What do I do with the left-over solids?

When using corn to make your ethanol, the solids left over when you filter out the liquid before distillation are called distiller's grain. You could just throw this away, but it is an excellent feed for livestock! You can use it to feed your own livestock, or possibly sell it to nearby farmers. The following link has more information on using distiller's grain:

http://www.ncga.com/ethanol/DistillersGrains/index.asp

What do I do with the left over liquid?

The left over liquid can be recycled right back into your next batch of mash!

What about the claims of some other stills that you can get 180 proof (90%) ethanol straight from the still?

This high proof is possible only for maybe the first few minutes of distilling, but then the proof will drop. It is not feasible to get that high proof of ethanol straight from the still during the entire distillation of a reasonable sized batch of mash. Claims like this are very misleading. Until recently, large commercial ethanol distilling plants distilled the same liquid several times over to get a high proof, but now they are able to distill once and then use molecular sieves to remove the excess water for a high proof of ethanol. Now the individual can do the same thing with our Molecular Sieve! Individuals can purchase Molecular Sieve from VonHeltzen which is reusable and can produce a high proof for you in every batch of ethanol. Check out our Molecular Sieve information page for more information on this great product.

Which cars can run on ethanol?

Cars with high compression engines can run entirely on ethanol with slight modifications, but those cars are few and far between these days, unless you have a race car! Some new cars are designated "E-85" (Flexible Fuel Vehicles), and these cars will run great on an 85% ethanol/15% gasoline mixture without any modifications. Every major automobile manufacturer warranties their vehicles when using E-10 (90% gasoline/10% ethanol). E-10 is also approved by many motorcycle manufacturers for the motorcycles they sell, and it can be used in small engines like lawn mowers, ATV's, snowmobiles, etc. Virtually all gasoline engines will run splendidly on a 90/10 mixture. Of course, you should check the manufacturers' guidelines. It is very possible to modify nearly any gasoline powered car or truck to run on much higher percentages of ethanol. Check out our links page for a list of places to buy modification kits or instructions on how to do this yourself. Ethanol is also a very clean burning fuel, and it will actually clean your engine.

How many MPG's can I get using ethanol?

This varies according to your vehicle. As an example, in one government report a 2003 Ford Ranger FFV 2WD was tested running straight gasoline as opposed to running E-85 (85% ethanol/15% gasoline). On pure gasoline it got 19 mpg, and on E-85 it got 14 mpg. Smaller, more efficient vehicles should do much better. Although the percentage varies, it should be possible to get 65-75% of the mileage of gasoline with ethanol. Plus, you will have a much cleaner engine!

How much money will I save?

There are many factors which influence the cost of a gallon of ethanol, such as the price of the base ingredient you choose to use, how closely you monitor the fermentation and distillation process, and how much your propane (or whatever heating method you use) costs. Also, most vehicles will get somewhat fewer miles per gallon with ethanol than with gasoline (this varies according to the vehicle). If you consider that you can make approximately 2.8 gallons of ethanol from a bushel of corn, you can check the cost of corn in your area and get a good idea of your cost per gallon. Our estimate at this time (late summer 2006), if you grow your own corn, is 70 cents to make a gallon of ethanol. Even assuming you will get a few miles per gallon less on pure ethanol than pure gasoline, the savings are still very substantial! If you own an FFV that can run on E-85, or if you get a kit and modify your regular gas vehicle, just think how much money you can save if you make all your own ethanol! You would very quickly pay for your Still, and you would be much more self sufficient. And if more and more of us make and use more ethanol, our country's dependence on foreign oil will surely shrink or disappear altogether, and that can only save money and trouble for all of us!

What about self-sufficiency?

Many of us are working toward more and more self sufficiency. Owning and using a VonHeltzen Home Ethanol Fuel Still can be an important part of fulfilling that goal. We all know that gasoline prices, and sometimes supplies, are unstable and subject to the whim of natural and man-made disasters. Having a way to make at least some of your own fuel can give you freedom and peace of mind in troubled times. If you have an E-85 vehicle, either purchased that way or because you modify your regular gasoline vehicle, you could supply 85% of your own fuel! That is a high level of security and self sufficiency.

Is it legal?

Yes! It is legal to make your own ethanol.

If you are making ethanol fuel to sell and are making less than 50,000 gallons per year of ethanol fuel there is a simple form (available from us or on the internet) to fill out for the ATF to apply for a license to manufacture ethanol for fuel. When making fuel, the government requires that the ethanol be denatured by adding something (such as a small amount of gasoline) to make it unsuitable for drinking.

While it is legal to make your own alcoholic beverages for drinking for your own use, the VonHeltzen Home Ethanol Fuel Still is designed for making ethanol fuel, and all instructions given on this site and included with the Still are for making fuel. In Tennessee it is legal to make fuel ethanol to sell (under 50,000 gallons) with just the ATF license, and that may be the case in other states, but each individual should research their own state's laws to verify that.

What about the myths I have heard about ethanol?

If you have heard some of the ridiculous myths about ethanol such as that it will hurt car and truck engines, that it adds to air pollution or contributes to global warming, that it uses more energy to make it than it produces, etc., we suggest you check out this informative link:

http://www.ncga.com/ethanol/main/killing_myths.htm

Also, it is important to be aware that many of the concerns about using ethanol (such as the cost of E85 at the pump not being much or any less than pure gasoline) do not even apply to the individual who can manufacture his/her own ethanol at home!

Other questions?

Please feel free to call us with any other questions you might have at 865-585-5376. Or you can email us at info@vonheltzen.com. If you are in the USA, you can even email us your phone number, and tell us the best times to reach you (tell us your time zone), and we will give you a call back!

For more general information on ethanol the National Corn Grower's Association has a very informative site:

http://www.ncga.com/ethanol/main/index.asp

Although we try to be as absolutely accurate as possible, no warranty is made or implied as to the accuracy of the information on this web site. Everyone is encouraged to do their own research as to costs, different engine's abilities to run on ethanol, legalities, their own state's laws, safety issues, etc.

VonHeltzen
235 Wendall Davis Lane, Harrogate, Tennessee 37752 - Phone:865-585-5376
info@vonheltzen
Stills and Parts - Biological Supplies - Accessories - Molecular Sieve - How to Make Ethanol - Information

The making of ethanol can be dangerous as it is a flammable liquid. We are not responsible for injuries incurred through the use or misuse of this product.