Hello everyone,

I've been advertising for a while that I'm teaching an advanced class in
Berkeley CA at the end of Febuary. More info on the 'boot camp' classes
is at the end of this email.
<http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/419605551/m/2741024381>
In order to offer advanced students the best learning experience, the
advanced class requires a prerequisite- either you have to already be
making biodiesel, or you have to have taken a hands-on class from me or
one of the other instructors who teach techniques from
biodieselcommunity.org . I'm teaching a beginner class on Feb 17-18
which may be used as a prerequisite for the advanced class.

However, I've been talking to some out-of-state folks who'd like to come
to the advanced class but don't have any prior experience. Obviously
people from out of town (who are beginners) can't affordably come for
the two weekends that the entire course stretches over.

I may offer an additional Thursday-Friday (feb 22-23) beginners' class
if I can sign up at least 5 people.

This means you guys from out of town can get the entire class in four
days in a row, as opposed to two weekends. This is geared to enabling
travel schedules.

I'd like to make a decision on this by this Thursday night so people can
make travel plans. Please email me at classregistration@... if
you're interested.

This class would probably be in Oakland, although it's easy to get to by
BART train (Fruitvale BART, or, if driving, I-880 to High St)

if you're interested in this weekday class, please email me:
classregistration@...

If you're just planning on coming to the weekend classes and don't need
the weekday session, please sign up at www.girlmark.com/tour
<http://www.girlmark.com/tour> - no need to email me in that case.

**************************
Below is the original message about the Feb 17-18th and Feb 24-25th classes

Biodiesel Beginners and Advanced classes: Biodiesel Boot Camp

I'm teaching biodiesel homebrewing during two weekends in Febuary. You
can take either one or both weekends' classes.

Locations: both of these are in Berkeley, CA-

Beginner class: Feb 17-18
Dwight Way near Sacramento Ave, hours:10-4
possible repeat of this class to take place in Oakland on Feb 23-24 -
email me if interested, I can only offer it if I get a minimum of 5
people in the class.

Advanced class: Feb 24-25
Ashby Ave near San Pablo, hours: 9-5

Each class is $120, register at www.girlmark.com/tour
<http://www.girlmark.com/tour>
if interested in the Thur-Fri session of the beginner class, please
email me at classregistration@...

**********************
Feb 17-18: two-day class for beginners, no previous experience
necessary. This is similar to the classes I normally teach every few weeks.
10-4 both days, Berkeley (Dwight Way near Sacramento Ave)
may be repeated in Oakland on Feb 22-23

The beginners' class includes hands-on biodiesel chemistry, and an
opportunity to build an Appleseed biodiesel processor if you want to buy
a B100supply.com kit of parts for one. The class will include an
introduction to equipment design, quality testing, quality control, the
scientific process, common pitfalls, recovery from emulsions, the
factors that influence 'conversion', drawbacks and advantages of
biodiesel, and discussions of biodiesel versus solvent thinning or SVO
technologies. You will make some common 'engineered failures' and learn
what they mean. Basic safety practices are stressed.

You may use this basic class as a prerequisite for attending the
advanced class the following weekend.

***********************

Feb 24-25: Advanced Class:
Two-day advanced class covering in great detail many new things that I
(and others) don't normally teach.

I will NOT be offering this class very frequently as there is limited
interest in advanced topics.

I am also offering this class in Saginaw, MI in June and in
Chambersburg, PA in May or June (dates to be announced at my website)


************************
Advanced class details:

For the advanced class, I'd like you to have some experience (see end of
post for prerequisites). If you are new to biodiesel you can certainly
use the beginner class the prior weekend as a prerequisite.
The advanced class is longer than the regular class- 9-5 instead of 10-4.

The advanced class includes:
quality control in much more detail than 'regular' beginners' class
analysis of real-world problems with offspec biodiesel
acid-base biodiesel process, for making biodiesel out of high-FFA oil
advanced topics in dewatering
testing for soap and what it is useful for
methanol recovery and equipment design
testing recovered methanol for purity
waterless washing with Amberlite and Magnesol
slightly larger-scale equipment design (for co-ops or small farms, etc)
Treating wash water and glycerine for disposal
testing wash water and glycerine, real-world test results related to
biodegradability
in-depth disposal/sidestreams discussion
burning glycerine safely for energy
hydronic applications for biodiesel and wash water heating
More advanced discussion of safety and disaster preparation and
prevention scenarios for larger-scale processor systems, discussion of
regulatory topics for non-commercial producers larger than homebrew.
Solar applications for reducing energy inputs in production
very through discussion/demonstration of several different options in
washing, including drawbacks and advantages of them

********************

No prerequisites for Beginners class Feb 17-18- no experience necessary,
come on down

********************
Prerequisites for advanced class:
Advanced Class Feb 24-25: Prior experience required. I'm taking the
unusual step of asking that you guys put a LOT of time into prep for
this class if you are not already a homebrewer, and ask that you not
come if you can not take the time to prepare. I want to make sure it's a
high-quality discussion for advanced students (some of whom are flying
in from out of town), and am restricting attendance by experience, for
this reason.

this class is restricted to:
either:
1)-folks who are already homebrewing (see caveat at end of post about
sources of information)

2)-folks with a LOT of experience with research AND making multiple
1-liter test batches (and it's OK if you get that experience between now
and the class time, I would like you to have about 5-6 sessions of
making a liter batch, washing it, and testing it under your belt-and to
bring these batches in, so we can "grade your homework"- to get started
now see www.biodieselcommunity.org) <http://www.biodieselcommunity.org%29>
3)-folks who don't homebrew but have taken a previous hands-on class
with one of the following instructors, or a class from somebody else who
teaches from the biodieselcommunity.org 'curriculum' and keeps up with
recent developments in homebrewing in the past year:
myself, Jennifer Radtke, Kalib Kersch, "BioLyle" Rudensey, John Bush,
Piedmont Biofuels folks, Matt Steiman
note: If you have only attended a class but not homebrewed, and it's
been a while, I would like you to brush up by making a test batch or two
and trying to wash it to completion so you can bring it to class Feb 24th.

4) students attending the Biofuel Oasis advanced course the previous
week (those people only, may also attend just Day 1 of the beginners
class, since they can't come to both days because of our schedules
conflicting)

Note: Please note that if you primarily work from information from
journeytoforever.org or From the Fryer To The Fuel Tank or from a manual
from Fuelmeister or a similar plastic processor or plans you bought on
eBay, AND if you do not regularly read the quality testing/quality
control side of the Infopop/Yahoo Biodiesel/Yahoo
Biodieselbasics/Biodieselnow homebrewing forums, you may have a lot of
inaccurate information to unlearn.
I very much invite you to attend but I'd like you to do some extra
reading first to catch you up on what's wrong with those sources.
B100supply.com (quality pages and 'best of the forums' section), and
biodieselcommunity.org are good places to start, and
biodiesel.infopop.cc has exceedingly good information these days in the
various forums.


To sign up, please see www.girlmark.com/tour <http://www.girlmark.com/tour>