Alcohol Can Be a Gas!: Fueling an Ethanol Revolution for the 21st Century

Discussion in 'Survival Reading Room' started by RouteClearance, Aug 13, 2016.


  1. RouteClearance

    RouteClearance Monkey+++

    For those that are interested in making your own source of renewable fuel, this book is, "David Blume's opus, Alcohol Can Be a Gas, is the definitive guide to weaning America from the oil habit via biofuels"(Matthew Stein, Author of When Technology Fails)

    I have been legally making my own 190-193 proof ethanol for a few months now and this book has been my technical bible concerning the how-to of making your mashes from starch based materials with enzymes, to making a highly efficient column distillation unit that is needed to manufacture high proof ethanol to use in internal combustion engines. The only negative points that I have to award the author David Blume is that he leans definitely to the left and he repeatedly will show this through out the book, but ignore the leftest rants and cartoons and just use the scientific and technical info to make your own ethanol.

    Another point I will make is that this book is not cheap new, around $50.00 per copy, but I bought mine used from Amazon for $9.73 s/h included. This used book was in great shape when I received it and will now buy used book instead of new ones from Amazon.
     
  2. OldDude49

    OldDude49 Just n old guy

    one of the problems with this fuel is it tends to destroy older systems.... and even the newer ones can have problems...
     
    Oltymer likes this.
  3. Oltymer

    Oltymer Monkey++

    The Model - T Ford was designed to run off either gasoline or alcohol, there was a brass knob on the steering column that controlled the fuel feed needle in the carb so the driver could make adjustments as needed for which fuel he was running.

    On more modern vehicles the gaskets in carbs and rubber type fuel lines are weakened - destroyed by overly rich alcohol, even though they put it in the gasoline now. Fuel injectors also suffer and break down with alcohol fuel. The establishment doesn't want you using alternative fuels, so it's hard to find the right stuff to convert vehicles over to other fuels, but it has been done.

    FUEL FROM FARMS, A GUIDE TO SMALL SCALE ETHANOL PRODUCTION, May 1982, published by the Dept. of Agriculture is a fact filled book on setting up to produce ethanol fuel for use in farm equipment. Hard copies are somewhat pricey, I found one for $1 at a used book sale. It is available online at nrel.gov for free.
     
    Tully Mars and RouteClearance like this.
  4. DarkLight

    DarkLight Live Long and Prosper - On Hiatus

    Finding that book directly on the site is like...well, it's difficult. However, a google search for the title took me directly to the .pdf file. So, here is a link directly to the .PDF (may upload to the Resources section as well). Won't derail but I think we need to look at all of the "make your own fuel" resources out there for after the fall.

    http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/old/519R.pdf
     
    Tully Mars and techsar like this.
  5. Altoidfishfins

    Altoidfishfins Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Imagine wasting perfectly good alcohol by burning it in your engine.
    Now THAT's alcohol abuse! :lol:
     
  6. Ura-Ki

    Ura-Ki Grampa Monkey

    Not to be the desenter here, but this "fuel" isn't very good for engines! Besides the harm it can do it also takes roughly twice the amount to do the same work as gas. They use it in racing because it makes 02 when it ignites and can be run at much higher compression ratios. So unless you can make a lot of it on the cheep, you would be better off with Diesel power and making your own Bio Diesel fuel! JMHO BTW, Steam Power can and should be considered if you want true flexibility in fuel choices!
     
    3M-TA3 likes this.
  7. Ganado

    Ganado Monkey+++

    this is Darklights post of this resource
    Alcohol - Fuel From Farms - A Guide to Small Scale Ethanol Production | Survival Monkey Forums

    A Bio Diesel thread would be great! Do you have resources?

    I have a friend who refines cooking oil and uses in his diesel Mercedes, but he has to heat it and is working on creating a dual fuel engine, diesel and/or cooking oil.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 14, 2016
    Ura-Ki likes this.
  8. Altoidfishfins

    Altoidfishfins Monkey+++ Site Supporter+

    Ethanol may not be bad for an engine and fuel system designed from the ground up specifically to use alcohol fuel. The fuel system would have to be made from materials resistant to alcohol, including metals that would not readily corrode. Since ethanol is roughly equivalent to 100 plus octane gasoline, the compression ratio may have to be increased in order to optimize.

    I have a 2004 Chrysler that can run on E85 alternatively to gas. The problem you run into is the fact that you lose about 30% of the fuel economy you had with gasoline. The last time I bought E85, it cost more than regular gas. You don't begin to break even until the alcohol fuel (in this case blended with 15% gasoline) costs 30% less.
     
  9. Ura-Ki

    Ura-Ki Grampa Monkey

    There are a gizilion sources for doing this, but I will dig out the good ones and share what I have learned with mine! I run a Big Cat diesel up here as my main truck and I had to come up with something that used less fuel and made more power. My cat should make 275 hp at sea level, but up here only make about 190!!! With my research, and mods, I got it up to 366hp and use about 20% less fuel doing it!!! Let me dig and I can post up soon!
     
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  10. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    Be careful to not confuse ethanol with methanol, the racing fuel. Not the same stuff by a long measure.
     
    techsar, BTPost and Ura-Ki like this.
  11. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    Alcohol would be really good for cooking especially during the summer months and you don't want to heat up the house with running the wood stove.
     
  12. John L. Perez

    John L. Perez Monkey

    Thank U for link. It's useful for me
     
  13. Idahoser

    Idahoser Monkey+++ Founding Member

    You're welcome to decide you wish to go to the effort to make your engine operate on an inferior, more expensive fuel. The problem is the government making me do it.
     
    Dunerunner likes this.
  14. oil pan 4

    oil pan 4 Monkey+++

    Alcohol will attack aluminum.
    My edelbrock carbs get some aluminum pitting just from gasoline with ethanol in contact with the bowls but this does take several years. But if the accelerator pump bore pits the carb pretty much is junk.
     
    Dunerunner likes this.
  15. Cruisin Sloth

    Cruisin Sloth Special & Slow

    Alcohol Can Be a Gas!:

    Ya , it is & is used as a filler of BS . less BTU's but offers nothing for power , costs more than repays , corn farmers are also pissed/happy (USA JOKE,Canada is sucked in also )
    S
     
    3M-TA3 likes this.
  16. aardbewoner

    aardbewoner judge a human on how he act,not on look and talk.

    The old model T ford could run on gas,kerosene or alcohol,and the alcohol needed to be around 70%.
    So much cheaper with lower distillation cost.
     
    Dunerunner likes this.
  17. arleigh

    arleigh Goophy monkey

    Model T had cast iron carb.
     
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