brew

3 successful batches so far, 0 duds.

batch 1 & 2:
15 L virgin soy
3.3 L methanol
75 g NaOH

process:
1. measure oil
2. decant oil into processor
3. turn on hotplate
4. measure methanol into 10L HDPE carboy (2nd graduation on back)
5. measure NaOH into paper baking cups (3 x 25g, 1st time; 1 x 50g & 1 x 25g, 2nd time)
6. add NaOH to carboy, decanting caps on, 3/16 hose connecting out-in ports
7. swish methoxide to mix, watch processor temp until 125 degrees F, running pump occasionally to keep uniform temp (5-10 seconds every minute or 2)
8. temp securely above 120, turn off/unplug hotplate
9. with processor pump running, attempt to inject methoxide into flow, slowly opening T valve. try pressurizing air in methoxide carboy, still not enough to promote flow. finally, close T valve and add methoxide thru vent port, opening processor cap to allow mixing. bad fumes and methoxide spill result.
10. re-setup methoxide carboy cap as vent, then seal rest of processor
11. run processor pump for 30-60 minutes, 5 minutes on, 5 or 10 off
12. decant into separation vessel (plastic carboy, 1st time; glass carboy, 2nd time)
13. allow to separate at least overnight
14. siphon biodiesel into separate (glass) carboy
15. pour glycerol into separate (plastic) carboy
16. siphon bottom layer biodiesel/glycerol mix into 1 gallon glass jug, allow further separation
17. decant biodiesel from 14 into fuel tank after passing thru 5u filter

results/notes:
fuel is golden color, feels & smells like biodiesel. still have not tested final pH, or other quality measurements. did not wash fuel. sloppy method for mixing methoxide, measurement of NaOH, and adding methoxide addressed in later batches.

3rd batch:
15 L used cooking oil from J restaraunt
3.3 L methanol
75 g NaOH

process:
1. measure oil
2. decant oil into processor
3. turn on hotplate
4. measure methanol into 10L HDPE carboy (2nd graduation on back)
4a. extract a few mL of warm oil
4b. titration:
4b-i. add 10 mL 99% isopropanol, 3 drops phenolphthalein, a few drops of 0.1% NaOH soln until color change is stable to 100 mL glass beaker, stirring with glass rod
4b-ii. add 1 mL oil
4b-iii. add 0.1% NaOH soln, 0.5 mL at a time, until color change is stable, in this case it was less than 1 mL, so use the same recipe as before (5 g/L)
5. measure NaOH into 100 mL glass beaker (easier to handle than paper)
6. add NaOH to carboy, put decanting caps on, 3/16 hose connecting out-in ports
7. swish methoxide to mix, watch processor temp until 125 degrees F, running pump occasionally to keep uniform temp (5-10 seconds every minute or 2)
8. temp securely above 120, turn off/unplug hotplate
9. with processor pump running, inject methoxide into pump flow, slowly opening T valve. pressurize air in methoxide carboy, evacuate air from processor top into methanol reclamation still. open valve bit by bit until methoxide bottle is empty.
10. close methoxide valve, keep still attached to vent.
11. run processor pump for 30 minutes, 5 minutes on, 5 or 10 off
12. decant into separation vessel (plastic carboy, 1st time; glass carboy, 2nd time)

results:
so far, good separation is noted. fuel is amber color, much darker than virgin fuel. much happier with handling of NaOH and methoxide, feels much safer than before. no spills this round, except for some portion of oil while measuring, and a little finished product came out of the top during processing.