Lyle Estill - Backyard Biodiesel: How to Brew Your Own Fuel

Praise for Backyard Biodiesel

Considering the dozens of books and zines about biodiesel, the hundreds of workshops held, and the thousands of pages of online discussion, it is a wonder this is the first time our collective knowledge about backyard biodiesel production has been gathered into an easy to read, how-to resource. Piedmont is a commercial operation with a homebrewer heritage. Bob and Lyle bring wisdom born of experience that few else in the industry can, written with grace and humor. This is a must read for the biodiesel nerd. It will sit on my bookshelf between my signed copy of Martin Mittelbach and my faded girlMark zine.

MATT RUDOLF, former Executive Director, Piedmont Biofuels Cooperative and ongoing B100 user

Small biodiesel producers have always been the most creative and enthusiastic problem solvers. This book presents the accumulated experience of two of the fields most experienced and authoritative practitioners. They not only guide you through the steps of making your own fuel, but make you excited to get started.

JON VAN GERPEN, Chair and Professor, Biological Engineering, University of Idaho

At last! A biofuel book that is realistic about global supply potential while being hands-on useful to the backyard or garage enthusiast. Though some first-generation biodiesel books were hampered by hype and misinformation, Estill and Armantrout get it right.

RICHARD HEINBERG, author, Afterburn

Lyle Estill and Bob Armantrout are some of the absolute best minds in the business when it comes to making biodiesel. Whether its at a small scale level in your garage or a full-blown commercial biodiesel plant, these guys really know their stuff! Having a book written by these two on how to make biodiesel (and how to avoid all the mistakes along the way) is like having them right beside you. The writing is quick and easy to follow, and the chemistry explanations are great. We highly recommend it as a great book to anyone interested in making their own biodiesel, regardless of the scale.

GRAYDON BLAIR, President, Utah Biodiesel Supply

While the economic climate may not be ripe for commercial biodiesel production, it is an essential science whose art must not be forgotten purely due to lack of profitability. Having themselves ridden the commercial roller coaster many times, the combined experience of these two authors along with their entertaining rhetoric provide a sound source for safe community-scale biodiesel production to promote clean domestic fuel production and build resilient communities.

C. DAVID THORNTON, Clemson University Facilities Coordinator for Organics Recycling and Biofuels Programs

BACKYARD BIODIESEL

Copyright 2015 by Lyle Estill and Bob Armantrout. All rights reserved.

Cover design by Diane McIntosh. Fence background: iStock andreusK; car: iStock rawpixel; beaker: iStock wfenguss

Printed in Canada. First printing April 2015.

New Society Publishers acknowledges the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) for our publishing activities.

This book is intended to be educational and informative. It is not intended to serve as a guide. The author and publisher disclaim all responsibility for any liability, loss or risk that may be associated with the application of any of the contents of this book.

Inquiries regarding requests to reprint all or part of Backyard Biodiesel should be addressed to New Society Publishers at the address below. To order directly from the publishers, please call toll-free (North America) 1-800-567-6772, or order online at www.newsociety.com

Any other inquiries can be directed by mail to:

New Society Publishers

P.O. Box 189, Gabriola Island, BC V0R 1X0, Canada

(250) 247-9737

LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES CANADA CATALOGUING IN PUBLICATION

Estill, Lyle, author

Backyard biodiesel : how to brew your own fuel / Lyle Estill & Bob Armantrout.

Includes index. Issued in print and electronic formats.

ISBN 978-0-86571-785-5 (pbk.).ISBN 978-1-55092-591-3 (ebook)

1. Biodiesel fuels. I. Armantrout, Bob, author II. Title.

TP359.B46E87 2015 665'.37 C2015-901161-2

C2015-901162-0

New Society Publishers mission is to publish books that contribute in fundamental ways to building an ecologically sustainable and just society, and to do so with the least possible impact on the environment, in a manner that models this vision. We are committed to doing this not just through education, but through action. The interior pages of our bound books are printed on Forest Stewardship Council-registered acid-free paper that is 100% post-consumer recycled (100% old growth forest-free), processed chlorine-free, and printed with vegetable-based, low-VOC inks, with covers produced using FSC-registered stock. New Society also works to reduce its carbon footprint, and purchases carbon offsets based on an annual audit to ensure a carbon neutral footprint. For further information, or to browse our full list of books and purchase securely, visit our website at: www.newsociety.com

For Tami and Camille, two great women who have been wedded to biodiesel for better and for worse....

Contents

Lyle Estill:

My journey into fuel making in the backyard began with Gary Thompson. Hes my ideation wingman who has accidentally approved of my flops, incorrectly vetoed my best ideas and informed my thinking about all things over the years. Most of my backyard brewing was done with Rachel Burton and Leif Forer, who founded Piedmont Biofuels with me before heading off to greener pastures. Im deeply grateful to them both.

Im also indebted to the dozens of interns and big-brained people who have passed through our project over the yearstaking backyard brewing to great heights. This includes, but is not limited to, Chris Jude, Matt Rudolf, David Thornton, Greg Austic, Tim Angert, Spencer Johnson, Caleb Daniels and all of the Tuesday Night Fuel Makers who continued to carry the torch while I was off in commercial production.

Im also indebted to all those who have served on Piedmonts Board of Directorstoo numerous to list, with some inspirational leadership from Don Mueller, John Bonitz, Brian Gullette, Carol Peppe Hewitt and John Hollingsworth. Without our dedicated co-op members we would not know how to fuel a community as we do now. I appreciate them sticking with us, through good times and bad. The same is true of our restaurant partners, who make everything possible, and those who house our dispensers.

George Seiz, Larry Larson, Eric Henry and Jeff Barney are all candidates for elevation in my bookfor putting up with us and for helping us to keep the fuel flowing to the people. Also thanks to Moya Hallstein and Kate Renner for the thousands of gallons of feedstock they delivered to the gate.