Well, 2 things as I see them. 1) Home bio producers don't count labor costs and 2) Most (All?) Commercial brewers are using virgin oil which competes with other uses (soy and canola have lots of uses) and drives the price up. I'm not sure there's the volume of WVO available to supply a large refinery - or it would cost too much to collect (having people driving around back alleys collecting 10-20 gallons at a time is expensive).

Ultimately I think the best answer is the algae-oil that folks have been talking about. Problem is ADM and their ilk won't let it happen.

Also, home brewers aren't adding in the $0.35-ish per-gallon road taxes as well.

But yeah, it's definitely cheaper if you're not amortizing the equipment costs or adding in your time. For me, my wkends are worth a lot (not to mention my garage space) so I'm paying $3.53/gallon for ASTM spec biodiesel made by a company who will stand behind any problems w/ my Jeep that result from bad fuel.

It's worth it to me.

_________________
Chris
Current:
2007 Steel Blue Metallic Grand Cherokee CRD Limited
GDE Eco Tune and DPF delete
CB Engineering DPF delete pipe
EHM

Past (sold to Mountainman):
2005 Patriot Blue Liberty CRD Limited

All VERY good Thoughts! And NO I don't get my oil from white cas.. in fact I do get it from a Jap/raw fish place... they use 15 gal per week but some times I really have to look hard to tell if it was even used. I guess I got lucky in finding a good oil source.

Labor Cost... great point... Ill work for free for my self all day long. Its a fun Hobby, I just love the look I get when people ask me " is that shrimp i smell?" "WHAT!!?? you MAKE your own fuel??" I love it!

Another good point, yes.. the smell can get bad at times. Living in Dallas where it has been over 100 for at least a month now with no rain... it has been getting a little messy... but hey good times!!!

last and I'm sure not least... taxes, bonds, etc... lets get something right... I'm a pretty honest guy, but why in my right mind would i go bragging to the Gov, my Car dealer or anybody else that stands to loose $$$ that I'm getting away with cheep fuel. NO NO NO!!! Ill will never buy a $30K bond for the 10% asking price of $3,000. and tax's for more that 400+ gal per quarter?? what's up with this??? I just dont get it?? Im simply making glycern, to sell to soap making people... al that oil sitting there is just the waste from the soap making process.. and if they dont buy that... prove that im making more or less than 400 gal., shoot i dont even keep up with how much i make. (ok 35gal week abt 150 month)

and the last line of defense... I'm not mixing or even blending fuel. I start with WVO and end with WVO how is that mixing or blending? now making gas aka "moonshine" is mixing AND blending. but if i start with 3 products and in the end I end up with only 2 products, then show me the law that says i can only mix up to 400 gal of meth and lye or have to spring a $30k bond cause I'm blending meth and lye. In which the meth and lye are not being used as a fuel therefore its all void and null.

wow... i guess i typed more than i thought i did!
=-)

_________________
05 CRD
3" Rough Country Lift
SAMCO SPORT Hoses
Magnaflow Muffler (12226)
CAT 2 Fuel Filter
Fumoto Drain Valve
EGR replaced at 50K
in service 8/31/04
Sold 7/21/10 125k miles
----------------------------------------------------------
Paved Roads, another form of unnecessary government spending...

More power to you on the home brewing. If I tried that, my nosey neighbors would drag me in front of the condo board in an instant. If I still had my old house in the country, homebrewing would be very workable. Have a friend with a Jetta TDI and a diesel Excursion asking a lot of questions lately about biodiesel and homebrewing (you would too if you has to feed his Excursion). Considering setting up an appleseed in his barn where we have the space to make a mess.

_________________
2005 Liberty Sport CRD, Lt Khaki, sunroof

Thankful to now be an EX-CRD owner.

Out of curiosity, how did you engage the place you're using for oil? Do you provide containers? Do you have a regular day/time that you pick up their waste, etc?

Dan

Skywarn,

I'm totally NOT judging you. My post was not meant to disparage you in any way. I think it's awesome that you're homebrewing as using WVO is the best form of recycling.

I was simply trying to help explain why the costs/gallon between homebrewing and commercial bio are different.

Here in Cali they add an extra burden to the homebrewer - WVO is classified as a "hazardous material" and so technically you're supposed to have a special (expensive) permit to haul it around. I'm guessing the grease recycling lobby didn't like people moving in on their action. That's part of the reason people tend to found co-ops here to spread the costs out.

So if you have the time and space to do it - I say go for it.

_________________
Chris
Current:
2007 Steel Blue Metallic Grand Cherokee CRD Limited
GDE Eco Tune and DPF delete
CB Engineering DPF delete pipe
EHM

Past (sold to Mountainman):
2005 Patriot Blue Liberty CRD Limited