If you could distill alcohol from horse manure you definately would be accomplishing something. Horse owners have problems giving that stuff away in my state.

 

Free, low-cost? Don't forget to add in the cost of the propane or other fuel used to heat the still. Plus, that can't help but add it's own negative effect on the atmosphere. You'll need to boil the mix for hours to get that gallon. Burn wood or coal, now you're feeding the fire day and night.

Hey, why not burn cow chips like the pioneers did? Then, it's almost free fuel, as long as the chips are delivered.

What's the presumed output of the still? With a small still, you'll be working day and night to get a few gallons. My guess is you'll be lucky to get 2 or 3 gallons from your 50-gallon drum, as it's mostly water and solids. It will probably have to boil at least a day, wouldn't you think? That would have to use more fuel to heat than it'll create. Skip a day and you may not have enough fuel on hand. Build a huge still, now you're hauling tons of manure and needing very large heat sources and big equipment.

The manure had better be close by or delivered for free. Since you only expect to get 4 mpg, you can't drive too far to get it or you'll burn up all your output getting more raw materials. What's up with that 6 mpg you're getting now, anyway? Maybe you're better off just improving your mileage! Simply coasting down hills might make a 20% improvement.

Storage? Of both manure and the finished product. Priced out tanks, pumps? Maybe you already have fuel storage and a tractor or loader, etc. But, are they converted to run on alcohol, too? How about the trips to gather the stuff? What are you gonna do with the smelly sludge that's left? It does not sound all that easy and simple to me.

Just drive less. I used to drive about 6,000 miles a year. I'll easily cut that down to 3000 miles or less just by skipping or combining some mail runs and shopping trips.

-Smoky

 

Think the neighbors might have a comment or two about this idea?

Step 1 collect a big pile of stinky manure
Step 2 Boil it for a day or two
Step 3 Toss the remnants in the back yard.



Might want to invest in some kevlar. The neigbors might