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Learn to Make Your Own Biodiesel - Part 1

From , former About.com Guide

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Measuring the Lye

Weighing lye on a balance for BD makingphoto © Adrian Gable
The most expensive piece of equipment we use for making homemade biodiesel is a good quality balance. You can also use a high quality electronic scale, but it's important that it is precise. Accurately measuring the appropriate amount of lye is critical to a successful biodiesel reaction. Having a measurement that is off as few as a couple grams can make the difference between success and failure.

For our normal batch we use 53 grams of lye.
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