Backyard Biogas Digester Guide (PDF): Build a DIY IBC Tote Methane Digester

Turn manure and kitchen scraps into cooking gas, and water your garden with what's left. This 29-page illustrated Alt Ordo build guide walks you through building a repairable biogas digester from a used 275-gallon food-grade IBC tote, using parts from any hardware store.

What's inside

• Step-by-step build with a labeled cutaway diagram, hole layout, full parts list and tools (about $300–$600 in parts)
• The gas train: pressure relief, water trap, H₂S scrubber and a weighted gas bag
• Start-up and first flame with cow or other herbivore manure
• Which stove to use and how to convert a propane burner for low-pressure biogas
• What to feed it: manure, food scraps, and why chicken manure is "hot"
• Liquid fertilizer: how to use the digestate in your garden safely
• How methanogens work, the history of biogas from 1859 Bombay to today, and why burning methane helps the climate
• Kits vs. DIY: HomeBiogas, Puxin and the IBC tote compared
• Full safety chapter, troubleshooting table, seasonal care, a printable build log, and links to our biogas videos

Letter size, printable.

For educational purposes. Building a digester involves flammable gas; follow the safety chapter and your local codes.