Immersion Research 2008

About 4 years ago- long before it was the cool thing to do- Jess Whittemore and I got the idea to make biodiesel and to sell our gasoline-powered vehicles and replace them with ones that run on diesel. We actually got the idea from Philip Curry from Astral (props). Anyway-  unlike most hare brained schemes, we actually pursued this one with some diligence, and now, with gas at 4 bucks a gallon, our work is truly paying off. Jess and I both supply both of our family’s cars with biodesel during the warm months (biodesel is tough to manage in the cold), and we heat our houses with it during the winter. Of course, the IR vehicle- a Dodge Cummins diesel- runs on it too.

As we were planning our drive out west for the OR show, we realized that we would need to bring our own fuel, or at least some of it. So last week, I collected about 225 gallons of grease from my usual pick-up spots, and made some fuel. My plan- to make about 180 gallons of biodiesel, put it drums and carry it with us. I am figuring on using about 330 gallons of fuel, so this will provide us with about 50% of the fuel we will need. To keep biofuel in the tank the entire time, I plan on mixing it 50/50 with diesel the whole way out and back.

While I could (and should) make a whole post about how we make biodiesel, this is not the time. But I do have some quick shots of Jess and I filling the drums and rolling them into the back of the truck: