> When I went to add the second batch, there was this > weird gummy stuff floating on top. It looked like tofu > curds, or congealed something.
Soap. Don't use a blender to mix your lye. You'll destroy the blender relative to future food uses. Worse still, the top could pop off while mixing, spreading casutic all over hell and half of creation. Even worse, the open frame motor could ignite methanol fumes, whether the container was leaking or not. Use a thick, translucent, 1 gallon, HDPE jug to mix the methoxide - NOT a thin milk jug. This will alow for a single batch and quick mixing into your oil, rather than the two you had before and any dallying before mixing it in. You'll need to crack the lid carefully and vent the pressure buildup once or twice before the caustic is completely dissolved. Todd Swearingen ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gundle, Noam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <biofuel@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 10:31 AM Subject: [biofuel] Weird Gummy Stuff > Hello, > > I made a 5 gallon batch today, and had a few problems. I tried to mix the methanol/lye in blenders, and it didn't work. The seals of the blenders must be shot, because the methanol leaked out. So we mixed the methoxide by hand in a large beaker (all done in my fume hood). > > I added the lye in two batches, with half the methanol/lye in each. When I went to add the second batch, there was this weird gummy stuff floating on top. It looked like tofu curds, or congealed something. It was creamy brown and broke apart when I poked it. I hesitated to remove it because i worried about upsetting the balance of lye. I did take out one small piece to try to identify it. > > I have NEVER seen this before. Has anyone else? Any advice? > > Also, when I blended the methanol/lye, the container got very hot. I immediately stopped it because I was worried about explosions. It got hot when I mixed it by hand too. Is this normal? > > I would appreciate any help anyone feels like offering. > > thanks, > > Noam Gundle > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Biofuels list archives: > http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ > > Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. > To unsubscribe, send an email to: > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~--> Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar. Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free! http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/FGYolB/TM ---------------------------------------------------------------------~-> Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Biofuels list archives: http://infoarchive.net/sgroup/biofuel/ Please do NOT send Unsubscribe messages to the list address. To unsubscribe, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/biofuel/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
