What did Jeremy say ?

[olbod]

Watched Top Gear the other night.
Was interested in their petrol growing experiment.
He said they were planting 25 acres of ( ? ) seed.
I missed what he said. Anyone catgh it ?
When the 25 acres were harvested it would make 3,000 gals of petrol
( ethanol ? ).
I am interested in learning more about this as I have the time to experiment with stills and stuff to try and perfect the process for a small
output. My time is free, so that eliminates probably a large percentage
of production cost ?
The acerage for extending the output, would not be a problem.
Would not be interested in doing anything like this on a commercial basis
but maybe 4 or 5,000 gals per crop would come in handy after being divvied up.
Also be interesting, re working a 3.5 v8 to run nicely on this pure stuff.

Cheers.

PS: Have a little 11 hp Briggs and Stratten donk that I could experiment on.

[p38arover]

Rape or Rapeseed. See Rapeseed - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapeseed)

[wovenrovings]

It was rape seed. Not sure if you make alcohol or biodiesel out of it. They certainly said petrol. As far as i know a 3.5 with normal compression ratio would run on it fine. Just have to adjust the fuel system. For a carby, richen the mixture, a lot.

[sschmez]

Isn't it actually the same thing that we call canola here ????

......thanx for putting the wiki up Ron, I see that it is

[Redback]

Only one problem, because your distilling essencualy alcohol (ethanol) it makes it illegal to produce, of coarse you have thought of getting a licence i would assume:cool:

A tip from 50c to 80c produces Methanol/ethanol suitable for engines from 80c to 90c produces ethanol suitable for drinking:D;):whistling::Thump:

Baz.

[moose]

Keep in mind though, apparently in season ten (finished in the UK) they say they planted the wrong seed.:o

[incisor]

Keep in mind though, apparently in season ten (finished in the UK) they say they planted the wrong seed.:o

love it!

[87County]

Isn't it actually the same thing that we call canola here ????

......thanx for putting the wiki up Ron, I see that it is

yeah... we now call it canola (since the canola hybrid was invented that is... (CANadian OiL))... used to call it rape(seed)

the gm version is owned, pushed & fiercely protected by monsanto and is going to be the only version grown in future years

it's a small dark brown seed that is so fine you have to tape up all the bin joints & laps in your header & field bin to retain it ... has a pleasant nutty taste when ripe

[rick130]

<snip>

the gm version is owned, pushed & fiercely protected by monsanto and is going to be the only version grown in future years

<snip>

Only if the State is stupid enough to drop the GM moratorium........

[LandyAndy]

Rape seed is similar to canola.There is a cutoff level in an acid content,oelic acid maybe found in oilseeds.If the seed variety if higher than this cutt off level it isnt accepted as a food oil(canola oil) and is classed as Rapeseed(rapseed oil/rape oil)
A variety that was fairly well grown around here 8 or so years ago,Karoo was downgraded to Rapeseed as a variety,it was close to the limit in the acid level.
Mustards and Wild Radishs are also very similar and are infact an oilseed too.
Cant see them getting PETROL from whatever they planted,Biodiesel or alcahol yes,BUT THATS NOY PETROL!!!
Andrew

[JDNSW]

Only if the State is stupid enough to drop the GM moratorium........


That is what is the plan! Some time in March I think for NSW.

John

[rick130]

That is what is the plan! Some time in March I think for NSW.

John

I know, Monsanto's spin doctors have been working overtime :mad:

[beforethevision]

Cant see them getting PETROL from whatever they planted,Biodiesel or alcahol yes,BUT THATS NOY PETROL!!!
Andrew

Ahh, alcohol suitable for drinking is ethanol, the stuff in E10 (well 10% anyhow) and yes it can replace petrol.

Someone correct me if im wrong, but being a short chain, it would logically burn quicker (higher octane) but have a lower energy density?

ok, this has more....

Ethanol - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanol)

Cheers!

[duncanw]

yeah in the next series they reveal that they planted the wrong seed and made diesel by accident, so they enter a diesel repmobile into Silverstone 500... with some interesting sponsors down the side of the doors :D

[LandyAndy]

So in reality they STUFFED UP saying they will make petrol,not enough research done before opening their gobs:D:D:D:D Biodiesel instead:D:D:D:DThere isnt seperate petrol and diesel rapeseed genetically manipulated YET:D:D:D:D:D
LOVE THE SHOW!!!
Andrew

[moose]

I think the way they said they were going to "grow petrol" is because they are simplistic about that sort of thing. Like the way they say "it's got 550 torques" Or "enough power to move the earth".
They do have excellent researchers, and they do know a bit more than they let on, but it sounds funnier the way they say it.

[olbod]

All very interesting, eh.
We will look into it and maybe start a learning curve test program on a small scale.
Be interesting to experiment with bio diesel from crops also. It could run
parralel to the ethanol.
I have a reconditioned three cyl, twenty HP, Mitsubishy diesel motor,
sitting on my garage floor. It could be set up as a test bed.
In the next five or ten years we dont know where the hell we will be
with fuel and taxes and the like. Europe is legislating engine outputs
that would put our stuff of the road or taxed out of existenced.
Imagine what will happen to small town OZ if tourism, as we know it
today, becomes a thing of the past ?
Can you imagine us touring around the outback in little tiny diesel -
electric cars !
Might seem far fetched but big changes are just around the corner.
I would be quite happy to go back to a horse and cart but in the
meantime my concern is the great fuel rip off that we are all subject to.
I would like to produce my own and spit in their eye.
In my case I could put in the time the same as others spend their time on
restoration projects and stuff.
If others can do it, so can I.
Redback, bite your tongue Mate. Licence indeed ! See how it goes first
and then burrow into the side of a hill or plant the still down a rabbit warren !
Cheers.

[moose]

I'd be intersted to see how you go, I know it's been done before, but how many start from scratch by growing.
Good luck!

[olbod]

Moose, wont be growing just yet, Mate.
First, I need to check out a still and how to build one, or buy ?
Then investigate seed crops that could possibly be used.
Canola has been mentioned here for instance, lots of that available on the supermarket shelves. If a bloke was to buy about $50 worth it would be enough to begin the learning process and get small quantities of fuel to
experiment with.
While that is going on, I would need to talk to farmers already growing
these crops and learn about harvesting and processing the seed or plant.
Then it would be time to start looking at quantities of seed.
I think that beginning this way and working backwards, it would be faster and cheaper.
If things panned out, we could probably buy a small portion of a crop
already in the ground while preparing to grow ours.
If it worked and we got enough seed to fill our needs, then it might be
a good idea to double the acerage and store seed incase of a bad season
and so on. Work every other day, if you know what I mean !
Must be remembered that this would in no way be a commercial enterprise. We could always barter tho.
It would be an intertesting undertaking as long as I wasn't hassled and
hounded by big brother.
We all know what a turd he is.:D

[LandyAndy]

Canola(and its vairiants) is very easy to grow,needs good incsect control till its established then it powers away.WATER SUN FERTILIZER and you have a big crop.
Harvesting for a small time grower would be a problem.
In broadacre farming the canola is swathed (cut whilst still green and laid into windrows) to dry.Its harvested with a special pickup front on the header.The biggest problem is the pods become brittle,to an explosive point when dry.By that I mean you touch the pod it explodes ejecting its seed to sow its own next crop.
Hence the swathing/pick up fronts for the header,once the pick up front gets under the windrow the seed is caught if the pods pop.
You then have the next issue as a home grower,seperating the "wheat from the chaff" ie getting the canola seed out of the pods/leaves/stalks etc!!!
The left over "meal"from crushing the seed is a valuable stockfeed.
Work on 40% oil the meal is the balance.Delivered to CBH Canola is measured for oil content,42% oil would be described as ordinary,50% oil exceptional.
IF THEY HAVE A PADDOCK FIRE DURING HARVEST YOU CANT PUT THE WINDROWS OUT!!!! WATER ON A OIL FIRE GOES MAD!!!!
Andrew

[harlie]

yeah in the next series they reveal that they planted the wrong seed and made diesel by accident, so they enter a diesel repmobile into Silverstone 500... with some interesting sponsors down the side of the doors :D
Exactly right... I watched series 10 episode 9 last night - it's too funny:clap2:, I won't spoil it for the rest, but if any one is interested in Top Gear episodes let me know. I have all of them as shown by BBC - the full hour show not 40mins that is released to internation networks (like SBS) some times the best parts are cut out....

[moose]

hassled and
hounded by big brother.
We all know what a turd he is.:D

You've met my brother?:o:D

[olbod]

Andrew, thats very interesting information, thanks.
I was already thinking about crops that could have a duel purpose
such as baling for stockfeed.
It would be a shame to waste the leftovers, unless it could be used as a fuel to fire a boiler, if that is required in the ethenol process ?

I mentioned bartering. This could be done with a nearby farmer that has the harvesting equiptment already. We use his gear and he gets my
fuel. Big annual savings for both of us ?
All things must be considered.

I have had very little to do with cropping, apart from lucerne for stockfeed, and veggies etc.
My only experience has been in trucks taking it to the silo's.
When we buy our new property, we will be able to grow more than just a few cows. I like cows, they taste good.
Tired of mustering and helping out on Mates properties, its time to move back to the bush and mend me own fences.
Cheers.

[LandyAndy]

The leftovers burn real well.
After canola is harvested the stubble/trash has to be raked and burnt as its too thick to put a seeder thru for the next crop,so you certainly can use it to burn in a boiler.Get them to leave the straw spreaders off on the header and you could bale the header trail.
Makes excellent garden mulch too.
Andrew

[olbod]

Thanks Andrew.
It seems to me that this sort of thing has a lot of offshoot applications and benefits, especially if the old harvesting machinery is also running
on homemade bio. Should be more of it.
When we were kids down on the farm, we had only a fuel stove. Some years after the war we got running water connected, still no leccy.
Granpa bought a new gal bath and a chip heater. He used to cut wood
for the stove but kept the bark for the chip heater. Nothing was wasted,
not even offal. Granma had a copper in a cut out 44 in the backyard for
clothes washing.
If a farmer grew his own and baled some of these left overs for heating
purposes he is saving money. After all, he is already burning the stuff
anyway. Solar hot water is available but dont you also need batteries
and stuff and have to maintain it ?

Read this morning in a Janes newsletter, that the USAF is setting up a
coal to liquid plant at one of their bases.
They dont want to totally rely on imported fossil oil for jet fuel.
Good idea if the Co2 immisions can be controled in the process.

The EU is mandating, smaller Co2 immision engines, both petrol and diesel
be introduced. This is limiting the size to about 1.5ltr petrol and 2ltr
diesel. This size diesol donk will only power small to mid size 4x4's.
The yanks are following suit but still with slightly higher Co2 immision
targets at the moment.
The writing is on the wall tho.
Not only a future oil shortage but a more immediate concern about
environmental damage.
Our big bro ( read Turd ) will soon be taxing cars and rego but also
rationing is already being touted.
I want to be as independant as possibe. Its not that hard if you put your back into it.
If we have a farm near a one pub two dog town, nobody will notice that
my old disco is probably unregistered and running on homemade plonk !
Be better still if the mailman can deliver me groceries and goods, because
then I wouldn't need to go off the property more than once or twice
a year.
Cheers.

PS: I think I read somewhere that all of the cars in the 2007 Indy 500,
were running on ethanol ?

[olbod]

For some of the young Blokes that dont know, a chip heater is just like
an eco-billy with the water flowing thru it like a nomal leccy or gas hot water system, bout the same size also. Burn anything you want in it.
Easy to make if you can weld stainless ( for longer life ). Mounted above the bath it can gravity feed from a tank. Costs nothing to run if you have some leftovers !
Cheers.