What is Ethanol?
Ethanol is made by fermenting and then distilling starch or sugar crops such as sugar cane, maize, sorghum, wheat and other grains, or even cornstalks, fruit and vegetable waste.
Yes, it is Moonshine! You now can make it at home legally. If you have the room and the mechanical aptitude, you can apply to the government to get a permit to make your own ethanol.
*Note: It is illegal to distill alcohol without first obtaining a Federal permit through TTB. Failure to obtain a Federal permit prior to engaging in this activity is a criminal offence under the Internal Revenue Code. You Don't Want the Revenuers coming after you!
In order to get a permit, you need to apply to US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
It is illegal in the United States to operate a car on 100 percent ethanol, with exceptions for off-road vehicles like Indy cars and farm equipment. State Regulators need to adapt by certifying pure ethanol for cars.
Make your own Ethanol
Making your own ethanol can be a risky venture. There are people on the web that make beautiful copper stills that will make a small amount of ethanol with a minimum of cost. The only problem, you need and outside area to produce the fuel.
Not much is different from the moonshiner's days of distilling grains for alcohol. In fact, they are identical. Cook your mash over a high heat flame, let the steam escape through condensing coils and there you have it. Well, not that simple.
Until now!
Leave it to Silicon Valley to step in and take charge. A couple of SV entrepreneurs have come up with a novel way to make your own Ethanol from water and sugar. Their company E-Fuel 100 MicroFueler produces a device that distills a low cost sugar/yeast blend and water to give you 35 gallons a week.
The unit is about the size of a washer-dryer and comes with a 50 foot hose. There is no flame to worry about and the operation in very quite. This could be a game changer in the alternative fuel arena. For more info : http://www.efuel100.com/