If Ethanol is the "green" solution to fuel, why don't states re-legalize moonshine distillery?

Question

Despite what we've been sold by the corn farming lobby, Ethanol can be easily distilled from a huge variety of crops, not just corn.

We're already seeing that the use of corn for ethanol is having a major negative impact well beyond fuel. The prices of food goods made with corn are going up fast. And as farmers switch their fields from other grains and crops to corn, the prices of those grains and crops are going up as well (per supply and demand).

Is it time to legalize ordinary folks to manufacture their own Ethanol, using home distilleries (like in the old "moonshine" days), perhaps provided that they take a safety class as part of a low-cost licensing process? (The class would explain the process and detail safety procedures, you'd take a test to verify your understanding, then you'd be eligible for a license to actually start manufacturing Ethanol for personal FUEL use only.)

What do you think?

Answer 1

I think that they (its always they isn't it) need to look harder at using algae for the manufacturing of ethenal. It grows faster and does not use crop land and makes the same stuff.

But I don't think I want the smell or hazards of my neighbor home brewing ethenol

Answer 2

who says Ethanol is the green solution ,only those who want to make a lot of money with it

second article down

http://byderule.multiply.com/journal/ite...

Answer 3

You are allowed to brew your own only it has to be only for your enjoyment and not for sale

If it is to be for sale it has to be up to FDA standards to keep it safe for humans to drink

And then you have to get a permit to brew in you back yard so to say and the neighbors might take an offense to the smell of corn liquor a cooking

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Answer 4

Ethanol is a good fuel but you need a engine made to runoff pure ethanol.

and that engine would not be able to run gas cleanly.

the best way to use moonshine because it is lower grade would be to use i as booster fuel

http://energyanswers.blogspot.com/2006/0...

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2006/10/...

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob...

http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-You...

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2006/04/ethan...

http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a...

the best thing about ethanol/water injection is that it will work with gasoline, diesel, propane, or even a hydrogen fueled engine.

and unlike mixing gasoline and ethanol to make E80 you get improved mileage by by injecting it into the intake manifold.

but it was proven during WW2 on aircraft engines.

it was shown during WW2 that mixing water with ethanol and injecting it caused the droplets of water/ethanol to become smaller and this increased the energy in the engine.

this did not happen when you mixed the gasoline and ethanol and injected plain water because the larger droplets did not become steam as quickly.

also because the droplets are smaller they pickup pollutants better. and smaller means cooler so you get less NO2

i would not have any problem making 190 proof ethanol that is easy if you set up the still right and keep the temp right. but why  if you can use less energy to make a ethanol around 100 proof  and using it as a injection mix.

Answer 5

there are a couple of fallacies in your argument;

1: ethanol is NOT a green alternative fuel. that myth started many years ago when emission testing first started and people would mix ethanol, and methanol, with gasoline to reduce emissions output. the problem is that the sensors designed to read gasoline emissions cant read alcohol emissions because alcohol burns too cold to be read by the sensors, thus emission output is "reduced".

2: you CAN make your own alcohol for fuel. all you need do is file some paperwork with the BATF, and perhaps you local state office as well. be prepared to pay road taxes of the fuel you produce though to keep the state and federal governments happy. you may be limited in the amount of fuel you can make per week though.

when you make your own fuel, it has to be at least 160 proof, but higher is better. also you need to make some modifications to your car to be able run alcohol, these include larger injectors, higher capacity fuel pump, and perhaps some reprogramming of you cars computer if you have efi. with a carb you need to use larger jets, as well as opening up a couple of passage ways in the carb to allow more fuel to pass. remember that oyu need to run twice as much alcohol as gasoline.

Answer 6

Sounds good to me.

But drop the fuel only requirement, why would we want to keep the people from doing it no matter the end use? It could be a dual fuel revolution!!!!!

Answer 7

You need to understand the reason why backyard moonshine is not legal.  It's an outgrowth of Prohibition.  Plus government taxes hard liquor, and those who make it are not paying taxes.  That's why it was always the "revenooer" who came to bust up the still.  Would you favor allowing backyard distillery provided that they paid a tax?  Or would you want to make them tax-exempt, and advantaged competitors to the real liquor distilling business?  And how would the moralists in society feel about it?

Answer 8

The old style moonshine distilleries would not produce fuel grade ethanol (190 proof minimum).

Answer 9

I agree but 2 things:

- ethanol HAS TO HAVE A CERTAIN QUALITY to be used in car fuels. At this point, private people do not reach the quality and do not have the appropriate level of knowledge and material to test it.

- large refineries (distilleries in this case) are by far more efficient to transform chemicals. By using large plants we save resources, save money and maximize the output

Answer 10

your about 30 years late. the farm service offices in my state have been giving out plans for free, explaining how to build an efficient  tower still to produce alcohol fuel & which crops are preferable(sorghum seems to be best ) and how to best grow & process them.

they've been doing this since the first oil crisis in the mid 70s.

since this program was promoted by the fed government I assume you can get this information from the farm agencys in your state also.

it does require some necessary paper work, like anything else the government is involved in.