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Home Ethanol Production Not Trivial
By Mr Ethanol | March 10, 2008
Design News:
If you guessed a corn, you’d be right. Those little kernels are becoming increasingly valuable as corn is converted to ethanol. Corn futures jumped from about $4.25 a bushel around Christmas to more than $5.50 although were settling back this morning as traders took profits.
So I wonder if grass clippings could be produce ethanol and apparently they can just like sorghum, wheat, potato skins and rice. And still others like Bluefire Ethanol are using raw materials like urban trash, cellulose and wheat straws. Maybe anyone can do this including homeowners.
Alas, there is a buzz about home ethanol production, but turning my grass clippings into energy isn’t going happen any time soon. Consider the daunting statistic that to produce 328 gallons of Ethanol require 7,100 pounds of grain, according to EcoHolistic.com. Add on the energy – 131,000 BTUs for one gallon of ethanol that itself only yields 77,000 BTUs - to ferment the sugars in corn mash and the economics get worse. The Renewable Fuels Association has a good explanation and accompanying video on how ethanol is made from corn. It’s not a trivial process. Still, there is no shortage of ethanol companies and associations lobbying on its behalf.
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