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Originally Posted by cawest
i was thinking more along the lines of wood alcohol not grain (i don't know how a highlander would react to poring his pride and joy in a rust filled gas tank) Can you make alcohol out of seaweed or fresh water plants?
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Wood alcohol is methanol (rather than ethanol), which requires different fittings since it will corrode aluminum. It's also hygroscopic, so it has to be kept in sealed containers or else it will absorb atmospheric water. It's certainly possible to use, but it's a major pain to do so if you're not already set up for it.
Seaweed has most of its sugars in the form of alginate. Up until 2012, alginate couldn't be converted to alcohol (a gene-modified E. coli bacterium was developed that year). If it could be used, it would yield around 1500 gallons (5680 liters) per acre dedicated to seaweed farming.