The DIY Gas Station: Home Biodiesel Brewing

With a rising national consciousness of energy consumption, change is starting small. Sandy Lofton is a member of a growing movement of small-city Americans who hedge their fuel use by electing to produce their own fuel via home biodiesel distilleries.

After purchasing the initial equipment, Lofton estimates that he pays between $0.50-$0.85 per gallon of bio-fuel that he produces, in accordance to the local prices of oil and kerosene. Small parts of these petroleum products mix with the gallons of filtered soybean oil that’s donated from a local outboard marine mechanic.

My photos of Lofton’s setup can be found here.

contributed by Gavin Shelton