Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hi,
For my science project I am using different biomasses to make ethanol and testing which is most effective?
The biomasses I am using are corn, bamboo, sugar cane, seaweed.
In order to do this I know I have to ferment the ingredients but I don't know how to do that.
I found this method online but it seems to be lacking or missing instructions and measurements and therefore might not work. Please make any suggestions or add any changes. Thankyou! Here is the method:

Collect the materials need to get 500mL of grinded malt. Grind each material down using various methods. Divide into to cups of 250mL and boil for 30 minutes. Then put it in a plastic container and add water so that it rises to 2Ls. Add ½ a teaspoon of sugar and set a side to ferment for more than five days. After fermentation is done, open the brew and measure alcohol level using a vinometer.

Hi there,

This is really an excellent project idea, especially with the rapidly-growing interest in biofuels.

Here is a simple PDF I found on fermentation of crops to make ethanol: https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ID/ID-328.pdf.

I just conducted a simple google search. My advice would be to not look for websites, but rather educational PDFs or papers published on the process, as they likely have a detailed (and accurate) procedure on how to ferment. For example, scholar.google.com is a great resource to use, as it has many papers written by professional scientists in labs trying out the same procedures. Try that and let me know what you find! You may also want to consult a chem teacher at your school, as he/she likely know more about this process. Keep in mind you may need access to some lab equipment for this project, but a procedure is an excellent starting point to find out more about that.

I'll keep looking for more details in the upcoming days for you, as this is what I found at first glance. Try to do some digging as well using the methods I mentioned, and I wish you good luck! Hope this helps!