I have two 55 gal. drums behind my buddy's restaurant it takes usually about two weeks till their full. The other day my wife and I went there for lunch and so I could check to see if they were full, I had stopped there several days earlier and they were getting close to being ready to be pumped, so I figured they would be full.
I went around back and lifted the lids to my surprise.... SOMEONE HAD PUMPED BOTH BARREL'S DRY...boy was I PISSED!!!!!
None of the employee's at the restaurant saw anybody come back there, so it must have been done late - late at night or early in the morning before the cleaning people show up.
So now I have locks on them and hopefully it won't happen again, I didn't want to have to do that because it make's it harder on the cook's to have to unlock the barrel before pouring the hot oil in but oh well. I guess we'll see if the lock's will keep the thief out.

 

Maybe you can rig up a screened funnel system with a flip open lid to make it easy on the cooks but still keep the barrels locked up.

 

Just put a retna scanner on it....should be thief proof then....

 

Thats a good idea, I guess I have to figure ouy a way to let the cooks open the lid to pour in the oil but have some type of a locked heavy screen to keep to keep someone from putting a hose in, and yet allow me to pump it out without too much hassle. Thanks for the idea!!

 

Gun-Driver
Do you weld?

 

WVO scrounging is the new copper theft?

 

Phydeaux, Yes I have a mig. Got an idea??

Phydeaux,
I also have another question for you. I just had a 40 gal. batch that did not react all the way. I don't know why, this is the first time that has happened. What is the best way to get the partialy reacted batch to react fully. (I use KOH)

 

Draw as much of the glycerol off as possible then add more Methoxide and cook it again.
It could have been water or lower than normal ph of the oil or anyone of a number of problems.

If you pull some glycerol off during the process you will drive the reaction toward completion with a higher percentage of the VO being converted.
Another method is to overload with methoxide but that is wasteful.

No definite plan just thinking of a square funnel with a grate welded in it the exact concept depends on the physical container and the type of oil/grease you pick up there.
I gather you had open top 55 Gal drums with lids. Is that correct?

 

Sorry about the delay I was away from the computer for a couple days.

As for the drums.. They are plastic drums with the head cut out and a lid that is screwed to the drum and hinged in the middle to allow access to half of the open top. I used a piano hinge with a strip of old innertube under it to make it waterproof...works great.

I went to biodiesel.infopop and got this answer: "Standard" reprocess is 1g NaOH/1.5gKOH mixed into 30- 35ml methanol per litre of unwashed biodiesel. So I'll give it a try.
Thanks for all the help, I'll let you know how it comes out

 

How do you get the oil out? I assume some kind of pump?

With a plastic barrel your options are kind of limited. You could weld expanded metal to a metal band that will set just under the lid, put another metal band on the outside and screw them together through the barrel. This assumes you have access to the other half of the lid where you could cut a hole through the expanded metal under some sort of lockable lid.

A metal drum would have been easier. Do you ever take your used motor oil to the auto parts store to dump it in their container? Think along those lines. No need to reinvent the wheel.

 

F350-6 is getting to what I had in mind when I thought you had metal drums.
Unfortunately with plastic a determined thief will silmply punch a hole in it to get access. That would not only cost you your oil but probably make a big mess for the restraunt, not a good way to maintain your good relationship or friendship.

Consider changing to metal drums.