Moonshine Powered Water Heater

[NukeManSoon]

I just read that you could make moonshine for 18 cents a gallon. That is a lot cheaper than gas. Just find some old potatoes or fruit, get some yeast and a big ol' tank. Then run your hot leftovers from the fermenting tank through a radiator into the hot water tank.  Then you have a fuel source and very little wasted heat. What do you guys think of this idea?

[commanda]

Fermentation alone will only get you around 10% alcohol. You then need to distil (this is where the slang term "still" comes from) to seperate the alcohol from the mash. Alcohol has a lower boilingpoint than water, and therefore evaporates first.

Run yur car on Vodka. Personally, I'd rather drink the Vodka and pay for the gasoline. Then again, after drinking all that vodka, I'd be in no fit state to drive.

I also believe it's illegal in most places. Government can't get their taxes.

Down here in DownUnderLand, they want to outlaw home made BioDiesel for the same reason.

Amanda

[NukeManSoon]

I was more talking about alcohol than moonshine because lots of other bacteria make other kinds of alcohol which are definitely not good for drinking.  I have made a still before and the alcohol burned some hot.  The leftover wash could be ran through tubes into your hot water tank which gives you even more energy.  If only you could run something on this alcohol.

[pyrocasto]

I got interested slightly because my truck will run on Ethanol. If it is that cheap to make, and it's not that hard, then I might would be interested again. ;-)

[scottsAI]

In the 70's, you could get a license to distill if the fuel was used to run your car. (USA)

I have not looked into it since! Anybody know?

Have fun.

[TimV]

Back during the "big one"....Energy Crisis #1....The Oil Embargo...(1970's)I saw a book that detailed how to make alcohol out of sawdust....I always wondered why we could not alter an oil burner in a furnace to burn the alcohol.

My guess is that with the current administration nothing will be done to find an alternative to use of expensive oil...being that "oilmen" are running the show.....

Woodgasification is being used on a larger scale in europe..they burn wood extract heat for steam to heat homes with it and the exhaust is turned into some sort of fuel they power a generator(altered diesel) with for lights and are doing a whole neighbor . Its on here somplace just cant remember where.

I was not surprized at the politicians had already tried to stop bio-diesel as poster said in order to sell TAXED FUEL...they want every $$$$ and any you might save it seems. They dont care about conservation only $$$$

[gale]

I would be surprised if you could make alcohol for $.15 per gallon,  The current price for ethenol from a commercial plant is about $1.35 per gallon.  On the otherhand if you made a good sized compost pile and ran a waterline(garden hose) through the middle of it you could theoritically increase the temperature of the water to 120f or more.

[pyrocasto]

that would be nice since I have wood shop "conections". :-)

I'll look into it and see if it would be worth it(hardly ever is).

[georgeodjungle]

don't forget to replace the rubber in the car!

any way moonshine and all that dosn't have much power ie heat.

like hydrogen you'd use like 4 times as much at the end result.

still, it's a fun,ya could make it & be more self relient.

if you don't blow your self up, ya could save a lilbit o cash.