[Graeme]

Micro Fueler Is First Ethanol Kit for Brewing Backyard Biofuels on the Cheap

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')his morning, the E-Fuel Corporation, a Silicon Valley startup, introduced the first ethanol refinery system designed for home use. The Micro Fueler, a backyard fueling station, can create pure E100 ethanol from sugar feed stock. “It’s third-grade science,” says Thomas Quinn, founder and CEO of E-Fuel. “You just mix together water, sugar and yeast, and in a few hours, you start getting ethanol.” The $9995 Micro Fueler has a can fill its own 35-gallon tank in about a week by fermenting the sugar, water and yeast internally, then separating out the water through a membrane filter.

E-Fuel representatives claim that the initial cost of the machine can be offset by up to 50 percent by federal, state and local credits, and the cost of raw sugar can be brought down to $1 or below through a system of carbon trading coupons. The Micro Fueler can produce a gallon of ethanol from about 10 gallons of sugar.

Quinn dismisses many of the preconceptions about ethanol—lower gas mileage, long-term damage to automotive fuel systems and the need for a “flex-fuel” car—as just myths. Quinn claims that the E100 from the Micro Fueler can be mixed with ordinary gasoline, or even water to a 70/30 ratio—and still maintain a high-enough octane level to provide plenty of power for ordinary vehicles.

[Graeme]

This is the first expensive version. I doubt that it will be the last.

[Gerben]

Why would professionaly ethanol production facilities use destillation to separate water and ethanol if there is a cheap membrane available that can do the same?

[Cashmere]

Better make sure these folks have approved it . . .

ATF

I know you can legally brew beer and wine for your own consumption, but fermenting ethanol directly?

Not sure you can just start doing that in your backyard.

[Graeme]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Cashmere', 'B')etter make sure these folks have approved it . . .

ATF

I know you can legally brew beer and wine for your own consumption, but fermenting ethanol directly?

Not sure you can just start doing that in your backyard.

[nocar]

weird - what is 'inedible sugar'? How has it been made inedible? As far as I know, chewing sugar canes directly is common where they are grown. So it is perfectly edible from the beginning.

Making alcohol at home - yes brewing beer or wine at home is legal in Sweden and also in the USA I believe. You can get to about 15 percent alcohol, which however will not burn. But destilling, making pure alcohol that can be used in motors requires something else. It is already done a lot in remote country places where the police are few.

Lots of people of course would rather drink pure alcohol (diluted with coke or ice) than feeding their motors. Even if the sugar is 'inedible' it seems to med that the refining process would take out the inedible part from the concoction.

So I need more details not to believe this is a scam.

nocar

[idiom]

This is going to be a wonderful new problem. Now there will be difference between when you are allowed to drive and when you are allowed to fill your car up.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'w')hat is 'inedible sugar'?

[IslandCrow]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('nocar', '
')So I need more details not to believe this is a scam.
nocar

[Golgo13]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '"')It’s third-grade science,” says Thomas Quinn, founder and CEO of E-Fuel. “You just mix together water, sugar and yeast, and in a few hours, you start getting ethanol.”

[kokoda]

$9995 for a home brew kit !!!!!!!!

[wisconsin_cur]

There are much cheaper ways to get into the ethanol market.

Building your own Still

Mother Earth News did a series on the issue a long time ago also... I believe you can find their articles on the internet as well.

Mother Earth News

What I am learning is that it is harder to convert a modern engine than I thought it would be... at least it is harder for someone with my mechanical skills than I thought it would be.