Pictured here is Al Rutan and his methane gas digester small enough to sit on a sturdy table, yet large enough to produce enough methane gas to fire a Bunsen burner. We see the tank before it is covered with insulation. Beneath the tank is a foil lined enclosure that works as a warmth chamber, providing even warmth for the entire tank.

A digester does not have to be large in order to work well. Gas produced from living creatures occurs in all kinds of situations. Who has not been in a car traveling with a pet dog or cat with the windows rolled up and not be alerted to the fact that the animal is passing gas, let alone a traveling companion or even ourselves, for that matter?

All warm blooded animals produce gas in the gut—some more than others. The thing that is essential to understand when harnessing the process for our own energy needs is that both the chemistry and the biology requirements of the organisms that work anaerobically need to be kept in mind. Even a small digester can demonstrate these parameters.