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Learn to Make Your Own Biodiesel - Part 2

From Christine & Scott Gable, for About.com

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Making Biodiesel - The Completed Biodiesel (methyl esters) Reaction

Finished batch of BDphoto © Adrian Gable

Here the biodiesel reaction is complete, but it has not yet been removed from the mixing bucket.

As you can see, the biodiesel still has a rich chestnut color, but if you look closely, you can see that it is mostly translucent. That means success. The glycerin has separated from the oil (triglycerides), but it is still laying at the bottom of the bucket. The darkness you see at this stage is the dark glycerin laying on the bottom.

While the glycerin has settled out of the bidiesel by day 2, you may actually want to let your mixture settle for several days for clarity.

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