomorrow, etc. Also, the first time will take you twice as long as subsequent projects.

Todd T

[Johnathebar]

It's like Todd says.....

To do it right it would probably be at least 3 or 4 days until you are putting it in your tank, but that's with an hour or 2 filtering the oil, an hour or so to titrate & get the processor started, next day an hour or so transferring & getting the 1st wash going, next day another hour or so changing wash water (twice), next day one more wash, then final filtering.... so it's about 4 - 6 hours or so over 4 days or so. If you have any problems it can be longer... but as you gain proficiency you definitely get faster.

And don't waste your $$$ on the kit,, build it yourself like the one in Girl Marks' book... It'll be much, much better than the plastic kit; I guess you could build one for $150, but mine cost about $450 (new water heater, stainless steel valves, etc. etc) then about another $200 for 55 gal. meth, lye, titration supplies etc, etc, but for less than $700 I've got a hell of a processor and all the incidental supplies that can do 40 gallons at a time, and won't have to spend another dime until after I've brewed about 300 gallons, then it's another barrel of methanol for $140 and I'm good to go for another 300 gallons.

Good luck, let us know what you decide!

[my97TJ]

[ QUOTE ]
another barrel of methanol for $140

[/ QUOTE ]

Where are you guys buying methanol?

[Johnathebar]

Harcross Chemicals in Powder Springs, GA. I'm not sure if they are regional or national; I do know that they have a facility somewhere in Alabama too. At that price I have to pick it up & bring it home & unload it. They can not deliver to a residence.

[ToddT]

Harcros is definitely a national supplier. Their facility in AL is in Bessemer. They also have warehouses in Nashville and Greensboro (I think). Another national wholesale chemical supplier is Univar, formerly Van Waters and Rogers.

Todd T