BY SHEILA MILLER KUTZTOWN - College students weren’t the only people on the campus of Kutztown State College who were interested in alcohol last Wednesday. Over 130 farmers and others travelled from as far away as Brad ford and Potter County to participate in a rap session on farm “booze” But, this wasn’t a lesson on squeezin’ corn for boot leggm’ reasons What these farmers were learning was how to make the white lightning that will make their tractors fly According to the experts, the tractors would be the only things that could “drink” the stuff, anyway. \0 2 :/ Old Guard CiDoaOmoQ Dm§oa[?ome@ @©[m][°)®go\7 “Friend of Farmers since 1896 ” Is your farm sufficiently insured 7 With our low rates and broad coverage you can’t afford not to carry adequate amount of insurance to protect against today’s inflated values See our agent in your area SAMUEL G. KURTZ, INC., 832 Chestnut St , Lebanon, Pa DONALD R. LONGACRE, Route 100, Hereford, Pa W. P. MANLEY AGENCY, 170 Prospect St , Troy, Pa MURRIS INSURANCE AGENCY, Fawn Grove, Pa ATTENTION T J}± DEUTZ ENGINE OWNERS If your old Deutz engine is too tired to make it thru the winter - HAVE IT REBUILT- • We rebuild about 100 Deutz engines per year All models • We recondition everything, including starter and generator. • Small diesels can be rebuilt in one day. • We also stock some rebuilt exchange engines for same-day change over. • Our rebuilds carry a six month limited written warranty .. .. • Reasonably priced. Credit terms available, • For details call our Service Department. ★ AUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTORS * (tauffer Diesel Inc. 312 W. MAIN ST., NEW HOLLAND, PA. PFU holds The conference was one of two scheduled to be held in Pennsylvania “Alcohol Fuels The Farmer’s Declaration of In dependence” was sponsored by the Pennsylvania Far mers Union. Leonard Zemaitis, Ad ministrative Director for PFU, stated that the purpose of the seminar was to bring new information on the possibilities of producing fuels from farm products to interested farmers The seminar participants were happy with the an nouncement made by Dave Kirkpatrick, aid to Senator Stapleton He informed them that Senate Bill 1011 had been passed by the Senate, Corn-squeezin’ taught at Kutztown State conference on alcohol fuel with a vote of 47 to 0, and had passed the House, with a vote of 194 to 0 It now is on the Governor’s desk, waiting for his signature to make it law The Bill provides for the reduction of the permit fee for farmers producing alcohol for their own con sumption The original cost was $2500, and it now would be lowered to $25 Kirkpatrick emphasized the fact that if the alcohol was produced and sold by the farmer, the original $2500 permit would be required He also pointed out that if a group of farmers wanted to go together in running a “still” to produce alcohol for their own use, the fee would be $25. There would be a waiting period for getting a permit, Kirkpatrick said. He estimated that it would take about 60 days to process each individual application. This tune period would be slightly longer than the tune it would take to get the necessary federal permit, according to John Wawr zymak, inspector for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. He said that he felt it would take around 30 days to receive the federal permit to operate a still for fuel. But getting the permit for operating the still may be the easiest part of getting set up in the operation. Experts on making alcohol from farm products spoke to the group. Cindy Domenico, a biologist for the National Farmer’s Union in Denver, Colorado, demonstrated how alcohol was made from corn on a table-top still. She showed how she starts with crushed corn, which is basically starch In order to get the end-product, alcohol, these starches must first change to sugar. SPECIAL SALE DIESELS DEUTZ FIL-210 New 1973 Model DEUTZ F2L-410 Cindy keeps an eye on her table-top still. She's holding a jar of fermented "beer”, a solution of corn, water, ensymes, and yeast. After the solids are strained out of the mixture, the clear solution, called wort, is boiled to distill the alcohol from the water. Cindy says that her set-up would turn any kitchen into a corn-fuel factory. Enzymes and temperature play an important part m this process. The corn and water solution has to be heated to 200 degrees and held at that temperature for 30 minutes. The enzyme, takatherm, is added to the solution in this step. Then, after the solution has boiled, the temperature is reduced to 140 degrees, and the enzyme, diazyme LlOO, extracted from black bread mold, is added. Domemco told the group that pH, or the acidity of the solution, is critical in the production of alcohol. With litmus paper, she checks that the solution is at the proper 6.5 level. If the solution is too “sweet”, she adds either lactic or sulfuric acid; and if it is too “sour”, she adds 1 cyl diesel, 14 0 HP Max @ 3000 RPM, w/12V starter, alternator, air cleaner, belt guard, muffler, fuel tank, control panel, SAE flywheel, SAE fly wheel housing (1) Unit #786 List Price A E $1939 00 . *1279.74 Written 6 mo or 1000 hr, 50/50 Limited Warranty 2 cyl diesels, 16 HP @ 1800 RPM, 24 HP Max (a 3000 RPM w/12V starter, generator, air cleaner, fuel pump, control panel, belt guard, muffler, SAE flywheel, SAE fly wheel housing, mfg feet and heavy steel base PTO »iub shaft included Equivalent new price $2350 00 (1) Unit #lB9 s . *1650.00 717-354-4181 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 8,1979 Cindy Domenico shows the conferees “crude corn”. It is put through a roller mill to be broken into small, coarse particles before being processed for fuel. hydrated lime or a weak lye solution. The pH of the solution has to be adjusted prior to any enzymes being added. In the step where the temperature has to be 200 degrees, a pH of 6.5 is needed; in the next step, where the temperature is reduced, the pH is also reduced to 4.0. At this point in the process, the solution has become thin (Turn to Page 18) 17
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers