10-Q

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

x QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the quarterly period ended September 30, 2012

or

¨ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from         to

Commission file number: 001-33530

BIOFUEL ENERGY CORP.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware	20-5952523
(State of incorporation)	(I.R.S. employer
	identification number)

1600 Broadway, Suite 2200
Denver, Colorado	80202
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

(303) 640-6500

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x   No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x   No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

Large accelerated filer ¨	Accelerated filer ¨	Non-accelerated filer ¨	Smaller reporting company x
		(Do not check if a smaller
		reporting company)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No x

Number of shares of Common Stock outstanding as of November 6, 2012: 5,443,292 exclusive of 40,481 shares held in treasury.

PART I.  FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The accompanying interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of BioFuel Energy Corp. (the “Company”) have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.  The statements are unaudited but reflect all adjustments which, in the opinion of management, are necessary to fairly present the Company’s financial position and results of operations. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The results of operations for the interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results for the full year.  For further information, refer to the financial statements and notes presented in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the twelve months ended December 31, 2011 (filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 16, 2012).

2

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(in thousands, except share data)

  (Unaudited)

	September 30, 2012			December 31, 2011
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	10,842		$	15,139
Accounts receivable		13,939			13,591
Inventories		12,917			26,188
Prepaid expenses		900			2,148
Other current assets		3,500			421
Total current assets		42,098			57,487
Property, plant and equipment, net		216,073			235,888
Debt issuance costs, net		1,990			2,763
Other assets		3,008			3,448
Total assets	$	263,169		$	299,586
Liabilities and equity
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	$	13,085		$	9,380
Current portion of long-term debt		170,531			12,710
Current portion of tax increment financing		385			370
Other current liabilities		2,523			1,992
Total current liabilities		186,524			24,452
Long-term debt, net of current portion		2,708			166,937
Tax increment financing, net of current portion		4,573			4,867
Other non-current liabilities		3,138			3,388
Total liabilities		196,943			199,644
Commitments and contingencies
Equity
BioFuel Energy Corp. stockholders’ equity
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized and no shares outstanding at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011		—			—
Common stock, $0.01 par value; 10,000,000 shares authorized and 5,483,773 shares outstanding at September 30, 2012 and 5,270,848 shares outstanding at December 31, 2011		54			53
Class B common stock, $0.01 par value; 3,750,000 shares authorized and 795,479 shares outstanding at September 30, 2012 and 931,154 shares outstanding at December 31, 2011		8			9
Less common stock held in treasury, at cost, 40,481 shares at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011		(4,316	)		(4,316	)
Additional paid-in capital		189,233			187,841
Accumulated deficit		(119,097	)		(89,277	)
Total BioFuel Energy Corp. stockholders’ equity		65,882			94,310
Noncontrolling interest		344			5,632
Total equity		66,226			99,942
Total liabilities and equity	$	263,169		$	299,586

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

3

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(in thousands, except per share data)

(Unaudited)  

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011			2012			2011
Net sales	$	116,149		$	162,547		$	378,382		$	489,083
Cost of goods sold		124,192			155,498			401,204			487,950
Gross profit (loss)		(8,043	)		7,049			(22,822	)		1,133
General and administrative expenses:
Compensation expense		1,435			1,676			4,750			5,062
Other		629			846			2,482			2,693
Operating income (loss)		(10,107	)		4,527			(30,054	)		(6,622	)
Other income (expense):
Other income		680			—			680			—
Interest expense		(1,901	)		(1,978	)		(5,461	)		(8,195	)
Income (loss) before income taxes		(11,328	)		2,549			(34,835	)		(14,817	)
Income tax provision (benefit)		—			—			—			—
Net income (loss)		(11,328	)		2,549			(34,835	)		(14,817	)
Less: Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest		1,498			(355	)		5,015			2,307
Net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp. common stockholders	$	(9,830	)	$	2,194		$	(29,820	)	$	(12,510	)
Income (loss) per share attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp. common stockholders:
Basic	$	(1.88	)	$	0.43		$	(5.76	)	$	(2.72	)
Diluted	$	(1.88	)	$	0.36		$	(5.76	)	$	(2.72	)
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic		5,224			5,120			5,178			4,602
Diluted		5,224			6,152			5,178			4,602

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

4

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity

(in thousands, except share data)

 (Unaudited)

																			TOTAL BIOFUEL
					Class B									Additional					Energy Corp.
	Common Stock				Common Stock						Treasury			Paid-in		Accumulated			Stockholders’			Noncontrolling			Total
	Shares		Amount		Shares			Amount			Stock			Capital		Deficit			Equity			Interest			Equity
Balances at December 31, 2010		1,315,447	$	14		355,607		$	4		$	(4,316	)	$	139,028	$	(80,560	)	$	54,170		$	252		$	54,422
Sale of common stock, net of expenses		3,188,681		32		—			—			—			33,245		—			33,277			—			33,277
Sale of Class B stock, net of expenses		—		—		918,463			9			—			—		—			9			9,501			9,510
Issuance of common stock in exchange for debt		329,890		3		—			—			—			11,598		—			11,601			—			11,601
Stock-based compensation		—		—		—			—			—			1,493		—			1,493			—			1,493
Exchange of Class B shares to common		342,916		4		(342,916	)		(4	)		—			2,477		—			2,477			(2,477	)		—
Issuance of restricted stock, (net of forfeitures)		93,914		—		—			—			—			—		—			—			—			—
Net loss		—		—		—			—			—			—		(8,717	)		(8,717	)		(1,644	)		(10,361	)
Balances at December 31, 2011		5,270,848		53		931,154			9			(4,316	)		187,841		(89,277	)		94,310			5,632			99,942
Stock-based compensation		—		—		—			—			—			1,119		—			1,119			—			1,119
Exchange of Class B shares to common		135,675		1		(135,675	)		(1	)		—			273		—			273			(273	)		—
Issuance of restricted stock, (net of forfeitures)		77,250		—		—			—			—			—		—			—			—			—
Net loss		—		—		—			—			—			—		(29,820	)		(29,820	)		(5,015	)		(34,835	)
Balances at September 30, 2012		5,483,773	$	54		795,479		$	8		$	(4,316	)	$	189,233	$	(119,097	)	$	65,882		$	344		$	66,226

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

5

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(in thousands)

  (Unaudited)

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss	$	(34,835	)	$	(14,817	)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Stock-based compensation expense		1,119			1,087
Depreciation and amortization		21,174			22,686
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable		(348	)		9,792
Inventories		13,271			1,120
Prepaid expenses		1,248			(1,451	)
Accounts payable		3,725			(437	)
Other current liabilities		531			94
Other assets and liabilities		(3,168	)		(3,961	)
Net cash provided by operating activities		2,717			14,113
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment		(606	)		(2,067	)
Net cash used in investing activities		(606	)		(2,067	)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from sale of stock		—			46,000
Repayment of debt		(6,300	)		(50,928	)
Repayment of notes payable and capital leases		(108	)		(3,148	)
Payment of equity offering costs		—			(1,621	)
Payment of debt issuance costs		—			(113	)
Net cash used in financing activities		(6,408	)		(9,810	)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		(4,297	)		2,236
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		15,139			7,428
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$	10,842		$	9,664
Cash paid for income taxes	$	6		$	5
Cash paid for interest	$	4,180		$	5,289
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Additions to property, plant and equipment unpaid during period	$	2		$	86
Issuance of common stock in exchange for debt	$	—		$	11,601

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these financial statements.

6

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

1. Organization, Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation, Liquidity, and Going Concern Considerations

Organization and Nature of Business

BioFuel Energy Corp. (the “Company”, “we”, “our” or “us”) produces and sells ethanol, distillers grain and corn oil through its two ethanol production facilities located in Wood River, Nebraska (“Wood River”) and Fairmont, Minnesota (“Fairmont”). Both facilities, with a combined annual undenatured nameplate production capacity of approximately 220 million gallons per year (“Mmgy”), commenced start-up and began commercial operations in June 2008. At each location Cargill, Incorporated (“Cargill”), with whom we have an extensive commercial relationship, has a strong local presence and owns adjacent grain storage and handling facilities. Cargill provides corn procurement services, purchases the ethanol we produce and provides transportation logistics for our two plants under long-term contracts. In addition, we lease their adjacent grain storage and handling facilities at each of our plants.

We were incorporated as a Delaware corporation on April 11, 2006 to invest solely in BioFuel Energy, LLC (the “LLC”), a limited liability company organized on January 25, 2006 to build and operate ethanol production facilities in the Midwestern United States. The Company’s headquarters are located in Denver, Colorado.

On June 15, 2012, the Company effected a reverse stock split with respect to all outstanding shares of common stock and Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty. The Company also split the number of authorized shares of common stock at a ratio of one-for-fourteen, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized common stock shares to 10,000,000, and also split the number of authorized shares of Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized Class B common stock shares to 3,750,000. All share and per share information and all necessary par value equity adjustments have been retroactively restated in the financial statements to reflect the effect of this reverse stock split.

At September 30, 2012, the Company owned 87.3% of the LLC membership units with the remaining 12.7% owned by certain individuals and by certain investment funds affiliated with some of the original equity investors of the LLC. The Class B common shares of the Company are held by the same individuals and investment funds who held 795,479 membership units in the LLC as of September 30, 2012 that, together with the corresponding Class B shares, can be exchanged for newly issued shares of common stock of the Company on a one-for-one basis. The proportionate value of the LLC membership units held by individuals or entities other than the Company are recorded as noncontrolling interest on the consolidated balance sheets. Holders of shares of Class B common stock have no economic rights but are entitled to one vote for each share held. Shares of Class B common stock are retired upon exchange of the related membership units in the LLC.

The aggregate book value of the assets of the LLC at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 was $272.5 million and $309.2 million, respectively, of which substantially all of such assets are collateral for the LLC’s subsidiaries’ obligations under its senior secured bank facility with a group of lenders (the “Senior Debt Facility”) (see Note 5 — Long-Term Debt). The Senior Debt Facility also imposes restrictions on the ability of the LLC’s subsidiaries that own and operate our Wood River and Fairmont plants to pay dividends or make other distributions to us, which restricts our ability to pay dividends.

Basis of Presentation, Liquidity, and Going Concern Considerations

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, which contemplate our continuation as a going concern. Our operations and cash flows are subject to wide and unpredictable fluctuations primarily due to changes in commodity prices, specifically, the price of our main commodity input, corn, relative to the price of our main commodity product, ethanol, which is known in the industry as the “crush spread”. The price of our main co-product, distillers grain, is likewise subject to wide, unpredictable fluctuations, typically in conjunction with changes in the price of corn. The prices of these commodities are volatile and beyond our control. As a result of the volatility of the prices for these and other items, our results fluctuate substantially and in ways that are largely beyond our control. As shown in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, the Company incurred a net loss of $11.3 million and $34.8 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, due to narrow commodity margins.

Narrow commodity margins present a significant risk to our cash flows and liquidity. We have had, and continue to have, limited liquidity, with $10.8 million of cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2012.  We have relied upon extensions of payment terms by Cargill as an additional source of liquidity and working capital. As of September 30, 2012 we owed Cargill $11.1 million for accounts payable related to corn purchases. Pursuant to an arrangement with Cargill, we have been permitted to extend corn payment terms beyond the $10.0 million contractual limit so long as the amounts Cargill owes us for ethanol exceed the accounts payable balance by an amount that is satisfactory to Cargill. This arrangement may be terminated at any time on little or no notice, in which case we would need to use cash on hand or other sources of liquidity, if available, to fund our operations.

7

1. Organization, Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation, Liquidity, and Going Concern Considerations – (continued)

Drought conditions in the American Midwest have significantly impacted this year’s corn crop and caused a significant reduction in the corn yield. Since the end of the second quarter, this has led to a significant increase in the price of corn and a corresponding narrowing in the crush spread. The crush spread has narrowed as ethanol prices have not risen correspondingly with rising corn prices, due to an oversupply of ethanol. As a result, the Company announced on September 24, 2012 that it had decided to idle its Fairmont facility until the crush spread improves. In the event crush spreads narrow further, we may choose to curtail operations at our Wood River facility or idle the facility and cease operations altogether until such time as crush spreads improve. We expect fluctuations in the crush spread to continue.

Due to our limited and declining liquidity, during the third quarter the Company determined that the two operating subsidiaries of the LLC (the “Operating Subsidiaries”) would not make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest that were due under the outstanding Senior Debt Facility on September 28, 2012, in an aggregate amount of $3.6 million. As a result, the Operating Subsidiaries received a Notice of Default on September 28, 2012 from First National Bank of Omaha, as Administrative Agent for the Senior Debt Facility, concerning the failure to make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest. On November 5, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries and its lenders entered into a Forbearance Agreement whereby its lenders agreed to forbear from exercising their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility until November 15, 2012. The Company is engaged in active and continuing discussions with its lenders and their advisors regarding the terms of a potential capital infusion into the Operating Subsidiaries. This capital may take the form of a capital contribution from the Company, additional loans, a long-term forbearance or restructuring under the Senior Debt Facility, some combination of the foregoing, or another form yet to be determined. While the Company intends to reach resolution with its lenders with respect to this matter, there can be no assurance it will be able to do so on terms that are favorable or acceptable to the Company, or at all.

As of September 30, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries had $170.5 million of indebtedness outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility. The entire amount outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility has been classified as a current liability in the September 30, 2012 consolidated balance sheet. If the Company is unable to reach an agreement with its lenders under the Senior Debt Facility, and if its lenders successfully exercise their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility, the Company may be unable to continue as a going concern, and could be forced to seek relief from creditors through a filing under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Since we commenced operations, we have from time to time entered into derivative financial instruments such as futures contracts, swaps and options contracts with the objective of limiting our exposure to changes in commodities prices. We have only been able to conduct such hedging activities on a limited basis due to our lack of financial resources and we may not have the financial resources to increase or conduct any material hedging activities in the future.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern; however, the above conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to do so. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

8

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation and Noncontrolling Interest

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the Company, the LLC and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: BFE Holdings, LLC; BFE Operating Company, LLC; Buffalo Lake Energy, LLC; and Pioneer Trail Energy, LLC. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company treats all exchanges of LLC membership units for Company common stock as equity transactions, with any difference between the fair value of the Company’s common stock and the amount by which the noncontrolling interest is adjusted being recognized in equity.

Use of Estimates

Preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures in the accompanying notes at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

The Company sells its ethanol, distillers grain and corn oil products under the terms of marketing agreements. Revenue is recognized when risk of loss and title transfers upon shipment of ethanol, distillers grain or corn oil. In accordance with our marketing agreements, the Company records its revenues based on the amounts payable to us at the time of our sales of ethanol, distillers grain or corn oil. For our ethanol that is sold within the United States, the amount payable is equal to the average delivered price per gallon received by the marketing pool from Cargill’s customers, less average transportation and storage charges incurred by Cargill, and less a commission. We also sell a portion of our ethanol production to Cargill for export, which sales are shipped undenatured and are excluded from the marketing pool. For exported ethanol sales, the amount payable is equal to the contracted delivered price per gallon, less transportation and storage charges, and less a commission. The amount payable for distillers grain and corn oil is generally equal to the market price at the time of sale less a commission.

9

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – (continued)

Cost of goods sold

Cost of goods sold primarily includes costs of materials (primarily corn, natural gas, chemicals and denaturant), electricity, purchasing and receiving costs, inspection costs, shipping costs, lease costs, plant management, certain compensation costs and general facility overhead charges, including depreciation expense.

General and administrative expenses

General and administrative expenses consist of salaries and benefits paid to our management and administrative employees, expenses relating to third party services, travel, office rent, marketing and other expenses, including certain expenses associated with being a public company, such as fees paid to our independent auditors associated with our annual audit and quarterly reviews, directors’ fees, and listing and transfer agent fees.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include highly-liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. Cash equivalents are currently comprised of money market mutual funds. At September 30, 2012, we had $10.8 million held at three financial institutions, which is in excess of FDIC insurance limits.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are carried at original invoice amount less an estimate made for doubtful accounts based on a review of all outstanding amounts on a monthly basis. Management determines the allowance for doubtful accounts by regularly evaluating individual customer receivables and considering a customer’s financial condition, credit history and current economic conditions. Receivables are written off when deemed uncollectible. Recoveries of receivables previously written off are recorded as a reduction to bad debt expense when received. As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, no allowance was considered necessary.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Credit risk represents the accounting loss that would be recognized at the reporting date if counterparties failed completely to perform as contracted. Concentrations of credit risk, whether on- or off-balance sheet, that arise from financial instruments exist for groups of customers or counterparties when they have similar economic characteristics that would cause their ability to meet contractual obligations to be similarly affected by changes in economic or other conditions described below.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Company recorded sales to Cargill representing 74% and 76%, respectively, of total net sales. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, the Company recorded sales to Cargill representing 85% and 90%, respectively, of total net sales. As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the LLC, through its subsidiaries, had receivables from Cargill of $12.1 million and $12.0 million, respectively, representing 87% and 88% of total accounts receivable, respectively.

The LLC, through its subsidiaries, purchases corn, its largest cost component in producing ethanol, from Cargill. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, corn purchases from Cargill totaled $95.4 million and $310.8 million, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, corn purchases from Cargill totaled $126.3 million and $397.8 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the LLC, through its subsidiaries, had payables to Cargill of $11.1 million and $5.6 million, respectively, related to corn purchases.

10

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – (continued)

Inventories

Raw materials inventories, which consist primarily of corn, denaturant, supplies and chemicals, and work in process inventories are valued at the lower-of-cost-or-market, with cost determined on a first-in, first-out basis. Finished goods inventories consist of ethanol and distillers grain and are stated at lower of average cost or market.

A summary of inventories is as follows (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012		December 31, 2011
Raw materials	$	6,656	$	16,818
Work in process		2,819		5,672
Finished goods		3,442		3,698
	$	12,917	$	26,188

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Derivatives are recognized on the balance sheet at their fair value and are included in the accompanying balance sheets as “derivative financial instruments”. On the date the derivative contract is entered into, the Company may designate the derivative as a hedge of a forecasted transaction or of the variability of cash flows to be received or paid related to a recognized asset or liability (“cash flow” hedge). Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is highly effective and that is designated and qualifies as a cash flow hedge are recorded in other comprehensive income, net of tax effect, until earnings are affected by the variability of cash flows (e.g., when periodic settlements on a variable rate asset or liability are recorded in earnings). Changes in the fair value of undesignated derivative instruments or derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are recognized in current period operations.

Accounting guidance for derivatives requires a company to evaluate contracts to determine whether the contracts are derivatives. Certain contracts that meet the definition of a derivative may be exempted as normal purchases or normal sales. Normal purchases and normal sales are contracts that provide for the purchase or sale of something other than a financial instrument or derivative instrument that will be delivered in quantities expected to be used or sold over a reasonable period in the normal course of business. The Company’s contracts for corn and natural gas purchases and ethanol sales that meet these requirements and are designated as either normal purchase or normal sale contracts are exempted from the derivative accounting and reporting requirements. 

11

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – (continued)

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is recorded at cost. All costs related to purchasing and developing land or the engineering, design and construction of a plant are capitalized. Maintenance, repairs and minor replacements are charged to operating expenses while major replacements and improvements are capitalized. Depreciation is computed by the straight line method over the following estimated useful lives:

	Years
Land improvements	20 – 30
Buildings and improvements	7 – 40
Machinery and equipment:
Railroad equipment	20 – 39
Facility equipment	20 – 39
Other	5 – 7
Office furniture and equipment	3 – 10

Debt Issuance Costs

Debt issuance costs are stated at cost, less accumulated amortization. Debt issuance costs included in noncurrent assets at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 represent costs incurred related to the Company’s Senior Debt Facility and tax increment financing agreements. These costs are being amortized through interest expense over the term of the related debt. Estimated future debt issuance cost amortization as of September 30, 2012 is as follows (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	251
2013		978
2014		704
2015		8
2016		8
Thereafter		41
Total	$	1,990

12

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – (continued)

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company has two asset groups, its ethanol facility in Fairmont and its ethanol facility in Wood River, which are evaluated separately when considering whether the carrying value of these assets has been impaired. The Company continually monitors whether or not events or circumstances exist that would warrant impairment testing of its long-lived assets. In evaluating whether impairment testing should be performed, the Company considers several factors including the carrying value of the long-lived assets, projected production volumes at its facilities, projected ethanol and distillers grain prices that we expect to receive, and projected corn and natural gas costs we expect to incur. In the ethanol industry, operating margins, and consequently undiscounted future cash flows, are primarily driven by the crush spread. In the event that the crush spread is sufficiently depressed to result in negative operating cash flow at its facilities for an extended time period, the Company will evaluate whether an impairment of its long-lived assets may have occurred.

Recoverability is measured by comparing the carrying value of an asset with estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. An impairment loss is reflected as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Fair value is determined based on the present value of estimated expected future cash flows using a discount rate commensurate with the risk involved, quoted market prices or appraised values, depending on the nature of the assets. As of September 30, 2012, the Company performed an impairment evaluation of the recoverability of its long-lived assets due to depressed crush spreads. As a result of the impairment evaluation, it was determined that the future cash flows from the assets exceeded the carrying values, and therefore no further analysis was necessary and no impairment was recorded.

Stock-Based Compensation

Expense associated with stock-based awards and other forms of equity compensation is based on fair value at grant and recognized on a straight line basis in the financial statements over the requisite service period for those awards that are expected to vest.

Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset retirement obligations are recognized when a contractual or legal obligation exists and a reasonable estimate of the amount can be made. Changes to the asset retirement obligation resulting from revisions to the timing or the amount of the original undiscounted cash flow estimates shall be recognized as an increase or decrease to both the carrying amount of the asset retirement obligation and the related asset retirement cost capitalized as part of the related property, plant and equipment. At September 30, 2012, the Company had accrued asset retirement obligation liabilities of $148,000 and $186,000 for its plants at Wood River and Fairmont, respectively. At December 31, 2011, the Company had accrued asset retirement obligation liabilities of $144,000 and $181,000 for its plants at Wood River and Fairmont, respectively.

The asset retirement obligations accrued for Wood River relate to the obligations in our contracts with Cargill and Union Pacific Railroad (“Union Pacific”). According to the grain elevator lease with Cargill, the equipment that is adjacent to the grain elevator may be required at Cargill’s discretion to be removed at the end of the lease. In addition, according to the contract with Union Pacific, the buildings that are built near their land in Wood River may be required at Union Pacific’s request to be removed at the end of our contract with them. The asset retirement obligations accrued for Fairmont relate to the obligations in our contracts with Cargill and in our water permit issued by the state of Minnesota. According to the grain elevator lease with Cargill, the equipment that is adjacent to the grain elevator being leased may be required at Cargill’s discretion to be removed at the end of the lease. In addition, the water permit in Fairmont requires that we secure all above ground storage tanks whenever we discontinue the use of our equipment for an extended period of time in Fairmont. The estimated costs of these obligations have been accrued at the current net present value of these obligations at the end of an estimated 20 year life for each of the plants. These liabilities have corresponding assets recorded in property, plant and equipment, which are being depreciated over 20 years.

13

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – (continued)  

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company regularly reviews historical and anticipated future pre-tax results of operations to determine whether the Company will be able to realize the benefit of its deferred tax assets. A valuation allowance is required to reduce the potential deferred tax asset when it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the potential deferred tax asset will not be realized due to the lack of sufficient taxable income. The Company establishes reserves for uncertain tax positions that reflect its best estimate of deductions and credits that may not be sustained on a more likely than not basis. As the Company has incurred tax losses since its inception and expects to continue to incur tax losses for the foreseeable future, we will continue to provide a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets until the Company believes that such assets will be realized. The Company includes interest on tax deficiencies and income tax penalties in the provision for income taxes.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and accounts payable are carried at cost, which approximates their fair value because of the short-term maturity of these instruments. Any derivative financial instruments are carried at fair value. The fair value of the Company’s capital leases and note payable are not materially different from their carrying amounts based on anticipated interest rates that management believes would currently be available to the Company for similar issues of debt, taking into account the current credit risk of the Company and other market factors. The fair value of the Company’s senior debt, based on an anticipated interest rate of 12%, is estimated to be approximately $155.3 million.

Segment Reporting

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available and is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker or decision making group in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Each of our plants is considered its own unique operating segment under these criteria. However, when two or more operating segments have similar economic characteristics, accounting guidance allows for them to be aggregated into a single operating segment for purposes of financial reporting. Our two plants are very similar in all characteristics and accordingly, the Company presents a single reportable segment, the manufacture of fuel-grade ethanol and the co-products of the ethanol production process.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standards setting bodies that are adopted by us as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, our management believes that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

14

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

3. Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost, consist of the following at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012			December 31, 2011
Land and land improvements	$	19,643		$	19,643
Buildings and improvements		49,838			49,832
Machinery and equipment		249,840			248,247
Office furniture and equipment		6,490			6,432
Construction in progress		55			1,126
		325,866			325,280
Accumulated depreciation		(109,793	)		(89,392	)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	216,073		$	235,888

Depreciation expense related to property, plant and equipment was $6,806,000 and $20,408,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, and was $6,736,000 and $20,232,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, respectively.

4. Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Diluted earnings per share are calculated using the treasury stock method and includes the effect of all dilutive securities, including stock options, restricted stock and Class B common shares. For those periods in which the Company incurred a net loss, the inclusion of the potentially dilutive shares in the computation of diluted weighted average shares outstanding would have been anti-dilutive to the Company’s loss per share, and, accordingly, all potentially dilutive shares have been excluded from the computation of diluted weighted average shares outstanding in those periods.

On June 15, 2012, the Company effected a reverse stock split with respect to all outstanding shares of common stock and Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty. All share and per share information in these financial statements has been retroactively restated to reflect the effect of this reverse stock split.

For both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, 71,509 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share as their effect would have been anti-dilutive. For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, 72,633 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share as their effect would have been anti-dilutive. For the three months ended September 30, 2011, 73,883 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share as their effect would have been anti-dilutive because the exercise price was above the average share price for the period.

A summary of the reconciliation of basic weighted average shares outstanding to diluted weighted average shares outstanding follows:

	Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011		2012			2011
Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic		5,224,257			5,119,751		5,177,569			4,601,912
Potentially dilutive common stock equivalents
Class B common shares		869,301			946,098		908,970			897,647
Stock options		-			-		-			1,250
Restricted stock		146,761			85,691		132,519			63,532
		1,016,062			1,031,789		1,041,489			962,429
		6,240,319			6,151,540		6,219,058			5,564,341
Less anti-dilutive common stock equivalents		(1,016,062	)		-		(1,041,489	)		(962,429	)
Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted		5,224,257			6,151,540		5,177,569			4,601,912

15

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

5. Long-Term Debt

The following table summarizes long-term debt as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012			December 31, 2011
Term loans	$	170,480		$	176,780
Capital lease		2,477			2,487
Note payable		282			380
		173,239			179,647
Less current portion		(170,531	)		(12,710	)
Long-term portion	$	2,708		$	166,937

Senior Debt Facility

In September 2006, the Operating Subsidiaries entered into the Senior Debt Facility to finance the construction of and provide working capital to operate our ethanol plants. Neither the Company nor the LLC is a borrower under the Senior Debt Facility, although the equity interests and assets of our subsidiaries are pledged as collateral to secure the debt under the facility. Principal payments under the Senior Debt Facility are payable quarterly at a minimum amount of $3,150,000, with additional pre-payments to be made out of available cash flow. These term loans mature in September 2014.

As described above, the Operating Subsidiaries did not make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest that were due under the outstanding Senior Debt Facility on September 28, 2012, in an aggregate amount of $3.6 million. As a result, the Operating Subsidiaries received a Notice of Default on September 28, 2012 from First National Bank of Omaha, as Administrative Agent for the Senior Debt Facility, concerning the failure to make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest. On November 5, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries and its lenders entered into a Forbearance Agreement whereby its lenders agreed to forbear from exercising their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility until November 15, 2012. See Note 1 - Organization, Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation, Liquidity, and Going Concern Considerations.

As of September 30, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries had $170.5 million of indebtedness outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility. The entire amount outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility has been classified as a current liability in the September 30, 2012 consolidated balance sheet. If the Company is unable to reach an agreement with its lenders under the Senior Debt Facility, and if its lenders successfully exercise their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility, the Company may be unable to continue as a going concern, and could be forced to seek relief from creditors through a filing under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Interest rates on the Senior Debt Facility are, at management’s option, set at: i) a base rate, which is the higher of the federal funds rate plus 0.5% or the administrative agent’s prime rate, in each case plus a margin of 2.0%; or ii) at LIBOR plus 3.0%. Interest on base rate loans is payable quarterly and, depending on the LIBOR rate elected, as frequently as monthly on LIBOR loans, but no less frequently than quarterly. The weighted average interest rate in effect on the borrowings at September 30, 2012 was 3.3%.

The Senior Debt Facility is secured by a first priority lien on all right, title and interest in and to the Wood River and Fairmont plants and any accounts receivable or property associated with those plants and a pledge of all of our equity interests in the Operating Subsidiaries. The Operating Subsidiaries have established collateral deposit accounts maintained by an agent of the banks, into which our revenues are deposited, subject to security interests to secure any outstanding obligations under the Senior Debt Facility. These funds are then allocated into various sweep accounts held by the collateral agent, including accounts that provide funds for the operating expenses of the Operating Subsidiaries. The collateral accounts have various provisions, including historical and prospective debt service coverage ratios and debt service reserve requirements, which determine whether there is, and the amount of, cash available to the LLC from the collateral accounts each month. The terms of the Senior Debt Facility also include covenants that impose certain limitations on, among other things, the ability of the Operating Subsidiaries to incur additional debt, grant liens or encumbrances, declare or pay dividends or distributions, conduct asset sales or other dispositions, merge or consolidate, and conduct transactions with affiliates. The terms of the Senior Debt Facility also include customary events of default including failure to meet payment obligations, failure to pay financial obligations, failure of the Operating Subsidiaries of the LLC to remain solvent and failure to obtain or maintain required governmental approvals. Under the terms of separate management services agreements between our Operating Subsidiaries and the LLC, the Operating Subsidiaries pay a monthly management fee of $869,000 to the LLC to cover salaries, rent, and other operating expenses of the LLC, which payments are unaffected by the terms of the Senior Debt Facility or the collateral accounts.

Debt issuance fees and expenses of $7.9 million ($1.9 million, net of accumulated amortization as of September 30, 2012) have been incurred in connection with the Senior Debt Facility. These costs have been deferred and are being amortized and expensed as interest over the term of the Senior Debt Facility.

16

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

5. Long-Term Debt – (continued)

Capital Lease

The LLC, through its subsidiary that constructed the Fairmont plant, has entered into an agreement with the local utility pursuant to which the utility has built and owns and operates a substation and distribution facility in order to supply electricity to the plant. The LLC is paying a fixed facilities charge based on the cost of the substation and distribution facility of $34,000 per month, over the 30-year term of the agreement. This fixed facilities charge is being accounted for as a capital lease in the accompanying financial statements. The agreement also includes a $25,000 monthly minimum energy charge that also began in the first quarter of 2008.

Note Payable

The subsidiary of the LLC that constructed the Wood River facility has entered into a note payable for $419,000 with the City of Wood River for special assessments related to street, water, and sanitary improvements at our Wood River facility. This note requires ten annual payments of $58,000, including interest at 6.5% per annum, and matures in 2018.

The following table summarizes the aggregate maturities of our long-term debt as of September 30, 2012 (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	170,482
2013		52
2014		56
2015		57
2016		60
Thereafter		2,532
Total	$	173,239

17

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

6. Tax Increment Financing

In February 2007, the subsidiary of the LLC that constructed the Wood River plant received $6.0 million from the proceeds of a tax increment revenue note issued by the City of Wood River, Nebraska. The proceeds funded improvements to property owned by the subsidiary. The City of Wood River will pay the principal and interest of the note from the incremental increase in the property taxes related to the improvements made to the property. The interest rate on the note is 7.85%. The proceeds have been recorded as a liability which is reduced as the subsidiary of the LLC remits property taxes to the City of Wood River, which began in 2008 and will continue through 2021. The LLC has guaranteed the principal and interest of the tax increment revenue note if, for any reason, the City of Wood River fails to make the required payments to the holder of the note or the subsidiary of the LLC fails to make the required payments to the City of Wood River.

The following table summarizes the aggregate maturities of the tax increment financing debt as of September 30, 2012 (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	185
2013		399
2014		431
2015		464
2016		501
Thereafter		2,978
Total	$	4,958

7. Stockholders’ Equity

Rights Offering and LLC Concurrent Private Placement

In February 2011, we completed a Rights Offering (the “Rights Offering”) entailing a distribution to our common stockholders of rights to purchase depositary shares representing fractional interests in shares of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”). Concurrent with the Rights Offering, the LLC conducted a private placement of LLC interests that was structured to provide the holders of the membership interests in the LLC (other than the Company) with a private placement that was economically equivalent to the Rights Offering. On February 2, 2011, the Company’s stockholders approved an increase in the number of authorized shares of common stock of the Company, which resulted in the automatic conversion of shares of the Preferred Stock into shares of the Company’s common stock such that subscribers in the Rights Offering were issued one share of common stock in lieu of each depositary share subscribed for. These transactions were completed and 3,188,681 shares of common stock, at a price of $11.20 per share, and 918,463 LLC membership interests, at a price of $11.20 per unit (along with an equivalent number of shares of Class B common stock), were issued on February 4, 2011. The aggregate gross proceeds of the Rights Offering and the concurrent private placement were $46.0 million. The proceeds of the transaction were used to (i) repay in full $20.3 million owed under a bridge loan previously provided by certain affiliates of Greenlight Capital, Inc. and certain affiliates of Third Point LLC, (ii) repay in full $21.5 million owed under our then outstanding subordinated debt, (iii) repay $2.8 million of debt owed to Cargill and (iv) pay certain fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Rights Offering and the LLC’s concurrent private placement.

18

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

7. Stockholders’ Equity – (continued)

On February 15, 2011, the Company issued 329,890 shares of common stock to Cargill in exchange for the extinguishment of the remaining amount of indebtedness owed to Cargill. An additional $2.0 million that was carried on our balance sheet at December 31, 2010 due to troubled debt restructuring accounting was also extinguished. This amount, in addition to $2.8 million of the debt that was forgiven by Cargill, was accounted for as a capital contribution to additional paid-in capital because the Company and Cargill were considered related parties.

Reverse Stock Split

On June 15, 2012, the Company effected a reverse stock split with respect to all outstanding shares of common stock and Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty. The Company also split the number of authorized shares of common stock at a ratio of one-for-fourteen, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized common stock shares to 10,000,000, and also split the number of authorized shares of Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized Class B common stock shares to 3,750,000. All share and per share information and all necessary par value adjustments have been retroactively restated in the financial statements to reflect the effect of this reverse stock split.

Stock Repurchase Plan

On October 15, 2007, the Company announced the adoption of a stock repurchase plan authorizing the repurchase of up to $7.5 million of the Company’s common stock. Purchases will be funded out of cash on hand and made from time to time in the open market. From the inception of the buyback program through September 30, 2012, the Company had repurchased 40,481 shares at an average price of $106.62 per share, leaving $3,184,000 available under the repurchase plan. The shares repurchased are being held as treasury stock. As of September 30, 2012, there were no plans to repurchase any additional shares.

Dividends

The Company has not declared any dividends on its common stock and does not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of the Senior Debt facility contain restrictions on the ability of the Operating Subsidiaries of the LLC to pay dividends or other distributions, which will restrict the Company’s ability to pay dividends in the future.

19

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

8. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company offsets amounts of cash collateral deposited with counterparties arising from certain derivative instruments executed with the same counterparty against the fair value amounts reported for those derivative instruments. The effects of derivative instruments on our consolidated financial statements were as follows as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011(in thousands) (amounts presented exclude any income tax effects).

Fair Value of Derivative Instruments in Consolidated Balance Sheet

		Derivative Assets (Liabilities)
	Consolidated Balance Sheet Location	September 30, 2012		December 31, 2011
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Commodity contract	Other current assets	$	—	$	(470	)
Cash collateral held or provided with counterparty	Other current assets		—		781
Total		$	—	$	311

Effects of Derivative Instruments on Income

		Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
Consolidated Statements of Operations Location		2012			2011		2012			2011
		gain (loss)			gain (loss)		gain (loss)			gain (loss)
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Commodity contract	Net Sales	$	(592	)	$	—	$	(1,498	)	$	(532	)
Commodity contract	Cost of Goods Sold		(1,365	)		—		(1,886	)		—
	Net amount recognized in earnings	$	(1,957	)	$	—	$	(3,384	)	$	(532	)

In accordance with these provisions, we have categorized our financial assets and liabilities, based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique, into a three-level fair value hierarchy as set forth below. If the inputs used to measure the financial instruments fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the categorization is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets are categorized based on the inputs to the valuation techniques as follows:

Level 1 — Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date. As of September 30, 2012, we do not have any Level 1 financial assets or liabilities.

Level 2 — Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on quoted prices in markets where trading occurs infrequently or whose values are based on quoted prices of instruments with similar attributes in active markets. Level 2 inputs include the following:

· Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in non-active markets (examples include corporate and municipal bonds which trade infrequently);

· Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability (examples include interest rate and currency swaps); and

· Inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset or liability (examples include certain securities and derivatives).

See tables above for Level 2 financial assets and liabilities.

20

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

8. Derivative Financial Instruments – (continued)

Level 3 — Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. These inputs reflect management’s own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in pricing the asset or liability. As of September 30, 2012, we do not have any Level 3 financial assets or liabilities.

There were no transfers between the various financial asset and liability levels during the nine months ended September 30, 2012.

9. Stock-Based Compensation

The following table summarizes the stock-based compensation expense incurred by the Company (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Inthousands)	2012		2011		2012		2011
Stock options	$	219	$	236	$	710	$	863
Restricted stock		150		148		409		224
Total	$	369	$	384	$	1,119	$	1,087

2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan

Immediately prior to the Company’s initial public offering, the Company adopted the 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (“2007 Plan”). The 2007 Plan provides for the grant of options intended to qualify as incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights or restricted stock awards and any other equity-based or equity-related awards. The 2007 Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Subject to adjustment for changes in capitalization, the aggregate number of shares that may be delivered pursuant to awards under the 2007 Plan was originally 3,000,000. In March 2011, the Board of Directors, in connection with the Rights Offering and related increase in the number of authorized shares of common stock of the Company, as described in Note 7 – Stockholders’ Equity, adjusted the aggregate number of shares that may be delivered pursuant to awards under the 2007 Plan up to 7,100,000.  In May 2012, the Board of Directors, in connection with the reverse stock split, as described in Note 7 – Stockholders’ Equity, reduced the aggregate number of shares that may be delivered pursuant to awards under the 2007 Plan to 355,000. The term of the 2007 Plan is ten years, expiring in June 2017. All stock option and restricted stock information has been retroactively restated to show the effect of the one-for-twenty reverse stock split that occurred on June 15, 2012.

Stock Options — Except as otherwise directed by the Compensation Committee, the exercise price for options cannot be less than the fair market value of our common stock on the grant date. Other than the stock options issued to Directors, the options will generally vest and become exercisable with respect to 30%, 30% and 40% of the shares of our common stock subject to such options on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date. Compensation expense related to these options is expensed on a straight line basis over the three year vesting period. Options issued to Directors generally vest and become exercisable on the first anniversary of the grant date. All stock options have a five year term from the date of grant. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, the Company did not issue any stock options under the 2007 Plan.

21

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

9. Stock-Based Compensation – (continued)

A summary of stock option activity under the 2007 Plan as of September 30, 2012, and the changes during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 is as follows:

	Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Life (years)		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Options outstanding, January 1, 2012		73,610		$	64.37
Granted		—			—
Exercised		—			—
Forfeited		(2,101	)		155.54
Options outstanding, September 30, 2012		71,509		$	61.69		2.2	$	0.00
Options exercisable, September 30, 2012		54,335		$	62.59		2.1	$	0.00

A summary of the status of our unvested stock options as of September 30, 2012, and the changes during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 is as follows:

	Shares			Weighted Average GrantDate FairValue
Unvested, January 1, 2012		33,043		$	49.81
Granted		—			—
Vested		(15,686	)		50.32
Forfeited		(183	)		46.00
Unvested, September 30, 2012		17,174		$	49.45

As of September 30, 2012, there was $308,000 of unrecognized compensation expense related to the unvested portion of stock options outstanding. This expense is expected to be recognized over the next six months.

22

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

9. Stock-Based Compensation – (continued)

Restricted Stock  — Other than restricted stock issued to Directors, the restricted stock issued will generally vest in equal increments of 25% on each of the first four anniversaries of the grant date. Compensation expense related to restricted stock issued is expensed on a straight line basis over the four year vesting period. Restricted stock issued to Directors generally vests on the first anniversary of the grant date with compensation expense being expensed on a straight line basis over the one year vesting period. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Company granted 0 and 78,850 shares, respectively, under the 2007 Plan to certain of our employees and our non-employee Directors. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, the Company granted 0 and 87,300 shares, respectively, under the 2007 Plan to certain of our employees and our non-employee Directors.

A summary of restricted stock activity under the 2007 Plan as of September 30, 2012, and the changes during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 is as follows:

	Shares			Weighted Average GrantDate FairValue perAward		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Restricted stock outstanding, January 1, 2012		93,950		$	14.90
Granted		78,850			13.00
Vested		(25,987	)		16.00
Cancelled or expired		(1,600	)		14.41
Restricted stock outstanding, September 30, 2012		145,213		$	13.68	$	736,230

As of September 30, 2012, there was $1,677,000 of unrecognized compensation expense related to the unvested portion of restricted stock outstanding. This expense is expected to be recognized over the next 3.5 years.

After considering the stock option and restricted stock awards issued and outstanding, the Company had 107,337 shares of common stock available for future grant under our 2007 Plan at September 30, 2012.

23

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

10. Income Taxes

The Company has not recognized any income tax provision (benefit) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 due to continuing losses from operations.

The U.S. statutory federal income tax rate is reconciled to the Company’s effective income tax rate as follows (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011			2012			2011
Tax benefit at 35% federal statutory rate	$	3,965		$	(892	)	$	12,192		$	5,186
State tax benefit, net of federal benefit		57			(13	)		174			74
Noncontrolling interest		(532	)		126			(1,780	)		(819	)
Valuation allowance		(3,736	)		928			(10,519	)		(3,788	)
Other		246			(149	)		(67	)		(653	)
Total	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—

The effects of temporary differences and other items that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities are presented below (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012			December31, 2011
Deferred tax assets:
Capitalized start up costs	$	3,364		$	3,558
Stock-based compensation		655			665
Net operating loss carryover		80,967			68,036
Other		129			258
Deferred tax assets		85,115			72,517
Valuation allowance		(43,790	)		(33,802	)
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment		(41,325	)		(38,715	)
Deferred tax liabilities		(41,325	)		(38,715	)
Net deferred tax asset	$	—		$	—

The Company assesses the recoverability of deferred tax assets and the need for a valuation allowance on an ongoing basis. In making this assessment, management considers all available positive and negative evidence to determine whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized in future periods. This assessment requires significant judgment and estimates involving current and deferred income taxes, tax attributes relating to the interpretation of various tax laws, historical bases of tax attributes associated with certain assets and limitations surrounding the realization of deferred tax assets.

As of September 30, 2012, the net operating loss carryforward was $227.5 million, which will begin to expire if not used by December 31, 2028. The U.S. federal statute of limitations remains open for our 2006 and subsequent tax years.

11. Employee Benefit Plans

The LLC sponsors a 401(k) profit sharing and savings plan for its employees. Employee participation in this plan is voluntary and the LLC matches 50% of eligible employee contributions, up to an amount equal to 3% of employee compensation, on a biweekly basis. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, contributions to the plan by the LLC totaled $50,000 and $192,000, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, contributions to the plan by the LLC totaled $32,000 and $163,000, respectively.

24

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

12. Commitments and Contingencies

The LLC, through its subsidiaries, entered into two operating lease agreements with Cargill. Cargill’s grain handling and storage facilities, located adjacent to the Wood River and Fairmont plants, are being leased for 20 years, which began in September 2008 for both plants. Minimum annual payments initially were $800,000 for the Fairmont plant and $1,000,000 for the Wood River plant so long as the associated corn supply agreements with Cargill remain in effect. Should the Company not maintain its corn supply agreements with Cargill, the minimum annual payments under each lease increase to $1,200,000 and $1,500,000, respectively. The leases contain escalation clauses that are based on the percentage change in the Midwest Consumer Price Index. The escalation clauses are considered to be contingent rent and, accordingly, are not included in minimum lease payments. Rent expense is recognized on a straight line basis over the terms of the leases. Events of default under the leases include failure to fulfill monetary or non-monetary obligations and insolvency. Effective September 1, 2009, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into Omnibus Agreements whereby the two operating lease agreements were modified, for a period of one year, to defer a portion of the monthly lease payments. The deferred lease payments were to be paid back to Cargill over a two year period beginning September 1, 2010. On September 23, 2010, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into a letter agreement (“Letter Agreement”) whereby (i) effective October 2010 the minimum annual payments under the leases were reduced to $50,000 for the Fairmont plant and $250,000 for the Wood River plant and (ii) repayment of the deferred lease payments have been deferred for an indefinite period of time. As of September 30, 2012, the deferred lease payments totaled $1.6 million and are included in other non-current liabilities.

Beginning in the second quarter of 2008, the Operating Subsidiaries of the LLC entered into agreements to lease railroad cars over a period of ten years. Pursuant to these lease agreements, the subsidiaries are currently leasing 785 railroad cars for approximately $6.7 million per year. Monthly rental charges escalate if modifications of the cars are required by governmental authorities or mileage exceeds 30,000 miles in any calendar year. Rent expense is recognized on a straight line basis over the terms of the leases. Events of default under the leases include failure to fulfill monetary or non-monetary obligations.

In April 2008, the LLC entered into a five year lease that began July 1, 2008 for office space for its corporate headquarters. Rent expense is being recognized on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.

In October 2011, subsidiaries of the LLC entered into two operating lease agreements to lease corn oil extraction systems, one for each of its plants. Each lease agreement is for a period of two years and commenced in April 2012 when funding was completed. Pursuant to these lease agreements, each subsidiary is paying approximately $4.3 million per year for the corn oil extraction systems. Rent expense is recognized on a straight line basis over the terms of the leases. Events of default under the leases include failure to fulfill monetary or non-monetary obligations under either lease, as well as any payment default under any of the Company’s other material debt obligations, including the Senior Debt Facility. The Company has informed Farnam Street Financial, Inc. (“Farnam”) of the default notice it received from its senior lenders, and Farnam has elected not to declare a default under either lease agreement so long as the subsidiaries of the LLC continue to make timely lease payments.

Future minimum operating lease payments at September 30, 2012 are as follows (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	2,873
2013		11,452
2014		8,392
2015		6,972
2016		6,972
Thereafter		12,168
Total	$	48,829

Rent expense recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 totaled $2,915,000 and $8,554,000, respectively. Rent expense recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 totaled $1,931,000 and $5,764,000, respectively.

Pursuant to long-term agreements, Cargill is the exclusive supplier of corn to the Wood River and Fairmont plants for twenty years commencing September 2008. The price of corn purchased under these agreements is based on a formula including cost plus an origination fee of $0.048 per bushel. The minimum annual origination fee payable to Cargill per plant under the agreements is $1.2 million. The agreements contain events of default that include failure to pay, willful misconduct, purchase of corn from another supplier, insolvency or the termination of the associated grain facility lease. Effective September 1, 2009, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into Omnibus Agreements whereby the two corn supply agreements were modified, for a period of one year, extending payment terms for our corn purchases which were to revert to the original terms on September 1, 2010. On September 23, 2010, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into a Letter Agreement whereby the extended payment terms for our corn purchases will remain in effect for the remainder of the two corn supply agreements.

25

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

12. Commitments and Contingencies – (continued)  

At September 30, 2012, the LLC, through its subsidiaries, had contracted to purchase 344,000 bushels of corn to be delivered between October 2012 and October 2013 at our Fairmont location, and 5,488,000 bushels of corn to be delivered between October 2012 and December 2013 at our Wood River location. These purchase commitments represent 1% and 12% of the projected corn requirements during those periods for Fairmont and Wood River, respectively. The purchase price of the corn will be determined at the time of delivery.

Cargill has agreed to purchase all ethanol produced at the Wood River and Fairmont plants through September 2016. Under the terms of the ethanol marketing agreements, the Wood River and Fairmont plants generally participate in a marketing pool in which all parties receive the same net price. That price is generally the average delivered price per gallon received by the marketing pool less average transportation and storage charges and less a commission. In certain circumstances, the plants may elect not to participate in the marketing pool. Minimum annual commissions are payable to Cargill equal to 1% of Cargill’s average selling price for 82.5 million gallons of ethanol from each plant. The ethanol marketing agreements contain events of default that include failure to pay, willful misconduct and insolvency. Effective September 1, 2009, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into Omnibus Agreements whereby the two ethanol marketing agreements were modified, for a period of one year, to defer a portion of the monthly ethanol commission payments. The deferred commission payments were to be paid to Cargill over a two year period beginning September 1, 2010. On September 23, 2010, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into a Letter Agreement whereby (i) effective September 24, 2010 the ethanol commissions were reduced and (ii) repayment of the deferred commission payments have been deferred for an indefinite period of time with any repayment at the discretion of the subsidiaries of the LLC. As of September 30, 2012, the deferred ethanol commissions totaled $1.1 million and are included in other non-current liabilities.

The Company is not currently a party to any material legal, administrative or regulatory proceedings that have arisen in the ordinary course of business or otherwise that would result in loss contingencies.

26

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

13. Noncontrolling Interest

Noncontrolling interest consists of equity issued to members of the LLC upon the Company’s initial public offering in June 2007. As provided in the LLC agreement, the exchange ratio of the various existing classes of equity of the LLC for the single class of equity at the time of the Company’s initial public offering was based on the Company’s initial public offering price of $210.00 per share and the resulting implied valuation of the Company. The exchange resulted in the issuance of 897,903 LLC membership units and Class B common shares. Each LLC membership unit combined with a share of Class B common stock is exchangeable at the holder’s option into one share of Company common stock. The LLC may make distributions to members as determined by the Company.

The following table summarizes the exchange activity since the Company’s initial public offering:

LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares outstanding at initial public offering, June 2007	897,903
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2007	(28,060	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2008	(365,722	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2009	(131,684	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2010	(16,830	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares issued in connection with the LLC concurrent private placement in February 2011	918,463
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2011	(342,916	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in the nine months ended September 30, 2012	(135,675	)
Remaining LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares at September 30, 2012	795,479

At the time of its initial public offering, the Company owned 28.9% of the LLC membership units of the LLC. At September 30, 2012, the Company owned 87.3% of the LLC membership units. The noncontrolling interest will continue to be reported until all Class B common shares and LLC membership units have been exchanged for the Company’s common stock.

The table below shows the effects of the changes in BioFuel Energy Corp.’s ownership interest in the LLC on the equity attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp.’s common stockholders for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 (in thousands):

Net Loss Attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp.’s Common Stockholders and

Transfers from the Noncontrolling Interest

	Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011		2012			2011
Net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp.	$	(9,830	)	$	2,194	$	(29,820	)	$	(12,510	)
Increase in BioFuel Energy Corp. stockholders’ equity from issuance of common shares in exchange for Class B common shares and units of BioFuel Energy, LLC		227			—		273			2,386
Change in equity from net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp. and transfers from noncontrolling interest	$	(9,603	)	$	2,194	$	(29,547	)	$	(10,124	)

27

BioFuel Energy Corp.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

(Unaudited)

13. Noncontrolling Interest – (continued)

Tax Benefit Sharing Agreement

Membership units in the LLC combined with the related Class B common shares held by the historical equity investors may be exchanged in the future for shares of our common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to customary conversion rate adjustments for stock splits, stock dividends and reclassifications. The LLC will make an election under Section 754 of the IRS Code effective for each taxable year in which an exchange of membership units and Class B shares for common shares occurs, which may result in an adjustment to the tax basis of the assets owned by the LLC at the time of the exchange. Increases in tax basis, if any, would reduce the amount of tax that the Company would otherwise be required to pay in the future, although the IRS may challenge all or part of the tax basis increases, and a court could sustain such a challenge. The Company has entered into tax benefit sharing agreements with its historical LLC investors that will provide for a sharing of these tax benefits, if any, between the Company and the historical LLC equity investors. Under these agreements, the Company will make a payment to an exchanging LLC member of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income taxes the Company actually realizes as a result of this increase in tax basis. The Company and its common stockholders will benefit from the remaining 15% of cash savings, if any, in income taxes realized. For purposes of the tax benefit sharing agreement, cash savings in income tax will be computed by comparing the Company’s actual income tax liability to the amount of such taxes the Company would have been required to pay had there been no increase in the tax basis in the assets of the LLC as a result of the exchanges. The term of the tax benefit sharing agreement commenced on the Company’s initial public offering in June 2007 and will continue until all such tax benefits have been utilized or expired, unless a change of control occurs and the Company exercises its resulting right to terminate the tax benefit sharing agreement for an amount based on agreed payments remaining to be made under the agreement.

Ownership “True-Up” Agreement

At the time of formation of the LLC, the founders agreed with certain of our principal stockholders as to the relative ownership interests in the Company of our management members and affiliates of Greenlight Capital, Inc. (“Greenlight”) and Third Point LLC (“Third Point”). Certain management members and affiliates of Greenlight and Third Point agreed to exchange LLC membership interests, shares of common stock or cash at a future date, referred to as the “true-up date”, depending on the Company’s performance. This provision functioned by providing management with additional value if the Company’s value improved and by reducing management’s interest in the Company if its value decreased, subject to a predetermined rate of return accruing to Greenlight and Third Point. In particular, if the value of the Company increased from the time of the initial public offering to the “true-up date”, the management members were entitled to receive LLC membership units, shares of common stock or cash from the affiliates of Greenlight and Third Point. On the other hand, if the value of the Company decreased from the time of the initial public offering to the “true-up date” or if a predetermined rate of return was not met, the affiliates of Greenlight and Third Point were entitled to receive LLC membership units or shares of common stock from the management members.

The “true-up date” occurred on June 19, 2012, which was five years from the date of the initial public offering. Since the value of the Company decreased from the time of the initial public offering to the “true-up date”, the affiliates of Greenlight and Third Point received 69,382 and 34,691 LLC membership units, respectively, from certain members or former members of our management group during the third quarter of 2012 as a result of the “true-up”. No new shares were issued as a result of the “true-up” but rather a redistribution of shares occurred among certain members or former members of our management group and our two largest investors, Greenlight and Third Point.

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ITEM 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

You should read the following discussion in conjunction with the unaudited consolidated financial statements and the accompanying notes included in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Specifically, forward-looking statements may be preceded by, followed by or may include such words as “estimate”, “plan”, “project”, “forecast”, “intend”, “expect”, “is to be”, “anticipate”, “goal”, “believe”, “seek”, “target” or other similar expressions. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this Form 10-Q, or in the case of a document incorporated by reference, as of the date of that document. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect any events or circumstances after the date of this Form 10-Q or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Our actual results may differ materially from those discussed in or implied by any of the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to those listed elsewhere in this Form 10-Q and those listed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 or in any other documents we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Overview

BioFuel Energy Corp. produces and sells ethanol, distillers grain and corn oil through its two ethanol production facilities located in Wood River, Nebraska and Fairmont, Minnesota. Each of these plants has an undenatured nameplate production capacity of approximately 110 million gallons per year (“Mmgy”). We work closely with Cargill, one of the world’s leading agribusiness companies, with whom we have an extensive commercial relationship. The two plant locations were selected primarily based on access to corn supplies, the availability of rail transportation and natural gas and Cargill’s competitive position in the area. At each location, Cargill has a strong local presence and owns adjacent grain storage and handling facilities, which we lease from them. Cargill provides corn procurement services, markets the ethanol we produce and provides transportation logistics for our two plants under long-term contracts.

We are a holding company with no operations of our own, and are the sole managing member of BioFuel Energy, LLC (the “LLC”), which is itself a holding company and indirectly owns all of our operating assets. As the sole managing member of the LLC, BioFuel Energy Corp. operates and controls all of the business and affairs of the LLC and its subsidiaries. The Company’s ethanol plants are owned and operated by the Operating Subsidiaries of the LLC. Those Operating Subsidiaries are party to a Credit Agreement (the “Senior Debt Facility”) with a group of lenders, for which First National Bank of Omaha acts as Administrative Agent.

On June 15, 2012, the Company effected a reverse stock split with respect to all outstanding shares of common stock and Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty. The Company also split the number of authorized shares of common stock at a ratio of one-for-fourteen, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized common stock shares to 10,000,000, and also split the number of authorized shares of Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized Class B common stock shares to 3,750,000. All share and per share information and all necessary par value adjustments have been retroactively restated in this report to reflect the effect of this reverse stock split.

During 2011, the Company began installing corn oil extraction systems at each of its ethanol plants so that it could begin producing non-food grade corn oil as an additional co-product. These systems were installed using certain patented technology we have licensed from Greenshift Corporation for which we pay a royalty. The Operating Subsidiaries of the LLC have entered into operating leases with Farnam Street Financial, Inc., which leases provided the funding to pay for most of the costs of installing the corn oil extraction systems at each plant. The installation in Wood River was completed in December 2011 and the installation in Fairmont was completed in January 2012. Both Operating Subsidiaries began generating revenues from corn oil sales early in the first quarter of 2012.

Liquidity and Going Concern Considerations

Our operations and cash flows are subject to wide and unpredictable fluctuations primarily due to changes in commodity prices, specifically, the price of our main commodity input, corn, relative to the price of our main commodity product, ethanol, which is known in the industry as the “crush spread”. The price of our main co-product, distillers grain, is likewise subject to wide, unpredictable fluctuations, typically in conjunction with changes in the price of corn. The prices of these commodities are volatile and beyond our control. As a result of the volatility of the prices for these and other items, our results fluctuate substantially and in ways that are largely beyond our control. As shown in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, the Company incurred a net loss of $11.3 million and $34.8 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, due to narrow commodity margins. Narrow commodity margins present a significant risk to our cash flows and liquidity. We have had, and continue to have, limited liquidity, with $10.8 million of cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2012.  We have relied upon extensions of payment terms by Cargill as an additional source of liquidity and working capital. See “— Liquidity and capital resources”.

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Drought conditions in the American Midwest have significantly impacted this year’s corn crop and caused a significant reduction in the corn yield. Since the end of the second quarter, this has led to a significant increase in the price of corn and a corresponding narrowing in the crush spread. The crush spread has narrowed as ethanol prices have not risen correspondingly with rising corn prices, due to an oversupply of ethanol. As a result, the Company announced on September 24, 2012 that it had decided to idle its Fairmont facility until the crush spread improves. In the event crush spreads narrow further, we may choose to curtail operations at our Wood River facility or idle the facility and cease operations altogether until such time as crush spreads improve. We expect fluctuations in the crush spread to continue.

Due to our limited and declining liquidity, during the third quarter the Company determined that the Operating Subsidiaries would not make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest that were due under the outstanding Senior Debt Facility on September 28, 2012, in an aggregate amount of $3.6 million. As a result, the Operating Subsidiaries received a Notice of Default on September 28, 2012 from First National Bank of Omaha, as Administrative Agent for the Senior Debt Facility, concerning the failure to make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest. On November 5, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries and the its lenders entered into a Forbearance Agreement whereby its lenders agreed to forbear from exercising their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility until November 15, 2012. The Company is engaged in active and continuing discussions with its lenders and their advisors regarding the terms of a potential capital infusion into the Operating Subsidiaries. This capital may take the form of a capital contribution from the Company, additional loans, a long-term forbearance or restructuring under the Senior Debt Facility, some combination of the foregoing, or another form yet to be determined. While the Company intends to reach resolution with its lenders with respect to this matter, there can be no assurance it will do so on terms that are favorable or acceptable to the Company, or at all.

As of September 30, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries had $170.5 million of indebtedness outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility. The entire amount outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility has been classified as a current liability in the September 30, 2012 consolidated balance sheet. If the Company is unable to reach an agreement with its lenders under the Senior Debt Facility, and if its lenders successfully exercise their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility, the Company may be unable to continue as a going concern, and could be forced to seek relief from creditors through a filing under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Since we commenced operations, we have from time to time entered into derivative financial instruments such as futures contracts, swaps and options contracts with the objective of limiting our exposure to changes in commodities prices. We have only been able to conduct such hedging activities on a limited basis due to our lack of financial resources and we may not have the financial resources to increase or conduct any material hedging activities in the future.

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Basis for Consolidation

At September 30, 2012, the Company owned 87.3% of the LLC membership units with the remaining 12.7% owned by certain individuals and by certain investment funds affiliated with some of the original equity investors of the LLC. As a result, the Company consolidates the results of the LLC. The amount of income or loss allocable to the 12.7% holders is reported as noncontrolling interest in our consolidated statements of operations. The Class B common shares of the Company are held by the same individuals and investment funds who held 795,479 membership units in the LLC as of September 30, 2012 that, together with the corresponding Class B shares, can be exchanged for newly issued shares of common stock of the Company on a one-for-one basis. The proportionate value of the LLC membership units held by individuals or entities other than the Company are recorded as noncontrolling interest on the consolidated balance sheets.

Revenues

Our primary source of revenue is the sale of ethanol. The selling prices we realize for our ethanol are largely determined by the market supply and demand for ethanol, which, in turn, is influenced by industry and other factors, including government policy and regulations, over which we have little control. Ethanol prices are extremely volatile.  Ethanol revenues are recorded net of transportation and storage charges, and net of marketing commissions we pay to Cargill.

We also receive revenue from the sale of distillers grain, which is a residual co-product of the processed corn used in the production of ethanol and is sold as animal feed. The selling prices we realize for our distillers grain are largely determined by the market supply and demand, primarily from livestock operators and marketing companies in the U.S. and internationally. Distillers grain is sold by the ton and, based upon the amount of moisture retained in the product, can either be sold “wet” or “dry”.

The corn oil produced at our plants is used primarily as a feedstock for the production of biodiesel and as an animal feed ingredient. We market the corn oil produced in Wood River ourselves, although a portion is often sold to the same third party marketer that purchases our dried distillers grain from that facility. Most of the corn oil produced in Fairmont is being sold to a biodiesel producer under an off-take agreement.

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Cost of goods sold and gross profit (loss)

Our gross profit (loss) is derived from our revenues less our cost of goods sold. Our cost of goods sold is affected primarily by the cost of corn and natural gas. The prices of both corn and natural gas are volatile and can vary as a result of a wide variety of factors, including weather, market demand, regulation and general economic conditions, all of which are outside of our control.

Corn is our most significant raw material cost. Rising corn prices may result in lower profit margins because changes in ethanol prices are not necessarily correlated with changes in corn prices and therefore producers are not always able to pass along increased corn costs to customers. The price and availability of corn is influenced by weather conditions and other factors affecting crop yields, farmer planting decisions and general economic, market and regulatory factors. These factors include government policies and subsidies with respect to agriculture and international trade, and global and local demand and supply for corn and for other agricultural commodities for which it may be substituted, such as soybeans. Historically, the cash price we pay for corn, relative to the spot price of corn, tends to rise during the spring planting season in April and May as the local basis (i.e., discount) contracts, and tends to decrease relative to the spot price during the fall harvest in October and November as the local basis expands.

We also purchase natural gas to power steam generation in our ethanol production process and as fuel for our dryers to dry our distillers grain. Natural gas represents our second largest operating cost after corn, and natural gas prices are extremely volatile. Historically, the spot price of natural gas tends to be highest during the heating and cooling seasons and tends to decrease during the spring and fall.

Corn procurement fees paid to Cargill are included in our cost of goods sold. Other cost of goods sold primarily consists of our cost of chemicals and enzymes, electricity, depreciation, manufacturing overhead and rail car lease expense.

General and administrative expenses

General and administrative expenses consist of salaries and benefits paid to our management and administrative employees, expenses relating to third party services, travel, office rent, marketing and other expenses, including expenses associated with being a public company, such as fees paid to our independent auditors associated with our annual audit and quarterly reviews, directors’ fees, and listing and transfer agent fees.

Results of operations

The following discussion summarizes the significant factors affecting the consolidated operating results of the Company for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and September 30, 2011. This discussion should be read in conjunction with the unaudited consolidated financial statements and notes to the unaudited consolidated financial statements contained in this Form 10-Q.

The following table sets forth net sales, expenses and net loss, as well as the percentage relationship to net sales of certain items in our consolidated statements of operations:

	Three Months Ended September 30,										Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012					2011					2012					2011
	(unaudited)										(unaudited)
	(dollars in thousands)										(dollars in thousands)
Net sales	$	116,149		100.0	%	$	162,547		100.0	%	$	378,382		100.0	%	$	489,083		100.0	%
Cost of goods sold		124,192		106.9			155,498		95.7			401,204		106.0			487,950		99.8
Gross profit (loss)		(8,043	)	(6.9	)		7,049		4.3			(22,822	)	(6.0	)		1,133		0.2
General and administrative expenses		2,064		1.8			2,522		1.5			7,232		1.9			7,755		1.6
Operating income (loss)		(10,107	)	(8.7	)		4,527		2.8			(30,054	)	(7.9	)		(6,622	)	(1.4	)
Other income		680		0.6			—		0.0			680		0.2			—		0.0
Interest expense		(1,901	)	(1.7	)		(1,978	)	(1.2	)		(5,461	)	(1.5	)		(8,195	)	(1.7	)
Net income (loss)		(11,328	)	(9.7	)		2,549		1.6			(34,835	)	(9.2	)		(14,817	)	(3.1	)
Less: Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest		1,498		1.3			(355	)	(0.2	)		5,015		1.3			2,307		0.5
Net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp. common stockholders	$	(9,830	)	(8.4	)%	$	2,194		1.4	%	$	(29,820	)	(7.9	)%	$	(12,510	)	(2.6	)%

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The following table sets forth key operational data for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and September 30, 2011 that we believe are important indicators of our results of operations:

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012		2011		2012		2011
Ethanol sold (gallons, in thousands)		36,271		50,716		134,786		162,381
Dry distillers grains sold (tons, in thousands)		32.6		80.1		131.9		260.2
Wet distillers grains sold (tons, in thousands)		170.8		165.2		654.0		499.1
Corn oil sold (pounds, in thousands)		11,466		—		28,626		—
Corn ground (bushels, in thousands)		12,632		18,010		48,120		58,558

Three Months Ended September 30, 2012 Compared to the Three Months Ended September 30, 2011

Net Sales:   Net Sales were $116.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2012, compared to $162.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2011, a decrease of $46.4 million or 28.6%. This decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in ethanol revenue of $51.4 million which was offset by an increase in co-product revenue of $5.0 million. The decrease in ethanol revenue was attributable to both a decrease in the per unit price we received for ethanol, reflecting decreases in market prices compared to the year ago period, and a decrease in the quantity of ethanol produced and sold. Lower ethanol production as compared to the prior year resulted primarily from reduced grind rates due to a continuing tight corn supply in the third quarter of 2012. The increase in co-product revenue was primarily attributable to the inclusion of corn oil revenue in the three months ended September 30, 2012. The Company commenced corn oil extraction at both plants in the first quarter of 2012, which resulted in $4.4 million of corn oil revenue in the third quarter of 2012. Distillers grains revenue was unchanged as compared to the year ago period. Although distillers grains production was lower resulting from the reduced corn grind, the lower production and resulting sales was offset by higher per unit prices received for our distillers grains.

Cost of goods sold:   The following table sets forth the components of cost of goods sold for the three months ended September 30, 2012 and September 30, 2011:

	Three Months Ended September 30,
	2012				2011
	Amount		Per Gallon of Ethanol		Amount		Per Gallon of Ethanol
	(amounts in thousands, except per gallon amounts)
Corn	$	100,204	$	2.76	$	126,968	$	2.50
Natural gas		2,835	$	0.08		5,815	$	0.11
Denaturant		1,665	$	0.05		1,816	$	0.04
Electricity		3,299	$	0.09		3,616	$	0.07
Chemicals and enzymes		2,565	$	0.07		3,844	$	0.08
General operating expenses		7,083	$	0.19		6,972	$	0.14
Depreciation		6,541	$	0.18		6,467	$	0.13
Cost of goods sold	$	124,192			$	155,498

Cost of goods sold was $124.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2012 compared to $155.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2011, a decrease of $31.3 million or 20.1%. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $26.8 million decrease in the cost of corn and a $3.0 million decrease in natural gas expense. The decrease in corn cost was primarily attributable to a decrease in the amount of corn ground as compared to the year ago period offset in part by a higher per-bushel price. The decrease in natural gas expense resulted from both a decrease in the amount of production of dry distillers grain as compared to the year ago period, as we produced more wet distillers grain, in addition to a decrease in the unit price paid for natural gas as compared to the year ago period.

General and administrative expenses:   General and administrative expenses decreased $0.5 million or 20.0%, to $2.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2012, as compared to $2.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2011. The decrease was primarily attributable to a reduction in compensation expense.

Interest expense:   Interest expense was $1.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2012, compared to $2.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2011, a decrease of $0.1 million or 5.0%. The decrease in interest expense was primarily attributable to the Company’s average outstanding debt balance being lower during the three months ended September 30, 2012 as compared to the year ago period.

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Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012 Compared to the Nine Months Ended September 30, 2011

Net Sales:   Net Sales were $378.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2012, compared to $489.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011, a decrease of $110.7 million or 22.6%. This decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease in ethanol revenue of $122.4 million which was offset by an increase in co-product revenue of $11.7 million. The decrease in ethanol revenue was attributable to both a decrease in the per unit price we received for ethanol, reflecting decreases in market prices compared to the year ago period, and a decrease in the quantity of ethanol produced and sold. Lower ethanol production as compared to the prior year resulted primarily from reduced grind rates due to a tightened corn supply in the first nine months of 2012. The increase in co-product revenue was primarily attributable to the commencement of corn oil extraction at both of our plants in the first quarter of 2012, which resulted in $11.1 million of corn oil revenue for the first nine months of 2012. Distillers grains revenue was relatively unchanged as compared to the year ago period. Although distillers grains production was lower resulting from the reduced corn grind, the lower production and resulting sales was offset by higher per unit prices received for our distillers grains.

Cost of goods sold:   The following table sets forth the components of cost of goods sold for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and September 30, 2011:

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012				2011
	Amount		Per Gallon of Ethanol		Amount		Per Gallon of Ethanol
	(amounts in thousands, except per gallon amounts)
Corn	$	324,824	$	2.41	$	398,779	$	2.46
Natural gas		10,396	$	0.08		20,683	$	0.13
Denaturant		5,562	$	0.04		5,701	$	0.04
Electricity		9,895	$	0.07		10,136	$	0.06
Chemicals and enzymes		9,414	$	0.07		12,037	$	0.07
General operating expenses		21,503	$	0.16		21,204	$	0.13
Depreciation		19,610	$	0.15		19,410	$	0.12
Cost of goods sold	$	401,204			$	487,950

Cost of goods sold was $401.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2012, compared to $488.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011, a decrease of $86.8 million or 17.8%. The decrease was primarily attributable to a $74.0 million decrease in the cost of corn and a $10.3 million decrease in natural gas expense. The decrease in corn cost was primarily attributable to a decrease in the amount of corn ground as compared to the year ago period. The decrease in natural gas expense resulted from both a decrease in the amount of production of dry distillers grain as compared to the year ago period, as we produced more wet distillers grain, in addition to a decrease in the unit price paid for natural gas as compared to the year ago period.

General and administrative expenses:   General and administrative expenses decreased $0.6 million or 7.7%, to $7.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2012, as compared to $7.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011. The decrease was primarily attributable to a reduction in compensation expense.

Interest expense:   Interest expense was $5.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2012, compared to $8.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011, a decrease of $2.7 million or 32.9%. The decrease in interest expense was primarily attributable to the Company’s average outstanding debt balance being lower during the nine months ended September 30, 2012, as compared to the year ago period, resulting primarily from the Company paying off its subordinated debt and bridge loan in the first quarter of 2011, in addition to the Company having expensed $1.5 million of remaining unamortized debt issuance costs related to the subordinated debt and bridge loan when those debt facilities were paid off in the year ago period. See “— Liquidity and capital resources — Rights Offering and LLC Concurrent Private Placement”.

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Liquidity and capital resources

Our cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and September 30, 2011 are summarized below (in thousands):

	Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011
Cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities	$	2,717		$	14,113
Investing activities		(606	)		(2,067	)
Financing activities		(6,408	)		(9,810	)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	$	(4,297	)	$	2,236

Cash provided by operating activities.   Net cash provided by operating activities was $2.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2012, compared to $14.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, the amount was primarily comprised of a net loss of $34.8 million which was offset by working capital sources of $12.5 million and non-cash charges of $22.3 million, which were primarily depreciation and amortization. Working capital sources primarily related to a decrease in inventories of $13.3 million. The decrease in inventories was primarily a result of carrying lower corn, work-in-process, and ethanol inventory balances at September 30, 2012 versus December 31, 2011. For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, the amount was primarily comprised of a net loss of $14.8 million which was offset by working capital sources of $5.1 million and non-cash charges of $23.8 million, which were primarily depreciation and amortization.

Cash used in investing activities.   Net cash used in investing activities was $0.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2012, compared to $2.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011. The net cash used in investing activities during both periods was for capital expenditures related to various plant improvement projects.

Cash used in financing activities.   Net cash used in financing activities was $6.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2012, compared to $9.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2011. For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, the amount was primarily comprised of $6.3 million in principal payments under our Senior Debt Facility. For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, the amount was primarily comprised of $46.0 million of proceeds related to our Rights Offering and LLC concurrent private placement, offset by $9.5 million in principal payments under our Senior Debt Facility, a $21.5 million payment to pay off our subordinated debt, a $20.0 million payment to pay off our bridge loan, $3.1 million in payments of notes payable and capital leases, and $1.7 million in payments for debt and equity issuance costs.

Our principal source of liquidity at September 30, 2012 consisted of cash generated from operations and cash and cash equivalents of $10.8 million. We have also relied upon extensions of payment terms by Cargill as an additional source of liquidity and working capital. As of September 30, 2012, we owed Cargill $11.1 million for accounts payable related to corn purchases. Pursuant to an arrangement with Cargill, we have been permitted to extend corn payment terms beyond the $10.0 million contractual limit so long as the amounts Cargill owes us for ethanol exceed the accounts payable balance by an amount that is satisfactory to Cargill. This arrangement may be terminated by Cargill at any time on little or no notice, in which case we would need to use cash on hand or other sources of liquidity, if available, to fund our operations.

Our principal liquidity needs are expected to be funding our plant operations, capital expenditures, debt service requirements and general corporate purposes. As noted elsewhere in this report, the Company reported net losses of $11.3 million and $34.8 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, due to narrow commodity margins. We have had, and continue to have, limited liquidity. We cannot predict when or if crush spreads will fluctuate again or if the current commodity margins will improve or worsen. As described in “Liquidity and Going Concern Considerations” above, we have idled our Fairmont facility until the crush spread improves and the Operating Subsidiaries did not make their regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest that were due under the outstanding Senior Debt Facility on September 28, 2012 which caused the Administrative Agent under the Senior Debt Facility to issue a notice of default. In the event crush spreads narrow further, we may choose to curtail operations at our Wood River facility or idle the facility and cease operations altogether until such time as crush spreads improve. We expect fluctuations in the crush spread to continue. If the Company is unable to reach an agreement with its lenders under the Senior Debt Facility, and if its lenders successfully exercise their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility, the Company may be forced to seek relief from creditors through a filing under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

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Senior Debt Facility

In September 2006, the Operating Subsidiaries entered into the Senior Debt Facility to finance the construction of and provide working capital to operate our ethanol plants. Neither the Company nor the LLC is a borrower under the Senior Debt Facility, although the equity interests and assets of our subsidiaries are pledged as collateral to secure the debt under the facility. Principal payments under the Senior Debt Facility are payable quarterly at a minimum amount of $3,150,000, with additional pre-payments to be made out of available cash flow. These term loans mature in September 2014.

The Operating Subsidiaries did not make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest that were due under the outstanding Senior Debt Facility on September 28, 2012, in an aggregate amount of $3.6 million. As a result, the Operating Subsidiaries received a Notice of Default on September 28, 2012 from First National Bank of Omaha, as Administrative Agent for the Senior Debt Facility, concerning the failure to make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest. On November 5, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries and its lenders entered into a Forbearance Agreement whereby its lenders agreed to forbear from exercising their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility until November 15, 2012. The Company is engaged in active and continuing discussions with its lenders and their advisors regarding the terms of a potential resolution. Although the Company expects to reach resolution with its lenders with respect to this matter, there can be no assurance it will do so. See—“Liquidity and Going Concern Considerations” above.

As of September 30, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries had $170.5 million of indebtedness outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility. The entire amount outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility has been classified as a current liability in the September 30, 2012 consolidated balance sheet. If the Company is unable to reach an agreement with its lenders under the Senior Debt Facility, and if its lenders successfully attempt to exercise their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility, the Company may be unable to continue as a going concern, and could be forced to seek relief from creditors through a filing under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Interest rates on the Senior Debt Facility are, at management’s option, set at: i) a base rate, which is the higher of the federal funds rate plus 0.5% or the administrative agent’s prime rate, in each case plus a margin of 2.0%; or ii) at LIBOR plus 3.0%. Interest on base rate loans is payable quarterly and, depending on the LIBOR rate elected, as frequently as monthly on LIBOR loans, but no less frequently than quarterly. The weighted average interest rate in effect on the borrowings at September 30, 2012 was 3.3%.

The Senior Debt Facility is secured by a first priority lien on all right, title and interest in and to the Wood River and Fairmont plants and any accounts receivable or property associated with those plants and a pledge of all of our equity interests in the Operating Subsidiaries. The Operating Subsidiaries have established collateral deposit accounts maintained by an agent of the banks, into which our revenues are deposited, subject to security interests to secure any outstanding obligations under the Senior Debt Facility. These funds are then allocated into various sweep accounts held by the collateral agent, including accounts that provide funds for the operating expenses of the Operating Subsidiaries. The collateral accounts have various provisions, including historical and prospective debt service coverage ratios and debt service reserve requirements, which determine whether there is, and the amount of, cash available to the LLC from the collateral accounts each month. The terms of the Senior Debt Facility also include covenants that impose certain limitations on, among other things, the ability of the Operating Subsidiaries to incur additional debt, grant liens or encumbrances, declare or pay dividends or distributions, conduct asset sales or other dispositions, merge or consolidate, and conduct transactions with affiliates. The terms of the Senior Debt Facility also include customary events of default including failure to meet payment obligations, failure to pay financial obligations, failure of the Operating Subsidiaries of the LLC to remain solvent and failure to obtain or maintain required governmental approvals. Under the terms of separate management services agreements between our Operating Subsidiaries and the LLC, the Operating Subsidiaries pay a monthly management fee of $869,000 to the LLC to cover salaries, rent, and other operating expenses of the LLC, which payments are unaffected by the terms of the Senior Debt Facility or the collateral accounts.

Debt issuance fees and expenses of $7.9 million ($1.9 million, net of accumulated amortization as of September 30, 2012) have been incurred in connection with the Senior Debt Facility. These costs have been deferred and are being amortized and expensed over the term of the Senior Debt Facility.

Capital lease

The LLC, through its subsidiary that constructed the Fairmont plant, has entered into an agreement with the local utility pursuant to which the utility has built and owns and operates a substation and distribution facility in order to supply electricity to the plant. The LLC is paying a fixed facilities charge based on the cost of the substation and distribution facility of $34,000 per month, over the 30-year term of the agreement. This fixed facilities charge is being accounted for as a capital lease in the accompanying financial statements. The agreement also includes a $25,000 monthly minimum energy charge that also began in the first quarter of 2008.

Note payable

The subsidiary of the LLC that constructed the Wood River facility has entered into a note payable for $419,000 with the City of Wood River for special assessments related to street, water and sanitary improvements at our Wood River facility. This note requires ten annual payments of $58,000, including interest at 6.5% per annum, and matures in 2018.

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Tax increment financing

In February 2007, the subsidiary of the LLC that constructed the Wood River plant received $6.0 million from the proceeds of a tax increment revenue note issued by the City of Wood River, Nebraska. The proceeds funded improvements to property owned by the subsidiary. The City of Wood River will pay the principal and interest of the note from the incremental increase in the property taxes related to the improvements made to the property. The proceeds have been recorded as a liability which is reduced as the subsidiary of the LLC remits property taxes to the City of Wood River, which began in 2008 and will continue through 2021. The LLC has guaranteed the principal and interest of the tax increment revenue note if, for any reason, the City of Wood River fails to make the required payments to the holder of the note or the subsidiary of the LLC fails to make the required payments to the City of Wood River.

Rights Offering and LLC Concurrent Private Placement

In February 2011, we completed a Rights Offering (the “Rights Offering”) entailing a distribution to our common stockholders of rights to purchase depositary shares representing fractional interests in shares of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”). Concurrent with the Rights Offering, the LLC conducted a private placement of LLC interests that was structured to provide the holders of the membership interests in the LLC (other than the Company) with a private placement that was economically equivalent to the Rights Offering. On February 2, 2011, the Company’s stockholders approved an increase in the number of authorized shares of common stock of the Company, which resulted in the automatic conversion of shares of the Preferred Stock into shares of the Company’s common stock such that subscribers in the Rights Offering were issued one share of common stock in lieu of each depositary share subscribed for. These transactions were completed and 3,188,681 shares of common stock, at a price of $11.20 per share, and 918,463 LLC membership interests, at a price of $11.20 per unit (along with an equivalent number of shares of Class B common stock), were issued on February 4, 2011. The aggregate gross proceeds of the Rights Offering and the concurrent private placement were $46.0 million. The proceeds of the transaction were used to (i) repay in full $20.3 million owed under a bridge loan previously provided by certain affiliates of Greenlight Capital, Inc. and certain affiliates of Third Point LLC, (ii) repay in full $21.5 million owed under our then outstanding subordinated debt, (iii) repay $2.8 million of debt owed to Cargill and (iv) pay certain fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Rights Offering and the LLC’s concurrent private placement.

On February 15, 2011, the Company issued 329,890 shares of common stock to Cargill in exchange for the extinguishment of the remaining amount of indebtedness owed to Cargill. An additional $2.0 million that was carried on our balance sheet at December 31, 2010 due to troubled debt restructuring accounting was also extinguished. This amount, in addition to $2.8 million of debt that was forgiven by Cargill, was accounted for as a capital contribution to additional paid-in capital because the Company and Cargill were considered related parties.

Off-balance sheet arrangements

Except for our operating leases, we do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a material current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.

Summary of critical accounting policies and significant estimates

The consolidated financial statements of BioFuel Energy Corp. included in this Form 10-Q have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. Note 2 to these consolidated financial statements contains a summary of our significant accounting policies, certain of which require the use of estimates and assumptions. Accounting estimates are an integral part of the preparation of financial statements and are based on judgments by management using its knowledge and experience about the past and current events and assumptions regarding future events, all of which we consider to be reasonable. These judgments and estimates reflect the effects of matters that are inherently uncertain and that affect the carrying value of our assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent liabilities and reported amounts of expenses during the reporting period.

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The accounting estimates and assumptions discussed in this section are those that we believe involve significant judgments and the most uncertainty. Changes in these estimates or assumptions could materially affect our financial position and results of operations and are therefore important to an understanding of our consolidated financial statements.

Revenues

The Company sells its ethanol, distillers grain and corn oil products under the terms of marketing agreements. Revenue is recognized when risk of loss and title transfers upon shipment of ethanol, distillers grain or corn oil. In accordance with our marketing agreements, the Company records its revenues based on the amounts payable to us at the time of our sales of ethanol, distillers grain or corn oil. For our ethanol that is sold within the United States, the amount payable is equal to the average delivered price per gallon received by the marketing pool from Cargill’s customers, less average transportation and storage charges incurred by Cargill, and less a commission. We also sell a portion of our ethanol production to Cargill for export, which sales are shipped undenatured and are excluded from the marketing pool. For exported ethanol sales, the amount payable is equal to the contracted delivered price per gallon, less transportation and storage charges, and less a commission. The amount payable for distillers grain and corn oil is equal to the market price at the time of sale less a commission.

Recoverability of property, plant and equipment

The Company has two asset groups, its ethanol facility in Fairmont and its ethanol facility in Wood River, which are evaluated separately when considering whether the carrying value of these assets has been impaired. The Company continually monitors whether or not events or circumstances exist that would warrant impairment testing of its long-lived assets. In evaluating whether impairment testing should be performed, the Company considers several factors including the carrying value of its long-lived assets, projected production volumes at its facilities, projected ethanol and distillers grain prices that we expect to receive, and projected corn and natural gas costs we expect to incur. In the ethanol industry, operating margins, and consequently undiscounted future cash flows, are primarily driven by the crush spread. In the event that the crush spread is sufficiently depressed to result in negative operating cash flow at its facilities for an extended time period, the Company will evaluate whether an impairment of its long-lived assets may have occurred. Recoverability is measured by comparing the carrying value of an asset with estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. An impairment loss is reflected as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Fair value is determined based on the present value of estimated expected future cash flows using a discount rate commensurate with the risk involved, quoted market prices or appraised values, depending on the nature of the assets. As of September 30, 2012, the Company performed an impairment evaluation of the recoverability of its long-lived assets due to depressed crush spreads. As a result of the impairment evaluation, it was determined that the future cash flows from the assets exceeded the carrying values, and therefore no further analysis was necessary and no impairment was recorded.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. The Company regularly reviews historical and anticipated future pre-tax results of operations to determine whether the Company will be able to realize the benefit of its deferred tax assets. A valuation allowance is required to reduce the potential deferred tax asset when it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the potential deferred tax asset will not be realized due to the lack of sufficient taxable income. The most significant component of our deferred tax asset balance relates to our net operating loss and credit carryforwards. As the Company has incurred tax losses since its inception and expects to continue to incur tax losses for the foreseeable future, we will continue to provide a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets until the Company believes that such assets will be realized.

Recent accounting pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by standards setting bodies that are adopted by us as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, our management believes that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

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ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We are subject to significant risks relating to the prices of four primary commodities: corn and natural gas, our principal production inputs, and ethanol and distillers grain, our principal products. These commodities are also subject to geographic basis differentials, which can vary considerably. In recent years, ethanol prices have been primarily influenced by gasoline prices, the availability of other gasoline additives and federal, state and local laws, regulations, subsidies and tariffs. Distillers grain prices, though highly correlated to corn, tend to be influenced by the prices of alternative animal feeds.

We expect that lower ethanol prices will tend to result in lower profit margins even when corn prices decrease due to the significance of fixed costs. The price of ethanol is subject to wide fluctuations due to domestic and international supply and demand, infrastructure, government policies, including subsidies and tariffs, and numerous other factors. Ethanol prices are extremely volatile. From October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2012, the Chicago Board of Trade (“CBOT”) ethanol prices have fluctuated from a low of $1.91 per gallon in October 2010 to a high of $3.07 per gallon in July 2011 and averaged $2.42 per gallon during this period.

We expect that lower distillers grain prices, as a relative value to corn, will tend to result in lower profit margins. The selling prices we realize for our distillers grain are largely determined by market supply and demand, primarily from livestock operators and marketing companies in the U.S. and internationally. Distillers grain is sold by the ton and can either be sold “wet” or “dry”.

We anticipate that higher corn prices will tend to result in lower profit margins, as it is unlikely that such an increase in costs can be passed on to ethanol customers. The availability as well as the price of corn is subject to wide fluctuations due to weather, carry-over supplies from the previous year or years, current crop yields, government agriculture policies, international supply and demand and numerous other factors. Using recent corn prices of $7.35 per bushel, we estimate that corn will represent approximately 84% of our operating costs. Historically, the spot price of corn tends to rise during the spring planting season in April and May and tends to decrease during the fall harvest in October and November. From October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2012, the CBOT price of corn has fluctuated from a low of $4.66 per bushel in October 2010 to a high of $8.31 per bushel in August 2012 and averaged $6.64 per bushel during this period.

Higher natural gas prices will tend to reduce our profit margin, as it is unlikely that such an increase in costs can be passed on to ethanol customers. Natural gas prices and availability are affected by weather, overall economic conditions, oil prices and numerous other factors. Using recent corn prices of $7.35 per bushel and recent natural gas prices of $3.25 per Mmbtu, we estimate that natural gas will represent approximately 3% of our operating costs. Historically, the spot price of natural gas tends to be highest during the heating and cooling seasons and tends to decrease during the spring and fall. From October 1, 2010 to September 30, 2012, the New York Mercantile Exchange (“NYMEX”) price of natural gas has fluctuated from a low of $1.91 per Mmbtu in April 2012 to a high of $4.85 per Mmbtu in June 2011 and averaged $3.47 per Mmbtu during this period.

To reduce the risks implicit in price fluctuations of these four principal commodities and variations in interest rates, we plan to continuously monitor these markets and to hedge a portion of our exposure, provided we have the financial resources to do so. In hedging, we may buy or sell exchange-traded commodities futures or options, or enter into swaps or other hedging arrangements. While there is an active futures market for corn and natural gas, the futures market for ethanol is still relatively illiquid, and we do not believe a futures market for distillers grain currently exists. Although we will attempt to link our hedging activities such that sales of ethanol and distillers grain match pricing of corn and natural gas, there is a limited ability to do this against the current forward or futures market for ethanol and corn. Consequently, our hedging of ethanol and distillers grain may be limited or have limited effectiveness due to the nature of these markets. Due to the Company’s limited liquidity resources and the potential for required postings of significant cash collateral or margin deposits resulting from changes in commodity prices associated with hedging activities, the Company is currently able to engage in such hedging activities only on a limited basis. We also may vary the amount of hedging activities we undertake, and may choose to not engage in hedging transactions at all. As a result, our operations and financial position may be adversely affected by increases in the price of corn or natural gas or decreases in the price of ethanol or unleaded gasoline.

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We have prepared a sensitivity analysis as set forth below to estimate our exposure to market risk with respect to our projected corn and natural gas requirements and our ethanol and distillers grain sales for the last three months of 2012. Market risk related to these factors is estimated as the potential change in pre-tax income, resulting from a hypothetical 10% adverse change in each of our four primary commodities, independently, based on current prices as of September 30, 2012, excluding activity we may undertake related to forward and futures contracts used to hedge our market risk. The following amounts reflect the Company’s expected 2012 production for the last three months of the year. Actual results may vary from these amounts due to various factors including significant increases or decreases in the LLC’s production capacity during the last three months of 2012.

	Volume		Units		Price per Unit at September 30, 2012		Hypothetical Adverse Change in Price			Change in Three Months Ended December 31, 2012 Pre-tax Income
	(in millions)									(in millions)
Ethanol		28.0		Gallons	$	2.25		10	%	$	(6.3	)
Dry Distillers		0.1		Tons	$	260.00		10	%	$	(2.6	)
Wet Distillers		0.2		Tons	$	89.00		10	%	$	(1.8	)
Corn		9.8		Bushels	$	7.35		10	%	$	(7.2	)
Natural Gas		0.6		Mmbtu	$	3.25		10	%	$	(0.2	)

We are subject to interest rate risk in connection with our Senior Debt Facility. Under the facility, our bank borrowings bear interest at a floating rate based, at our option, on LIBOR or an alternate base rate. As of September 30, 2012, we had borrowed $170.5 million under our Senior Debt Facility. A hypothetical 100 basis points increase in interest rates under our Senior Debt Facility would result in an increase of $1,705,000 on our annual interest expense.

At September 30, 2012, we had $10.8 million of cash and cash equivalents invested in both standard cash accounts and money market mutual funds held at three financial institutions, which is in excess of FDIC insurance limits.

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ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Controls and Procedures

The Company’s management carried out an evaluation, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”), with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of our last fiscal quarter. Based upon this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, such that the information relating to the Company and its consolidated subsidiaries required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports filed with the SEC (i) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and (ii) is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

  In addition, the Company’s management carried out an evaluation, as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, of changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting. Based on this evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that no change in internal control over financial reporting occurred during the quarter ended September 30, 2012, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

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PART II.  OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 6. EXHIBITS

Number	Description
3.1	Form of Certificate of Amendment of the Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of BioFuel Energy Corp. (incorporated by reference to Appendix A to the Company’s Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed April 12, 2012).
3.2	Amended and Restated Bylaws of BioFuel Energy Corp dated March 20, 2009 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Company’s Form 8-K filed March 23, 2009).
31.1	Certification of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer Pursuant To Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. Section 7241).
31.2	Certification of the Company’s Chief Financial Officer Pursuant To Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. Section 7241).
32.1	Certification of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer Pursuant To Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. Section 1350).
32.2	Certification of the Company’s Chief Financial Officer Pursuant To Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. Section 1350).
99.1	Press Release Announcing Results for the Third Quarter of 2012.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

	BIOFUEL ENERGY CORP.
	(Registrant)
Date: November 14, 2012	By:	/s/  Scott H. Pearce
		Scott H. Pearce
		President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Date: November 14, 2012	By:	/s/  Kelly G. Maguire
		Kelly G. Maguire
		Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

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EX-31.1

EXHIBIT 31.1

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

PURSUANT TO SECTION 302

OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Scott H. Pearce, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of BioFuel Energy Corp.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors:

a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: November 14, 2012	/s/ Scott Pearce
	Scott H. Pearce
	President and Chief Executive Officer

EX-31.2

EXHIBIT 31.2

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

PURSUANT TO SECTION 302

OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

I, Kelly G. Maguire, certify that:

1. I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of BioFuel Energy Corp.;

2. Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3. Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a) Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

b) Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

c) Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

d) Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5. The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors:

a) All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

b) Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date:  November 14, 2012	/s/ Kelly Maguire
	Kelly G. Maguire
	Executive Vice President and
	Chief Financial Officer

EX-32.1

EXHIBIT 32.1

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of BioFuel Energy Corp. (the “Corporation”) on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2012 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Scott H. Pearce, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation, certify to my knowledge, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. Section 1350), that:

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Corporation.

Date:  November 14, 2012	/s/ Scott Pearce
	Scott H. Pearce
	President and Chief Executive Officer

EX-32.2

EXHIBIT 32.2

CERTIFICATION OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Quarterly Report of BioFuel Energy Corp. (the “Corporation”) on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2012 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Kelly G. Maguire, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Corporation, certify to my knowledge, pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (18 U.S.C. Section 1350), that:

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

2. The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Corporation.

Date:  November 14, 2012	/s/ Kelly Maguire
	Kelly G. Maguire
	Executive Vice President and
	Chief Financial Officer

EX-99.1

NEWS RELEASE

BIOFUEL ENERGY REPORTS THIRD QUARTER 2012 RESULTS

DENVER, COLORADO – NOVEMBER 13, 2012 – BIOFUEL ENERGY CORP. (NASDAQ:BIOF), an ethanol production company, today announced its third quarter 2012 results. For the quarter ended September 30, 2012, the net loss was $11.3 million on revenues of $116.1 million, compared with net income of $2.5 million on revenues of $162.5 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2011. For the quarter ended September 30, 2012, the net loss attributable to common stockholders was $9.8 million, or $1.88 per share, while for the three months ended September 30, 2011 the net income attributable to common stockholders was $2.2 million, or $.36 per diluted share.

“We continue to try to make the appropriate operating decisions in managing our assets. Given the continuation of a weak corn-ethanol crush spread, and additional pressure from local corn basis, we are currently operating only our Nebraska plant.” said Scott H. Pearce, the Company’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “We look forward to an improved crush spread environment in which we can restart our Minnesota facility. In the meantime, we continue to have ongoing dialogue with our senior lenders to resolve our current liquidity issues and enhance our working capital position going forward.”

For the quarter ended September 30, 2012, the Company’s operating loss was $10.1 million, which resulted from $124.2 million in cost of goods sold and $2.1 million in general and administrative expenses. During the third quarter of 2012, the Company also had $0.7 million of other income while incurring $1.9 million in interest expense, which resulted in a net loss of $11.3 million. For the same period of 2011, our operating income was $4.5 million, which resulted from $155.5 million in cost of goods sold and $2.5 million in general and administrative expenses. The Company also had $2.0 million of interest expense in the third quarter of 2011, which resulted in net income of $2.5 million.

As previously disclosed, the Company’s operating subsidiaries did not make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest that were due on September 28, 2012, in an aggregate amount of $3.6 million, on the term loans outstanding under their senior debt facility, which resulted in the Company receiving a notice of default from the lenders of the senior debt facility. As a result, the Company has classified the entire $170.5 million in term loans outstanding as a current liability on the Company’s September 30, 2012 balance sheet.The Company, on behalf of its operating subsidiaries, has had, and intends to continue to have, discussions with the lenders regarding the terms of a potential forbearance, reinstatement and/or restructuring of the term loans. At September 30, 2012, the Company held $10.8 million of cash and cash equivalents and equity totaled $66.2 million, including $0.3 million of noncontrolling interest.

The Company plans to host a conference call on Wednesday, November 14, 2012 beginning at 11:00 a.m. (EST) to discuss the results. To participate, please dial (800) 944-8766. The participant code for the call is 41876. Approximately 90 minutes following the call, a phone playback will be available for 30 days by dialing (866) 281-6782. The access code for the replay is 168656.

1600 Broadway, Suite 2200• Denver, CO • 303.640-6500 • www.bfenergy.com

This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Federal securities laws. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations, estimates and projections, which are subject to a wide range of uncertainties and business risks. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of whether, or the times by which, our performance or results may be achieved. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those anticipated are discussed in our Exchange Act filings and our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

BioFuel Energy currently has two 110 million gallons per year ethanol plants in the Midwestern corn belt. The Company’s goal is to become a leading ethanol producer in the United States by acquiring, developing, owning and operating ethanol production facilities.

###

Contact:	Kelly G. Maguire	For more information:
	Executive Vice President &	www.bfenergy.com
	Chief Financial Officer
	(303) 640-6500
	kmaguire@bfenergy.com

1600 Broadway, Suite 2200• Denver, CO • 303.640-6500 • www.bfenergy.com

BioFuel Energy Corp.

(in thousands, except per share amounts)

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
Summary Income Statement	2012			2011			2012			2011
Net sales	$	116,149		$	162,547		$	378,382		$	489,083
Cost of goods sold		124,192			155,498			401,204			487,950
Gross profit (loss)		(8,043	)		7,049	#		(22,822	)		1,133
General and administrative expenses:
Compensation expense		1,435			1,676			4,750			5,062
Other		629			846			2,482			2,693
Operating income (loss)		(10,107	)		4,527			(30,054	)		(6,622	)
Other income		680			-			680			-
Interest expense		(1,901	)		(1,978	)		(5,461	)		(8,195	)
Net income (loss)		(11,328	)		2,549			(34,835	)		(14,817	)
Less: Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest		1,498			(355	)		5,015			2,307
Net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp. common stockholders	$	(9,830	)	$	2,194		$	(29,820	)	$	(12,510	)
Income (loss) per share attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp. common stockholders:
Basic	$	(1.88	)	$	0.43		$	(5.76	)	$	(2.72	)
Diluted	$	(1.88	)	$	0.36		$	(5.76	)	$	(2.72	)
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic		5,224			5,120			5,178			4,602
Diluted		5,224			6,152			5,178			4,602
Additional Operational Data
Ethanol sold (gallons, in thousands)		36,271			50,716			134,786			162,381
Dry distillers grain sold (tons, in thousands)		32.6			80.1			131.9			260.2
Wet distillers grain sold (tons, in thousands)		170.8			165.2			654.0			499.1
Corn oil sold (pounds, in thousands)		11,466			—			28,626			—
Corn ground (bushels, in thousands)		12,632			18,010			48,120			58,558

	September 30		December 31,
Summary Balance Sheet	2012		2011
Cash and cash equivalents	$	10,842	$	15,139
Accounts receivable		13,939		13,591
Inventories		12,917		26,188
Prepaid expenses		900		2,148
Other current assets		3,500		421
Property, plant and equipment, net		216,073		235,888
Debt issuance costs, net		1,990		2,763
Other non-current assets		3,008		3,448
Total assets	$	263,169	$	299,586
Total current liabilities	$	186,524	$	24,452
Long-term debt, net of current portion		2,708		166,937
Tax increment financing, net of current portion		4,573		4,867
Other non-current liabilities		3,138		3,388
Total liabilities		196,943		199,644
BioFuel Energy Corp. stockholders' equity		65,882		94,310
Noncontrolling interest		344		5,632
Total equity		66,226		99,942
Total liabilities and equity	$	263,169	$	299,586

	Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) to EBITDA	2012			2011		2012			2011
Net income (loss)	$	(11,328	)	$	2,549	$	(34,835	)	$	(14,817	)
Interest expense		1,901			1,978		5,461			8,195
Depreciation and amortization expense included in cost of goods sold		6,541			6,467		19,610			19,410
Depreciation and amortization expense included in G&A expenses		265			269		798			822
EBITDA	$	(2,621	)	$	11,263	$	(8,966	)	$	13,610

XML

Earnings Per Share (Details Textual)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Reverse Stock Split Outstanding Common Stock Ratio			one-for-twenty
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	71,509	73,883	71,509	72,633

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Income Taxes (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012
Operating Loss Carryforwards	$ 227.5

XML

Stock-Based Compensation (Details 1) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012
Shares Options outstanding, January 1, 2012	73,610
Shares Granted	0
Shares Exercised	0
Shares Forfeited	(2,101)
Shares Options outstanding, September 30, 2012	71,509
Shares Options exercisable, September 30, 2012	54,335
Weighted Average Exercise Price Options outstanding, January 1, 2012 (in dollars per share)	$ 64.37
Weighted Average Exercise Price Granted (in dollars per share)	$ 0
Weighted Average Exercise Price Exercised (in dollars per share)	$ 0
Weighted Average Exercise Price Forfeited (in dollars per share)	$ 155.54
Weighted Average Exercise Price Options outstanding, September 30, 2012 (in dollars per share)	$ 61.69
Weighted Average Exercise Price Options exercisable, September 30, 2012 (in dollars per share)	$ 62.59
Weighted Average Remaining Life (years) Options outstanding, September 30, 2012	2 years 2 months 12 days
Weighted Average Remaining Life (years) Options exercisable, September 30, 2012	2 years 1 month 6 days
Aggregate Intrinsic Value Options outstanding, September 30, 2012	$ 0
Aggregate Intrinsic Value Options exercisable, September 30, 2012	$ 0

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Employee Benefit Plans (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Description Of Employee Participation In Employee Benefit Plans	Employee participation in this plan is voluntary and the LLC matches 50% of eligible employee contributions, up to an amount equal to 3% of employee compensation, on a biweekly basis.
Defined Benefit Plan, Contributions by Plan Participants	$ 50,000	$ 32,000	$ 192,000	$ 163,000

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Derivative Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Derivative Assets (Liabilities) not designated as hedging instrument	$ 0		$ 0		$ 311
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Gain (loss) on derivative not designated as hedging instrument	(1,957)	0	(3,384)	(532)
Commodity Contract [Member] | Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Derivative Assets (Liabilities) not designated as hedging instrument	0		0		(470)
Commodity Contract [Member] | Sales [Member]
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Gain (loss) on derivative not designated as hedging instrument	(592)	0	(1,498)	(532)
Commodity Contract [Member] | Cost Of Sales [Member]
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Gain (loss) on derivative not designated as hedging instrument	(1,365)	0	(1,886)	0
Cash Collateral [Member] | Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Derivative Assets (Liabilities) not designated as hedging instrument	$ 0		$ 0		$ 781

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details 1)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012
Maximum [Member] | Land Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	30 years
Maximum [Member] | Building Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	40 years
Maximum [Member] | Railroad Transportation Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	39 years
Maximum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	39 years
Maximum [Member] | Other Capitalized Property Plant and Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	7 years
Maximum [Member] | Office Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	10 years
Minimum [Member] | Land Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	20 years
Minimum [Member] | Building Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	7 years
Minimum [Member] | Railroad Transportation Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	20 years
Minimum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	20 years
Minimum [Member] | Other Capitalized Property Plant and Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	5 years
Minimum [Member] | Office Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life, Maximum	3 years

XML

Commitments and Contingencies (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 Fairmont Plant [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Fairmont Plant [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 Fairmont Plant [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Wood River Plant [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Wood River Plant [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 Wood River Plant [Member]
Deferred Lease Payments	$ 1,600,000		$ 1,600,000
Subsidiaries Leasing Amount Per Year			6,700,000
Operating Lease Rent Expense Paid By Each Subsidiary Per Year					4,300,000
Operating Leases, Rent Expense	2,915,000	1,931,000	8,554,000	5,764,000
Origination Fee Per Bushel Under Lease Agreements			0.048
Minimum Annual Origination Fee Payable	1,200,000		1,200,000
Number Of Bushels Contracted To Purchase						344,000			5,488,000
Percentage Of Purchase Commitments Of Projected Requirements						1.00%			12.00%
Percentage Of Minimum Annual Commissions Payable In Average Selling Price			1.00%
Minimum Annual Operating Lease Payments							50,000	1,200,000		250,000	1,500,000
Number Of Gallons Of Ethanol						82,500,000			82,500,000
Deferred Ethanol Commissions	1,100,000		1,100,000
Intial Mininum Annual Lease Payments								$ 800,000			$ 1,000,000
Mileage Limit For Escalation Of Monthly Rental Charges	30,000		30,000

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Tax Increment Financing (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Tax Increment Financing [Abstract]

Schedule Of Maturities Of Tax Increment Financing Debt Table [Text Block]

The following table summarizes the aggregate maturities of the tax increment financing debt as of September 30, 2012 (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	185
2013		399
2014		431
2015		464
2016		501
Thereafter		2,978
Total	$	4,958

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Stock-Based Compensation (Details 3) (Restricted Stock [Member], USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012
Restricted Stock [Member]
Shares Restricted stock outstanding, January 1, 2012	93,950
Shares Granted	78,850
Shares Vested	(25,987)
Shares Cancelled or expired	(1,600)
Shares Restricted stock outstanding, September 30, 2012	145,213
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Award Restricted stock outstanding, January 1, 2012 (in dollars per share)	$ 14.9
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Award Granted (in dollars per share)	$ 13
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Award Vested (in dollars per share)	$ 16
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Award Cancelled or expired (in dollars per share)	$ 14.41
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Award Restricted stock outstanding, September 30, 2012 (in dollars per share)	$ 13.68
Aggregate Intrinsic Value Restricted stock outstanding, September 30, 2012	$ 736,230

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Long-Term Debt (Details Textual) (USD $)			9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 City Wood River Facility [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 City Wood River Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior Debt Facility [Member]	Sep. 28, 2012 Senior Debt Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Capital Lease Obligations [Member]
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment			$ 58,000		$ 3,150,000
Long-term Debt, Gross					170,500,000
Debt Instrument, Description of Variable Rate Basis					Interest rates on the Senior Debt Facility are, at management''s option, set at: i) a base rate, which is the higher of the federal funds rate plus 0.5% or the administrative agent''s prime rate, in each case plus a margin of 2.0%; or ii) at LIBOR plus 3.0%.
Long-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate					3.30%
Management Fee Monthly					869,000
Debt Issuance Costs					7,900,000
Debt issuance costs, net	1,990,000	2,763,000			1,900,000
Fixed Facilities Charges Monthly Based On Cost Of Substation and Distribution Facility							34,000
Minimum Energy Charge							25,000
Proceeds from Notes Payable				419,000
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage	7.85%		6.50%
Debt Instrument, Maturity Date			Dec. 31, 2018
Total	$ 173,239,000	$ 179,647,000				$ 3,600,000

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Property, Plant and Equipment (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Depreciation	$ 6,806,000	$ 6,736,000	$ 20,408,000	$ 20,232,000

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Income Taxes (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Tax benefit at 35% federal statutory rate	$ 3,965	$ (892)	$ 12,192	$ 5,186
State tax benefit, net of federal benefit	57	(13)	174	74
Noncontrolling interest	(532)	126	(1,780)	(819)
Valuation allowance	(3,736)	928	(10,519)	(3,788)
Other	246	(149)	(67)	(653)
Total	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0

XML

Stock-Based Compensation (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Stock options	$ 219	$ 236	$ 710	$ 863
Restricted stock	150	148	409	224
Total	$ 369	$ 384	$ 1,119	$ 1,087

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Property, Plant and Equipment

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property, Plant and Equipment Disclosure [Text Block]

3. Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost, consist of the following at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012			December 31, 2011
Land and land improvements	$	19,643		$	19,643
Buildings and improvements		49,838			49,832
Machinery and equipment		249,840			248,247
Office furniture and equipment		6,490			6,432
Construction in progress		55			1,126
		325,866			325,280
Accumulated depreciation		(109,793	)		(89,392	)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	216,073		$	235,888

Depreciation expense related to property, plant and equipment was $6,806,000 and $20,408,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, and was $6,736,000 and $20,232,000 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, respectively.

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Tax Increment Financing (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012
Remainder of 2012	$ 185
2013	399
2014	431
2015	464
2016	501
Thereafter	2,978
Total	$ 4,958

XML

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments for Operating Leases [Table Text Block]

Future minimum operating lease payments at September 30, 2012 are as follows (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	2,873
2013		11,452
2014		8,392
2015		6,972
2016		6,972
Thereafter		12,168
Total	$	48,829

XML

Income Taxes (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit) [Table Text Block]

The U.S. statutory federal income tax rate is reconciled to the Company’s effective income tax rate as follows (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011			2012			2011
Tax benefit at 35% federal statutory rate	$	3,965		$	(892	)	$	12,192		$	5,186
State tax benefit, net of federal benefit		57			(13	)		174			74
Noncontrolling interest		(532	)		126			(1,780	)		(819	)
Valuation allowance		(3,736	)		928			(10,519	)		(3,788	)
Other		246			(149	)		(67	)		(653	)
Total	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—

Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities [Table Text Block]

The effects of temporary differences and other items that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities are presented below (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012			December31, 2011
Deferred tax assets:
Capitalized start up costs	$	3,364		$	3,558
Stock-based compensation		655			665
Net operating loss carryover		80,967			68,036
Other		129			258
Deferred tax assets		85,115			72,517
Valuation allowance		(43,790	)		(33,802	)
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment		(41,325	)		(38,715	)
Deferred tax liabilities		(41,325	)		(38,715	)
Net deferred tax asset	$	—		$	—

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Commitments and Contingencies (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012
Remainder of 2012	$ 2,873
2013	11,452
2014	8,392
2015	6,972
2016	6,972
Thereafter	12,168
Total	$ 48,829

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Tax Increment Financing (Details Textual) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2007	Sep. 30, 2012
Proceeds From Tax Increment Revenue Noted Issued	$ 6.0
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		7.85%

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Noncontrolling Interest (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]

Schedule Of Exchange Activity Of Class B Common Shares Table [Text Block]

The following table summarizes the exchange activity since the Company’s initial public offering:

LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares outstanding at initial public offering, June 2007	897,903
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2007	(28,060	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2008	(365,722	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2009	(131,684	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2010	(16,830	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares issued in connection with the LLC concurrent private placement in February 2011	918,463
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2011	(342,916	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in the nine months ended September 30, 2012	(135,675	)
Remaining LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares at September 30, 2012	795,479

Schedule Of Net Income Loss Attributable To Parent And Transfers From Noncontrolling Interest Table [Text Block]

The table below shows the effects of the changes in BioFuel Energy Corp.’s ownership interest in the LLC on the equity attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp.’s common stockholders for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 (in thousands):

Net Loss Attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp.’s Common Stockholders and

Transfers from the Noncontrolling Interest

	Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011		2012			2011
Net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp.	$	(9,830	)	$	2,194	$	(29,820	)	$	(12,510	)
Increase in BioFuel Energy Corp. stockholders’ equity from issuance of common shares in exchange for Class B common shares and units of BioFuel Energy, LLC		227			—		273			2,386
Change in equity from net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp. and transfers from noncontrolling interest	$	(9,603	)	$	2,194	$	(29,547	)	$	(10,124	)

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Organization, Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation, Liquidity, and Going Concern Considerations (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Jun. 30, 2007	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior Debt Facility [Member]	Sep. 28, 2012 Senior Debt Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Common Class B [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Common Class B [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Subsidiaries [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Subsidiaries [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Cargill [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Cargill [Member]
Reverse Stock Split Outstanding Common Stock Ratio			one-for-twenty
Reverse Stock Split Authorized Common Stock Ratio			one-for-fourteen
Common stock, shares authorized	10,000,000		10,000,000		10,000,000					3,750,000	3,750,000
Stockholders' Equity, Reverse Stock Split			On June 15, 2012, the Company effected a reverse stock split with respect to all outstanding shares of common stock and Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty. The Company also split the number of authorized shares of common stock at a ratio of one-for-fourteen, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized common stock shares to 10,000,000, and also split the number of authorized shares of Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized Class B common stock shares to 3,750,000. All share and per share information in these financial statements has been retroactively restated to reflect the effect of this reverse stock split.
Production Capacity Of Nameplate				220,000,000
Percentage Of Owned Of Subsidiaries Membership Units			87.30%
Remaining Percentage Of Owned By Investment Funds Affiliates			12.70%
Common stock, shares outstanding	5,483,773		5,483,773		5,270,848		897,903			795,479	931,154
Total assets	$ 263,169,000		$ 263,169,000		$ 299,586,000							$ 272,500,000	$ 309,200,000
Net loss	(11,328,000)	2,549,000	(34,835,000)	(14,817,000)	(10,361,000)
Cash and cash equivalents	10,842,000	9,664,000	10,842,000	9,664,000	15,139,000	7,428,000
Accounts payable	13,085,000		13,085,000		9,380,000									11,100,000	5,600,000
Maximum Amount Of Contractual Limit	10,000,000
Long-term Debt, Gross								170,500,000
Total	$ 173,239,000		$ 173,239,000		$ 179,647,000				$ 3,600,000

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Significant Accounting Policies [Text Block]

2. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation and Noncontrolling Interest

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the Company, the LLC and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: BFE Holdings, LLC; BFE Operating Company, LLC; Buffalo Lake Energy, LLC; and Pioneer Trail Energy, LLC. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company treats all exchanges of LLC membership units for Company common stock as equity transactions, with any difference between the fair value of the Company’s common stock and the amount by which the noncontrolling interest is adjusted being recognized in equity.

Use of Estimates

Preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures in the accompanying notes at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

The Company sells its ethanol, distillers grain and corn oil products under the terms of marketing agreements. Revenue is recognized when risk of loss and title transfers upon shipment of ethanol, distillers grain or corn oil. In accordance with our marketing agreements, the Company records its revenues based on the amounts payable to us at the time of our sales of ethanol, distillers grain or corn oil. For our ethanol that is sold within the United States, the amount payable is equal to the average delivered price per gallon received by the marketing pool from Cargill’s customers, less average transportation and storage charges incurred by Cargill, and less a commission. We also sell a portion of our ethanol production to Cargill for export, which sales are shipped undenatured and are excluded from the marketing pool. For exported ethanol sales, the amount payable is equal to the contracted delivered price per gallon, less transportation and storage charges, and less a commission. The amount payable for distillers grain and corn oil is generally equal to the market price at the time of sale less a commission.

Cost of goods sold

Cost of goods sold primarily includes costs of materials (primarily corn, natural gas, chemicals and denaturant), electricity, purchasing and receiving costs, inspection costs, shipping costs, lease costs, plant management, certain compensation costs and general facility overhead charges, including depreciation expense.

General and administrative expenses

General and administrative expenses consist of salaries and benefits paid to our management and administrative employees, expenses relating to third party services, travel, office rent, marketing and other expenses, including certain expenses associated with being a public company, such as fees paid to our independent auditors associated with our annual audit and quarterly reviews, directors’ fees, and listing and transfer agent fees.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include highly-liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. Cash equivalents are currently comprised of money market mutual funds. At September 30, 2012, we had $10.8 million held at three financial institutions, which is in excess of FDIC insurance limits.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are carried at original invoice amount less an estimate made for doubtful accounts based on a review of all outstanding amounts on a monthly basis. Management determines the allowance for doubtful accounts by regularly evaluating individual customer receivables and considering a customer’s financial condition, credit history and current economic conditions. Receivables are written off when deemed uncollectible. Recoveries of receivables previously written off are recorded as a reduction to bad debt expense when received. As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, no allowance was considered necessary.

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Credit risk represents the accounting loss that would be recognized at the reporting date if counterparties failed completely to perform as contracted. Concentrations of credit risk, whether on- or off-balance sheet, that arise from financial instruments exist for groups of customers or counterparties when they have similar economic characteristics that would cause their ability to meet contractual obligations to be similarly affected by changes in economic or other conditions described below.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Company recorded sales to Cargill representing 74% and 76%, respectively, of total net sales. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, the Company recorded sales to Cargill representing 85% and 90%, respectively, of total net sales. As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the LLC, through its subsidiaries, had receivables from Cargill of $12.1 million and $12.0 million, respectively, representing 87% and 88% of total accounts receivable, respectively.

The LLC, through its subsidiaries, purchases corn, its largest cost component in producing ethanol, from Cargill. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, corn purchases from Cargill totaled $95.4 million and $310.8 million, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, corn purchases from Cargill totaled $126.3 million and $397.8 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the LLC, through its subsidiaries, had payables to Cargill of $11.1 million and $5.6 million, respectively, related to corn purchases.

Inventories

Raw materials inventories, which consist primarily of corn, denaturant, supplies and chemicals, and work in process inventories are valued at the lower-of-cost-or-market, with cost determined on a first-in, first-out basis. Finished goods inventories consist of ethanol and distillers grain and are stated at lower of average cost or market.

A summary of inventories is as follows (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012		December 31, 2011
Raw materials	$	6,656	$	16,818
Work in process		2,819		5,672
Finished goods		3,442		3,698
	$	12,917	$	26,188

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Derivatives are recognized on the balance sheet at their fair value and are included in the accompanying balance sheets as “derivative financial instruments”. On the date the derivative contract is entered into, the Company may designate the derivative as a hedge of a forecasted transaction or of the variability of cash flows to be received or paid related to a recognized asset or liability (“cash flow” hedge). Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is highly effective and that is designated and qualifies as a cash flow hedge are recorded in other comprehensive income, net of tax effect, until earnings are affected by the variability of cash flows (e.g., when periodic settlements on a variable rate asset or liability are recorded in earnings). Changes in the fair value of undesignated derivative instruments or derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are recognized in current period operations.

Accounting guidance for derivatives requires a company to evaluate contracts to determine whether the contracts are derivatives. Certain contracts that meet the definition of a derivative may be exempted as normal purchases or normal sales. Normal purchases and normal sales are contracts that provide for the purchase or sale of something other than a financial instrument or derivative instrument that will be delivered in quantities expected to be used or sold over a reasonable period in the normal course of business. The Company’s contracts for corn and natural gas purchases and ethanol sales that meet these requirements and are designated as either normal purchase or normal sale contracts are exempted from the derivative accounting and reporting requirements. 

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is recorded at cost. All costs related to purchasing and developing land or the engineering, design and construction of a plant are capitalized. Maintenance, repairs and minor replacements are charged to operating expenses while major replacements and improvements are capitalized. Depreciation is computed by the straight line method over the following estimated useful lives:

	Years
Land improvements	20 – 30
Buildings and improvements	7 – 40
Machinery and equipment:
Railroad equipment	20 – 39
Facility equipment	20 – 39
Other	5 – 7
Office furniture and equipment	3 – 10

Debt Issuance Costs

Debt issuance costs are stated at cost, less accumulated amortization. Debt issuance costs included in noncurrent assets at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 represent costs incurred related to the Company’s Senior Debt Facility and tax increment financing agreements. These costs are being amortized through interest expense over the term of the related debt. Estimated future debt issuance cost amortization as of September 30, 2012 is as follows (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	251
2013		978
2014		704
2015		8
2016		8
Thereafter		41
Total	$	1,990

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company has two asset groups, its ethanol facility in Fairmont and its ethanol facility in Wood River, which are evaluated separately when considering whether the carrying value of these assets has been impaired. The Company continually monitors whether or not events or circumstances exist that would warrant impairment testing of its long-lived assets. In evaluating whether impairment testing should be performed, the Company considers several factors including the carrying value of the long-lived assets, projected production volumes at its facilities, projected ethanol and distillers grain prices that we expect to receive, and projected corn and natural gas costs we expect to incur. In the ethanol industry, operating margins, and consequently undiscounted future cash flows, are primarily driven by the crush spread. In the event that the crush spread is sufficiently depressed to result in negative operating cash flow at its facilities for an extended time period, the Company will evaluate whether an impairment of its long-lived assets may have occurred.

Recoverability is measured by comparing the carrying value of an asset with estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. An impairment loss is reflected as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Fair value is determined based on the present value of estimated expected future cash flows using a discount rate commensurate with the risk involved, quoted market prices or appraised values, depending on the nature of the assets. As of September 30, 2012, the Company performed an impairment evaluation of the recoverability of its long-lived assets due to depressed crush spreads. As a result of the impairment evaluation, it was determined that the future cash flows from the assets exceeded the carrying values, and therefore no further analysis was necessary and no impairment was recorded.

Stock-Based Compensation

Expense associated with stock-based awards and other forms of equity compensation is based on fair value at grant and recognized on a straight line basis in the financial statements over the requisite service period for those awards that are expected to vest.

Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset retirement obligations are recognized when a contractual or legal obligation exists and a reasonable estimate of the amount can be made. Changes to the asset retirement obligation resulting from revisions to the timing or the amount of the original undiscounted cash flow estimates shall be recognized as an increase or decrease to both the carrying amount of the asset retirement obligation and the related asset retirement cost capitalized as part of the related property, plant and equipment. At September 30, 2012, the Company had accrued asset retirement obligation liabilities of $148,000 and $186,000 for its plants at Wood River and Fairmont, respectively. At December 31, 2011, the Company had accrued asset retirement obligation liabilities of $144,000 and $181,000 for its plants at Wood River and Fairmont, respectively.

The asset retirement obligations accrued for Wood River relate to the obligations in our contracts with Cargill and Union Pacific Railroad (“Union Pacific”). According to the grain elevator lease with Cargill, the equipment that is adjacent to the grain elevator may be required at Cargill’s discretion to be removed at the end of the lease. In addition, according to the contract with Union Pacific, the buildings that are built near their land in Wood River may be required at Union Pacific’s request to be removed at the end of our contract with them. The asset retirement obligations accrued for Fairmont relate to the obligations in our contracts with Cargill and in our water permit issued by the state of Minnesota. According to the grain elevator lease with Cargill, the equipment that is adjacent to the grain elevator being leased may be required at Cargill’s discretion to be removed at the end of the lease. In addition, the water permit in Fairmont requires that we secure all above ground storage tanks whenever we discontinue the use of our equipment for an extended period of time in Fairmont. The estimated costs of these obligations have been accrued at the current net present value of these obligations at the end of an estimated 20 year life for each of the plants. These liabilities have corresponding assets recorded in property, plant and equipment, which are being depreciated over 20 years.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company regularly reviews historical and anticipated future pre-tax results of operations to determine whether the Company will be able to realize the benefit of its deferred tax assets. A valuation allowance is required to reduce the potential deferred tax asset when it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the potential deferred tax asset will not be realized due to the lack of sufficient taxable income. The Company establishes reserves for uncertain tax positions that reflect its best estimate of deductions and credits that may not be sustained on a more likely than not basis. As the Company has incurred tax losses since its inception and expects to continue to incur tax losses for the foreseeable future, we will continue to provide a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets until the Company believes that such assets will be realized. The Company includes interest on tax deficiencies and income tax penalties in the provision for income taxes.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and accounts payable are carried at cost, which approximates their fair value because of the short-term maturity of these instruments. Any derivative financial instruments are carried at fair value. The fair value of the Company’s capital leases and note payable are not materially different from their carrying amounts based on anticipated interest rates that management believes would currently be available to the Company for similar issues of debt, taking into account the current credit risk of the Company and other market factors. The fair value of the Company’s senior debt, based on an anticipated interest rate of 12%, is estimated to be approximately $155.3 million.

Segment Reporting

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available and is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker or decision making group in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Each of our plants is considered its own unique operating segment under these criteria. However, when two or more operating segments have similar economic characteristics, accounting guidance allows for them to be aggregated into a single operating segment for purposes of financial reporting. Our two plants are very similar in all characteristics and accordingly, the Company presents a single reportable segment, the manufacture of fuel-grade ethanol and the co-products of the ethanol production process.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standards setting bodies that are adopted by us as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, our management believes that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Raw materials	$ 6,656	$ 16,818
Work in process	2,819	5,672
Finished goods	3,442	3,698
Inventory, Net, Total	$ 12,917	$ 26,188

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Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Term loans	$ 170,480	$ 176,780
Capital lease	2,477	2,487
Note payable	282	380
Long-Term Debt	173,239	179,647
Less current portion	(170,531)	(12,710)
Long-term portion	$ 2,708	$ 166,937

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Income Taxes (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Deferred tax assets:
Capitalized start up costs	$ 3,364	$ 3,558
Stock-based compensation	655	665
Net operating loss carryover	80,967	68,036
Other	129	258
Deferred tax assets	85,115	72,517
Valuation allowance	(43,790)	(33,802)
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment	(41,325)	(38,715)
Deferred tax liabilities	(41,325)	(38,715)
Net deferred tax asset	$ 0	$ 0

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Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 10,842	$ 15,139
Accounts receivable	13,939	13,591
Inventories	12,917	26,188
Prepaid expenses	900	2,148
Other current assets	3,500	421
Total current assets	42,098	57,487
Property, plant and equipment, net	216,073	235,888
Debt issuance costs, net	1,990	2,763
Other assets	3,008	3,448
Total assets	263,169	299,586
Liabilities and equity
Accounts payable	13,085	9,380
Current portion of long-term debt	170,531	12,710
Current portion of tax increment financing	385	370
Other current liabilities	2,523	1,992
Total current liabilities	186,524	24,452
Long-term debt, net of current portion	2,708	166,937
Tax increment financing, net of current portion	4,573	4,867
Other non-current liabilities	3,138	3,388
Total liabilities	196,943	199,644
Commitments and contingencies
Equity
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 5,000,000 shares authorized and no shares outstanding at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011	0	0
Common stock value	54	53
Less common stock held in treasury, at cost, 40,481 shares at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011	(4,316)	(4,316)
Additional paid-in capital	189,233	187,841
Accumulated deficit	(119,097)	(89,277)
Total BioFuel Energy Corp. stockholders' equity	65,882	94,310
Noncontrolling interest	344	5,632
Total equity	66,226	99,942
Total liabilities and equity	263,169	299,586
Common Class B [Member]
Equity
Common stock value	$ 8	$ 9

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Stockholders' Equity (Details Textual) (USD $)	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2007
Proceeds from sale of stock	$ 0	$ 46,000,000	$ 46,000,000
Extinguishment of Debt, Amount				2,000,000
Forgiveness Of Debt				2,800,000
Reverse Stock Split Outstanding Common Stock Ratio	one-for-twenty
Reverse Stock Split Authorized Common Stock Ratio	one-for-fourteen
Stockholders' Equity, Reverse Stock Split	On June 15, 2012, the Company effected a reverse stock split with respect to all outstanding shares of common stock and Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty. The Company also split the number of authorized shares of common stock at a ratio of one-for-fourteen, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized common stock shares to 10,000,000, and also split the number of authorized shares of Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized Class B common stock shares to 3,750,000. All share and per share information in these financial statements has been retroactively restated to reflect the effect of this reverse stock split.
Common stock, shares authorized	10,000,000		10,000,000
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount					7,500,000
Treasury shares	40,481		40,481
Treasury Stock Acquired, Average Cost Per Share	$ 106.62
Amount Available Under Stock Repurchase Plan	3,184,000
Bridge Loan [Member]
Repayments of Debt			20,300,000
Subordinated Debt [Member]
Repayments of Debt			21,500,000
Debt Owed To Cargill [Member]
Repayments of Debt			$ 2,800,000
Common Stock [Member]
Stock Issued During Period Shares New Issue One			3,188,681
Stock Issued During Period Per Share Issues One			$ 11.2
Issuance of common stock in exchange for debt (in shares)			329,890
Common Class B [Member]
Stock Issued During Period Value New Issue Two			918,463
Stock Issued During Period Per Share Issues Two			$ 11.2
Issuance of common stock in exchange for debt (in shares)			0

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Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss	$ (34,835)	$ (14,817)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operating activities:
Stock-based compensation expense	1,119	1,087
Depreciation and amortization	21,174	22,686
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	(348)	9,792
Inventories	13,271	1,120
Prepaid expenses	1,248	(1,451)
Accounts payable	3,725	(437)
Other current liabilities	531	94
Other assets and liabilities	(3,168)	(3,961)
Net cash provided by operating activities	2,717	14,113
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(606)	(2,067)
Net cash used in investing activities	(606)	(2,067)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from sale of stock	0	46,000
Repayment of debt	(6,300)	(50,928)
Repayment of notes payable and capital leases	(108)	(3,148)
Payment of equity offering costs	0	(1,621)
Payment of debt issuance costs	0	(113)
Net cash used in financing activities	(6,408)	(9,810)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(4,297)	2,236
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	15,139	7,428
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	10,842	9,664
Cash paid for income taxes	6	5
Cash paid for interest	4,180	5,289
Non-cash investing and financing activities:
Additions to property, plant and equipment unpaid during period	2	86
Issuance of common stock in exchange for debt	$ 0	$ 11,601

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Noncontrolling Interest (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp.	$ (9,830)	$ 2,194	$ (29,820)	$ (12,510)
Increase in BioFuel Energy Corp. stockholders' equity from issuance of common shares in exchange for Class B common shares and units of BioFuel Energy, LLC	227	0	273	2,386
Change in equity from net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp. and transfers from noncontrolling interest	$ (9,603)	$ 2,194	$ (29,547)	$ (10,124)

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual) (USD $)	9 Months Ended								3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2012 Wood River Plant [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Wood River Plant [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Fairmont Plant [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Fairmont Plant [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Cargill [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Cargill [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Cargill [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Cargill [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Cargill [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Sales Revenue, Goods, Net [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Sales Revenue, Goods, Net [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Sales Revenue, Goods, Net [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Sales Revenue, Goods, Net [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Accounts Receivable [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Accounts Receivable [Member]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 10,842,000	$ 15,139,000	$ 9,664,000	$ 7,428,000
Concentration Risk Percentage During Period														74.00%	85.00%	76.00%	90.00%
Accounts receivable	13,939,000	13,591,000							12,100,000		12,100,000		12,000,000
Concentration Risk, Percentage																		87.00%	88.00%
Cost of Purchased Oil and Gas									95,400,000	126,300,000	310,800,000	397,800,000
Accounts payable	13,085,000	9,380,000							11,100,000		11,100,000		5,600,000
Asset Retirement Obligation					148,000	144,000	186,000	181,000
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	20 years
Longterm Debt Anticipated Interest Rate	12.00%
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	$ 155,300,000

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Property, Plant and Equipment (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Property, Plant and Equipment [Table Text Block]

Property, plant and equipment, stated at cost, consist of the following at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012			December 31, 2011
Land and land improvements	$	19,643		$	19,643
Buildings and improvements		49,838			49,832
Machinery and equipment		249,840			248,247
Office furniture and equipment		6,490			6,432
Construction in progress		55			1,126
		325,866			325,280
Accumulated depreciation		(109,793	)		(89,392	)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$	216,073		$	235,888

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Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Land and land improvements	$ 19,643	$ 19,643
Buildings and improvements	49,838	49,832
Machinery and equipment	249,840	248,247
Office furniture and equipment	6,490	6,432
Construction in progress	55	1,126
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	325,866	325,280
Accumulated depreciation	(109,793)	(89,392)
Property, plant and equipment, net	$ 216,073	$ 235,888

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Long-Term Debt (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule Of Long Term Debt Table [Text Block]

The following table summarizes long-term debt as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012			December 31, 2011
Term loans	$	170,480		$	176,780
Capital lease		2,477			2,487
Note payable		282			380
		173,239			179,647
Less current portion		(170,531	)		(12,710	)
Long-term portion	$	2,708		$	166,937

Schedule Of Maturities Of Long Term Debt [Table Text Block]

The following table summarizes the aggregate maturities of our long-term debt as of September 30, 2012 (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	170,482
2013		52
2014		56
2015		57
2016		60
Thereafter		2,532
Total	$	173,239

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Organization, Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation, Liquidity, and Going Concern Considerations

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Organization, Nature Of Business, and Liquidity Considerations [Abstract]

Organization Nature Of Business And Liquidity Considerations [Text Block]

1. Organization, Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation, Liquidity, and Going Concern Considerations

Organization and Nature of Business

BioFuel Energy Corp. (the “Company”, “we”, “our” or “us”) produces and sells ethanol, distillers grain and corn oil through its two ethanol production facilities located in Wood River, Nebraska (“Wood River”) and Fairmont, Minnesota (“Fairmont”). Both facilities, with a combined annual undenatured nameplate production capacity of approximately 220 million gallons per year (“Mmgy”), commenced start-up and began commercial operations in June 2008. At each location Cargill, Incorporated (“Cargill”), with whom we have an extensive commercial relationship, has a strong local presence and owns adjacent grain storage and handling facilities. Cargill provides corn procurement services, purchases the ethanol we produce and provides transportation logistics for our two plants under long-term contracts. In addition, we lease their adjacent grain storage and handling facilities at each of our plants.

We were incorporated as a Delaware corporation on April 11, 2006 to invest solely in BioFuel Energy, LLC (the “LLC”), a limited liability company organized on January 25, 2006 to build and operate ethanol production facilities in the Midwestern United States. The Company’s headquarters are located in Denver, Colorado.

On June 15, 2012, the Company effected a reverse stock split with respect to all outstanding shares of common stock and Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty. The Company also split the number of authorized shares of common stock at a ratio of one-for-fourteen, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized common stock shares to 10,000,000, and also split the number of authorized shares of Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized Class B common stock shares to 3,750,000. All share and per share information and all necessary par value equity adjustments have been retroactively restated in the financial statements to reflect the effect of this reverse stock split.

At September 30, 2012, the Company owned 87.3% of the LLC membership units with the remaining 12.7% owned by certain individuals and by certain investment funds affiliated with some of the original equity investors of the LLC. The Class B common shares of the Company are held by the same individuals and investment funds who held 795,479 membership units in the LLC as of September 30, 2012 that, together with the corresponding Class B shares, can be exchanged for newly issued shares of common stock of the Company on a one-for-one basis. The proportionate value of the LLC membership units held by individuals or entities other than the Company are recorded as noncontrolling interest on the consolidated balance sheets. Holders of shares of Class B common stock have no economic rights but are entitled to one vote for each share held. Shares of Class B common stock are retired upon exchange of the related membership units in the LLC.

The aggregate book value of the assets of the LLC at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 was $272.5 million and $309.2 million, respectively, of which substantially all of such assets are collateral for the LLC’s subsidiaries’ obligations under its senior secured bank facility with a group of lenders (the “Senior Debt Facility”) (see Note 5 — Long-Term Debt). The Senior Debt Facility also imposes restrictions on the ability of the LLC’s subsidiaries that own and operate our Wood River and Fairmont plants to pay dividends or make other distributions to us, which restricts our ability to pay dividends.

Basis of Presentation, Liquidity, and Going Concern Considerations

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America, which contemplate our continuation as a going concern. Our operations and cash flows are subject to wide and unpredictable fluctuations primarily due to changes in commodity prices, specifically, the price of our main commodity input, corn, relative to the price of our main commodity product, ethanol, which is known in the industry as the “crush spread”. The price of our main co-product, distillers grain, is likewise subject to wide, unpredictable fluctuations, typically in conjunction with changes in the price of corn. The prices of these commodities are volatile and beyond our control. As a result of the volatility of the prices for these and other items, our results fluctuate substantially and in ways that are largely beyond our control. As shown in the accompanying consolidated financial statements, the Company incurred a net loss of $11.3 million and $34.8 million during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, due to narrow commodity margins.

Narrow commodity margins present a significant risk to our cash flows and liquidity. We have had, and continue to have, limited liquidity, with $10.8 million of cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2012.  We have relied upon extensions of payment terms by Cargill as an additional source of liquidity and working capital. As of September 30, 2012 we owed Cargill $11.1 million for accounts payable related to corn purchases. Pursuant to an arrangement with Cargill, we have been permitted to extend corn payment terms beyond the $10.0 million contractual limit so long as the amounts Cargill owes us for ethanol exceed the accounts payable balance by an amount that is satisfactory to Cargill. This arrangement may be terminated at any time on little or no notice, in which case we would need to use cash on hand or other sources of liquidity, if available, to fund our operations.

Drought conditions in the American Midwest have significantly impacted this year’s corn crop and caused a significant reduction in the corn yield. Since the end of the second quarter, this has led to a significant increase in the price of corn and a corresponding narrowing in the crush spread. The crush spread has narrowed as ethanol prices have not risen correspondingly with rising corn prices, due to an oversupply of ethanol. As a result, the Company announced on September 24, 2012 that it had decided to idle its Fairmont facility until the crush spread improves. In the event crush spreads narrow further, we may choose to curtail operations at our Wood River facility or idle the facility and cease operations altogether until such time as crush spreads improve. We expect fluctuations in the crush spread to continue.

Due to our limited and declining liquidity, during the third quarter the Company determined that the two operating subsidiaries of the LLC (the “Operating Subsidiaries”) would not make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest that were due under the outstanding Senior Debt Facility on September 28, 2012, in an aggregate amount of $3.6 million. As a result, the Operating Subsidiaries received a Notice of Default on September 28, 2012 from First National Bank of Omaha, as Administrative Agent for the Senior Debt Facility, concerning the failure to make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest. On November 5, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries and its lenders entered into a Forbearance Agreement whereby its lenders agreed to forbear from exercising their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility until November 15, 2012. The Company is engaged in active and continuing discussions with its lenders and their advisors regarding the terms of a potential capital infusion into the Operating Subsidiaries. This capital may take the form of a capital contribution from the Company, additional loans, a long-term forbearance or restructuring under the Senior Debt Facility, some combination of the foregoing, or another form yet to be determined. While the Company intends to reach resolution with its lenders with respect to this matter, there can be no assurance it will be able to do so on terms that are favorable or acceptable to the Company, or at all.

As of September 30, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries had $170.5 million of indebtedness outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility. The entire amount outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility has been classified as a current liability in the September 30, 2012 consolidated balance sheet. If the Company is unable to reach an agreement with its lenders under the Senior Debt Facility, and if its lenders successfully exercise their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility, the Company may be unable to continue as a going concern, and could be forced to seek relief from creditors through a filing under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Since we commenced operations, we have from time to time entered into derivative financial instruments such as futures contracts, swaps and options contracts with the objective of limiting our exposure to changes in commodities prices. We have only been able to conduct such hedging activities on a limited basis due to our lack of financial resources and we may not have the financial resources to increase or conduct any material hedging activities in the future.

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared assuming that the Company will continue as a going concern; however, the above conditions raise substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to do so. The accompanying consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments to reflect the possible future effects on the recoverability and classification of assets or the amounts and classifications of liabilities that may result should the Company be unable to continue as a going concern.

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Consolidated Balance Sheets [Parenthetical] (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	10,000,000	10,000,000
Common stock, shares outstanding	5,483,773	5,270,848
Treasury shares	40,481	40,481
Common Class B [Member]
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	3,750,000	3,750,000
Common stock, shares outstanding	795,479	931,154

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Employee Benefit Plans

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block]

11. Employee Benefit Plans

The LLC sponsors a 401(k) profit sharing and savings plan for its employees. Employee participation in this plan is voluntary and the LLC matches 50% of eligible employee contributions, up to an amount equal to 3% of employee compensation, on a biweekly basis. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, contributions to the plan by the LLC totaled $50,000 and $192,000, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, contributions to the plan by the LLC totaled $32,000 and $163,000, respectively.

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Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Nov. 06, 2012
Entity Registrant Name	BioFuel Energy Corp.
Entity Central Index Key	0001373670
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Smaller Reporting Company
Trading Symbol	biof
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		5,443,292
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2012
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2012

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Commitments and Contingencies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Text Block]

12. Commitments and Contingencies

The LLC, through its subsidiaries, entered into two operating lease agreements with Cargill. Cargill’s grain handling and storage facilities, located adjacent to the Wood River and Fairmont plants, are being leased for 20 years, which began in September 2008 for both plants. Minimum annual payments initially were $800,000 for the Fairmont plant and $1,000,000 for the Wood River plant so long as the associated corn supply agreements with Cargill remain in effect. Should the Company not maintain its corn supply agreements with Cargill, the minimum annual payments under each lease increase to $1,200,000 and $1,500,000, respectively. The leases contain escalation clauses that are based on the percentage change in the Midwest Consumer Price Index. The escalation clauses are considered to be contingent rent and, accordingly, are not included in minimum lease payments. Rent expense is recognized on a straight line basis over the terms of the leases. Events of default under the leases include failure to fulfill monetary or non-monetary obligations and insolvency. Effective September 1, 2009, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into Omnibus Agreements whereby the two operating lease agreements were modified, for a period of one year, to defer a portion of the monthly lease payments. The deferred lease payments were to be paid back to Cargill over a two year period beginning September 1, 2010. On September 23, 2010, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into a letter agreement (“Letter Agreement”) whereby (i) effective October 2010 the minimum annual payments under the leases were reduced to $50,000 for the Fairmont plant and $250,000 for the Wood River plant and (ii) repayment of the deferred lease payments have been deferred for an indefinite period of time. As of September 30, 2012, the deferred lease payments totaled $1.6 million and are included in other non-current liabilities.

Beginning in the second quarter of 2008, the Operating Subsidiaries of the LLC entered into agreements to lease railroad cars over a period of ten years. Pursuant to these lease agreements, the subsidiaries are currently leasing 785 railroad cars for approximately $6.7 million per year. Monthly rental charges escalate if modifications of the cars are required by governmental authorities or mileage exceeds 30,000 miles in any calendar year. Rent expense is recognized on a straight line basis over the terms of the leases. Events of default under the leases include failure to fulfill monetary or non-monetary obligations.

In April 2008, the LLC entered into a five year lease that began July 1, 2008 for office space for its corporate headquarters. Rent expense is being recognized on a straight line basis over the term of the lease.

In October 2011, subsidiaries of the LLC entered into two operating lease agreements to lease corn oil extraction systems, one for each of its plants. Each lease agreement is for a period of two years and commenced in April 2012 when funding was completed. Pursuant to these lease agreements, each subsidiary is paying approximately $4.3 million per year for the corn oil extraction systems. Rent expense is recognized on a straight line basis over the terms of the leases. Events of default under the leases include failure to fulfill monetary or non-monetary obligations under either lease, as well as any payment default under any of the Company’s other material debt obligations, including the Senior Debt Facility. The Company has informed Farnam Street Financial, Inc. (“Farnam”) of the default notice it received from its senior lenders, and Farnam has elected not to declare a default under either lease agreement so long as the subsidiaries of the LLC continue to make timely lease payments.

Future minimum operating lease payments at September 30, 2012 are as follows (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	2,873
2013		11,452
2014		8,392
2015		6,972
2016		6,972
Thereafter		12,168
Total	$	48,829

Rent expense recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 totaled $2,915,000 and $8,554,000, respectively. Rent expense recorded for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 totaled $1,931,000 and $5,764,000, respectively.

Pursuant to long-term agreements, Cargill is the exclusive supplier of corn to the Wood River and Fairmont plants for twenty years commencing September 2008. The price of corn purchased under these agreements is based on a formula including cost plus an origination fee of $0.048 per bushel. The minimum annual origination fee payable to Cargill per plant under the agreements is $1.2 million. The agreements contain events of default that include failure to pay, willful misconduct, purchase of corn from another supplier, insolvency or the termination of the associated grain facility lease. Effective September 1, 2009, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into Omnibus Agreements whereby the two corn supply agreements were modified, for a period of one year, extending payment terms for our corn purchases which were to revert to the original terms on September 1, 2010. On September 23, 2010, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into a Letter Agreement whereby the extended payment terms for our corn purchases will remain in effect for the remainder of the two corn supply agreements.

At September 30, 2012, the LLC, through its subsidiaries, had contracted to purchase 344,000 bushels of corn to be delivered between October 2012 and October 2013 at our Fairmont location, and 5,488,000 bushels of corn to be delivered between October 2012 and December 2013 at our Wood River location. These purchase commitments represent 1% and 12% of the projected corn requirements during those periods for Fairmont and Wood River, respectively. The purchase price of the corn will be determined at the time of delivery.

Cargill has agreed to purchase all ethanol produced at the Wood River and Fairmont plants through September 2016. Under the terms of the ethanol marketing agreements, the Wood River and Fairmont plants generally participate in a marketing pool in which all parties receive the same net price. That price is generally the average delivered price per gallon received by the marketing pool less average transportation and storage charges and less a commission. In certain circumstances, the plants may elect not to participate in the marketing pool. Minimum annual commissions are payable to Cargill equal to 1% of Cargill’s average selling price for 82.5 million gallons of ethanol from each plant. The ethanol marketing agreements contain events of default that include failure to pay, willful misconduct and insolvency. Effective September 1, 2009, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into Omnibus Agreements whereby the two ethanol marketing agreements were modified, for a period of one year, to defer a portion of the monthly ethanol commission payments. The deferred commission payments were to be paid to Cargill over a two year period beginning September 1, 2010. On September 23, 2010, the subsidiaries and Cargill entered into a Letter Agreement whereby (i) effective September 24, 2010 the ethanol commissions were reduced and (ii) repayment of the deferred commission payments have been deferred for an indefinite period of time with any repayment at the discretion of the subsidiaries of the LLC. As of September 30, 2012, the deferred ethanol commissions totaled $1.1 million and are included in other non-current liabilities.

The Company is not currently a party to any material legal, administrative or regulatory proceedings that have arisen in the ordinary course of business or otherwise that would result in loss contingencies.

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Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $) In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Net sales	$ 116,149	$ 162,547	$ 378,382	$ 489,083
Cost of goods sold	124,192	155,498	401,204	487,950
Gross profit (loss)	(8,043)	7,049	(22,822)	1,133
General and administrative expenses:
Compensation expense	1,435	1,676	4,750	5,062
Other	629	846	2,482	2,693
Operating income (loss)	(10,107)	4,527	(30,054)	(6,622)
Other income (expense):
Other income	680	0	680	0
Interest expense	(1,901)	(1,978)	(5,461)	(8,195)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(11,328)	2,549	(34,835)	(14,817)
Income tax provision (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss)	(11,328)	2,549	(34,835)	(14,817)
Less: Net (income) loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest	1,498	(355)	5,015	2,307
Net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp. common stockholders	$ (9,830)	$ 2,194	$ (29,820)	$ (12,510)
Income (loss) per share attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp. common stockholders:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ (1.88)	$ 0.43	$ (5.76)	$ (2.72)
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (1.88)	$ 0.36	$ (5.76)	$ (2.72)
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	5,224	5,120	5,178	4,602
Diluted (in shares)	5,224	6,152	5,178	4,602

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Tax Increment Financing

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Tax Increment Financing [Abstract]

Tax Increment Financing [Text Block]

6. Tax Increment Financing

In February 2007, the subsidiary of the LLC that constructed the Wood River plant received $6.0 million from the proceeds of a tax increment revenue note issued by the City of Wood River, Nebraska. The proceeds funded improvements to property owned by the subsidiary. The City of Wood River will pay the principal and interest of the note from the incremental increase in the property taxes related to the improvements made to the property. The interest rate on the note is 7.85%. The proceeds have been recorded as a liability which is reduced as the subsidiary of the LLC remits property taxes to the City of Wood River, which began in 2008 and will continue through 2021. The LLC has guaranteed the principal and interest of the tax increment revenue note if, for any reason, the City of Wood River fails to make the required payments to the holder of the note or the subsidiary of the LLC fails to make the required payments to the City of Wood River.

The following table summarizes the aggregate maturities of the tax increment financing debt as of September 30, 2012 (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	185
2013		399
2014		431
2015		464
2016		501
Thereafter		2,978
Total	$	4,958

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Long-Term Debt

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Debt Disclosure [Abstract]

Long Term Debt Excluding Tax Increment Financing [Text Block]

5. Long-Term Debt

The following table summarizes long-term debt as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012			December 31, 2011
Term loans	$	170,480		$	176,780
Capital lease		2,477			2,487
Note payable		282			380
		173,239			179,647
Less current portion		(170,531	)		(12,710	)
Long-term portion	$	2,708		$	166,937

Senior Debt Facility

In September 2006, the Operating Subsidiaries entered into the Senior Debt Facility to finance the construction of and provide working capital to operate our ethanol plants. Neither the Company nor the LLC is a borrower under the Senior Debt Facility, although the equity interests and assets of our subsidiaries are pledged as collateral to secure the debt under the facility. Principal payments under the Senior Debt Facility are payable quarterly at a minimum amount of $3,150,000, with additional pre-payments to be made out of available cash flow. These term loans mature in September 2014.

As described above, the Operating Subsidiaries did not make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest that were due under the outstanding Senior Debt Facility on September 28, 2012, in an aggregate amount of $3.6 million. As a result, the Operating Subsidiaries received a Notice of Default on September 28, 2012 from First National Bank of Omaha, as Administrative Agent for the Senior Debt Facility, concerning the failure to make the regularly-scheduled payments of principal and interest. On November 5, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries and its lenders entered into a Forbearance Agreement whereby its lenders agreed to forbear from exercising their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility until November 15, 2012. See Note 1 - Organization, Nature of Business, Basis of Presentation, Liquidity, and Going Concern Considerations.

As of September 30, 2012, the Operating Subsidiaries had $170.5 million of indebtedness outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility. The entire amount outstanding under the Senior Debt Facility has been classified as a current liability in the September 30, 2012 consolidated balance sheet. If the Company is unable to reach an agreement with its lenders under the Senior Debt Facility, and if its lenders successfully exercise their remedies under the Senior Debt Facility, the Company may be unable to continue as a going concern, and could be forced to seek relief from creditors through a filing under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.

Interest rates on the Senior Debt Facility are, at management’s option, set at: i) a base rate, which is the higher of the federal funds rate plus 0.5% or the administrative agent’s prime rate, in each case plus a margin of 2.0%; or ii) at LIBOR plus 3.0%. Interest on base rate loans is payable quarterly and, depending on the LIBOR rate elected, as frequently as monthly on LIBOR loans, but no less frequently than quarterly. The weighted average interest rate in effect on the borrowings at September 30, 2012 was 3.3%.

The Senior Debt Facility is secured by a first priority lien on all right, title and interest in and to the Wood River and Fairmont plants and any accounts receivable or property associated with those plants and a pledge of all of our equity interests in the Operating Subsidiaries. The Operating Subsidiaries have established collateral deposit accounts maintained by an agent of the banks, into which our revenues are deposited, subject to security interests to secure any outstanding obligations under the Senior Debt Facility. These funds are then allocated into various sweep accounts held by the collateral agent, including accounts that provide funds for the operating expenses of the Operating Subsidiaries. The collateral accounts have various provisions, including historical and prospective debt service coverage ratios and debt service reserve requirements, which determine whether there is, and the amount of, cash available to the LLC from the collateral accounts each month. The terms of the Senior Debt Facility also include covenants that impose certain limitations on, among other things, the ability of the Operating Subsidiaries to incur additional debt, grant liens or encumbrances, declare or pay dividends or distributions, conduct asset sales or other dispositions, merge or consolidate, and conduct transactions with affiliates. The terms of the Senior Debt Facility also include customary events of default including failure to meet payment obligations, failure to pay financial obligations, failure of the Operating Subsidiaries of the LLC to remain solvent and failure to obtain or maintain required governmental approvals. Under the terms of separate management services agreements between our Operating Subsidiaries and the LLC, the Operating Subsidiaries pay a monthly management fee of $869,000 to the LLC to cover salaries, rent, and other operating expenses of the LLC, which payments are unaffected by the terms of the Senior Debt Facility or the collateral accounts.

Debt issuance fees and expenses of $7.9 million ($1.9 million, net of accumulated amortization as of September 30, 2012) have been incurred in connection with the Senior Debt Facility. These costs have been deferred and are being amortized and expensed as interest over the term of the Senior Debt Facility.

Capital Lease

The LLC, through its subsidiary that constructed the Fairmont plant, has entered into an agreement with the local utility pursuant to which the utility has built and owns and operates a substation and distribution facility in order to supply electricity to the plant. The LLC is paying a fixed facilities charge based on the cost of the substation and distribution facility of $34,000 per month, over the 30-year term of the agreement. This fixed facilities charge is being accounted for as a capital lease in the accompanying financial statements. The agreement also includes a $25,000 monthly minimum energy charge that also began in the first quarter of 2008.

Note Payable

The subsidiary of the LLC that constructed the Wood River facility has entered into a note payable for $419,000 with the City of Wood River for special assessments related to street, water, and sanitary improvements at our Wood River facility. This note requires ten annual payments of $58,000, including interest at 6.5% per annum, and matures in 2018.

The following table summarizes the aggregate maturities of our long-term debt as of September 30, 2012 (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	170,482
2013		52
2014		56
2015		57
2016		60
Thereafter		2,532
Total	$	173,239

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Earnings Per Share (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Weighted Average Number Of Shares Outstanding Reconciliation Table [Text Block]

A summary of the reconciliation of basic weighted average shares outstanding to diluted weighted average shares outstanding follows:

	Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011		2012			2011
Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic		5,224,257			5,119,751		5,177,569			4,601,912
Potentially dilutive common stock equivalents
Class B common shares		869,301			946,098		908,970			897,647
Stock options		-			-		-			1,250
Restricted stock		146,761			85,691		132,519			63,532
		1,016,062			1,031,789		1,041,489			962,429
		6,240,319			6,151,540		6,219,058			5,564,341
Less anti-dilutive common stock equivalents		(1,016,062	)		-		(1,041,489	)		(962,429	)
Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted		5,224,257			6,151,540		5,177,569			4,601,912

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Noncontrolling Interest

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]

Noncontrolling Interest Disclosure [Text Block]

13. Noncontrolling Interest

Noncontrolling interest consists of equity issued to members of the LLC upon the Company’s initial public offering in June 2007. As provided in the LLC agreement, the exchange ratio of the various existing classes of equity of the LLC for the single class of equity at the time of the Company’s initial public offering was based on the Company’s initial public offering price of $210.00 per share and the resulting implied valuation of the Company. The exchange resulted in the issuance of 897,903 LLC membership units and Class B common shares. Each LLC membership unit combined with a share of Class B common stock is exchangeable at the holder’s option into one share of Company common stock. The LLC may make distributions to members as determined by the Company.

The following table summarizes the exchange activity since the Company’s initial public offering:

LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares outstanding at initial public offering, June 2007	897,903
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2007	(28,060	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2008	(365,722	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2009	(131,684	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2010	(16,830	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares issued in connection with the LLC concurrent private placement in February 2011	918,463
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in 2011	(342,916	)
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged in the nine months ended September 30, 2012	(135,675	)
Remaining LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares at September 30, 2012	795,479

At the time of its initial public offering, the Company owned 28.9% of the LLC membership units of the LLC. At September 30, 2012, the Company owned 87.3% of the LLC membership units. The noncontrolling interest will continue to be reported until all Class B common shares and LLC membership units have been exchanged for the Company’s common stock.

The table below shows the effects of the changes in BioFuel Energy Corp.’s ownership interest in the LLC on the equity attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp.’s common stockholders for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 (in thousands):

Net Loss Attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp.’s Common Stockholders and

Transfers from the Noncontrolling Interest

	Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011		2012			2011
Net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp.	$	(9,830	)	$	2,194	$	(29,820	)	$	(12,510	)
Increase in BioFuel Energy Corp. stockholders’ equity from issuance of common shares in exchange for Class B common shares and units of BioFuel Energy, LLC		227			—		273			2,386
Change in equity from net income (loss) attributable to BioFuel Energy Corp. and transfers from noncontrolling interest	$	(9,603	)	$	2,194	$	(29,547	)	$	(10,124	)

Tax Benefit Sharing Agreement

Membership units in the LLC combined with the related Class B common shares held by the historical equity investors may be exchanged in the future for shares of our common stock on a one-for-one basis, subject to customary conversion rate adjustments for stock splits, stock dividends and reclassifications. The LLC will make an election under Section 754 of the IRS Code effective for each taxable year in which an exchange of membership units and Class B shares for common shares occurs, which may result in an adjustment to the tax basis of the assets owned by the LLC at the time of the exchange. Increases in tax basis, if any, would reduce the amount of tax that the Company would otherwise be required to pay in the future, although the IRS may challenge all or part of the tax basis increases, and a court could sustain such a challenge. The Company has entered into tax benefit sharing agreements with its historical LLC investors that will provide for a sharing of these tax benefits, if any, between the Company and the historical LLC equity investors. Under these agreements, the Company will make a payment to an exchanging LLC member of 85% of the amount of cash savings, if any, in U.S. federal, state and local income taxes the Company actually realizes as a result of this increase in tax basis. The Company and its common stockholders will benefit from the remaining 15% of cash savings, if any, in income taxes realized. For purposes of the tax benefit sharing agreement, cash savings in income tax will be computed by comparing the Company’s actual income tax liability to the amount of such taxes the Company would have been required to pay had there been no increase in the tax basis in the assets of the LLC as a result of the exchanges. The term of the tax benefit sharing agreement commenced on the Company’s initial public offering in June 2007 and will continue until all such tax benefits have been utilized or expired, unless a change of control occurs and the Company exercises its resulting right to terminate the tax benefit sharing agreement for an amount based on agreed payments remaining to be made under the agreement.

Ownership “True-Up” Agreement

At the time of formation of the LLC, the founders agreed with certain of our principal stockholders as to the relative ownership interests in the Company of our management members and affiliates of Greenlight Capital, Inc. (“Greenlight”) and Third Point LLC (“Third Point”). Certain management members and affiliates of Greenlight and Third Point agreed to exchange LLC membership interests, shares of common stock or cash at a future date, referred to as the “true-up date”, depending on the Company’s performance. This provision functioned by providing management with additional value if the Company’s value improved and by reducing management’s interest in the Company if its value decreased, subject to a predetermined rate of return accruing to Greenlight and Third Point. In particular, if the value of the Company increased from the time of the initial public offering to the “true-up date”, the management members were entitled to receive LLC membership units, shares of common stock or cash from the affiliates of Greenlight and Third Point. On the other hand, if the value of the Company decreased from the time of the initial public offering to the “true-up date” or if a predetermined rate of return was not met, the affiliates of Greenlight and Third Point were entitled to receive LLC membership units or shares of common stock from the management members.

The “true-up date” occurred on June 19, 2012, which was five years from the date of the initial public offering. Since the value of the Company decreased from the time of the initial public offering to the “true-up date”, the affiliates of Greenlight and Third Point received 69,382 and 34,691 LLC membership units, respectively, from certain members or former members of our management group during the third quarter of 2012 as a result of the “true-up”. No new shares were issued as a result of the “true-up” but rather a redistribution of shares occurred among certain members or former members of our management group and our two largest investors, Greenlight and Third Point.

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Stock-Based Compensation

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs, Share-Based Payments [Abstract]

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Text Block]

9. Stock-Based Compensation

The following table summarizes the stock-based compensation expense incurred by the Company (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Inthousands)	2012		2011		2012		2011
Stock options	$	219	$	236	$	710	$	863
Restricted stock		150		148		409		224
Total	$	369	$	384	$	1,119	$	1,087

2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan

Immediately prior to the Company’s initial public offering, the Company adopted the 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (“2007 Plan”). The 2007 Plan provides for the grant of options intended to qualify as incentive stock options, non-qualified stock options, stock appreciation rights or restricted stock awards and any other equity-based or equity-related awards. The 2007 Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors. Subject to adjustment for changes in capitalization, the aggregate number of shares that may be delivered pursuant to awards under the 2007 Plan was originally 3,000,000. In March 2011, the Board of Directors, in connection with the Rights Offering and related increase in the number of authorized shares of common stock of the Company, as described in Note 7 – Stockholders’ Equity, adjusted the aggregate number of shares that may be delivered pursuant to awards under the 2007 Plan up to 7,100,000.  In May 2012, the Board of Directors, in connection with the reverse stock split, as described in Note 7 – Stockholders’ Equity, reduced the aggregate number of shares that may be delivered pursuant to awards under the 2007 Plan to 355,000. The term of the 2007 Plan is ten years, expiring in June 2017. All stock option and restricted stock information has been retroactively restated to show the effect of the one-for-twenty reverse stock split that occurred on June 15, 2012.

Stock Options — Except as otherwise directed by the Compensation Committee, the exercise price for options cannot be less than the fair market value of our common stock on the grant date. Other than the stock options issued to Directors, the options will generally vest and become exercisable with respect to 30%, 30% and 40% of the shares of our common stock subject to such options on each of the first three anniversaries of the grant date. Compensation expense related to these options is expensed on a straight line basis over the three year vesting period. Options issued to Directors generally vest and become exercisable on the first anniversary of the grant date. All stock options have a five year term from the date of grant. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011, the Company did not issue any stock options under the 2007 Plan.

A summary of stock option activity under the 2007 Plan as of September 30, 2012, and the changes during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 is as follows:

	Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Life (years)		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Options outstanding, January 1, 2012		73,610		$	64.37
Granted		—			—
Exercised		—			—
Forfeited		(2,101	)		155.54
Options outstanding, September 30, 2012		71,509		$	61.69		2.2	$	0.00
Options exercisable, September 30, 2012		54,335		$	62.59		2.1	$	0.00

A summary of the status of our unvested stock options as of September 30, 2012, and the changes during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 is as follows:

	Shares			Weighted Average GrantDate FairValue
Unvested, January 1, 2012		33,043		$	49.81
Granted		—			—
Vested		(15,686	)		50.32
Forfeited		(183	)		46.00
Unvested, September 30, 2012		17,174		$	49.45

As of September 30, 2012, there was $308,000 of unrecognized compensation expense related to the unvested portion of stock options outstanding. This expense is expected to be recognized over the next six months.

Restricted Stock  — Other than restricted stock issued to Directors, the restricted stock issued will generally vest in equal increments of 25% on each of the first four anniversaries of the grant date. Compensation expense related to restricted stock issued is expensed on a straight line basis over the four year vesting period. Restricted stock issued to Directors generally vests on the first anniversary of the grant date with compensation expense being expensed on a straight line basis over the one year vesting period. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Company granted 0 and 78,850 shares, respectively, under the 2007 Plan to certain of our employees and our non-employee Directors. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, the Company granted 0 and 87,300 shares, respectively, under the 2007 Plan to certain of our employees and our non-employee Directors.

A summary of restricted stock activity under the 2007 Plan as of September 30, 2012, and the changes during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 is as follows:

	Shares			Weighted Average GrantDate FairValue perAward		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Restricted stock outstanding, January 1, 2012		93,950		$	14.90
Granted		78,850			13.00
Vested		(25,987	)		16.00
Cancelled or expired		(1,600	)		14.41
Restricted stock outstanding, September 30, 2012		145,213		$	13.68	$	736,230

As of September 30, 2012, there was $1,677,000 of unrecognized compensation expense related to the unvested portion of restricted stock outstanding. This expense is expected to be recognized over the next 3.5 years.

After considering the stock option and restricted stock awards issued and outstanding, the Company had 107,337 shares of common stock available for future grant under our 2007 Plan at September 30, 2012.

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Noncontrolling Interest (Details Textual) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2007	Jun. 30, 2007	Sep. 30, 2012 Greenlight [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Thirdpoint [Member]
Initial Public Offering Price Per Share		$ 210
Equity Method Investment, Ownership Percentage			28.90%
Percentage Of Owned Of Subsidiaries Membership Units	87.30%
Percentage Of Payment To Exchanging Llc Member In Cash Savings Under Tax Benefit Sharing Agreement	85.00%
Remaining Percentage Of Payment To Exchanging Llc Member In Cash Savings Under Tax Benefit Sharing Agreement	15.00%
Membership Units To Be Issued				69,382	34,691

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Stockholders' Equity

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Stockholders Equity Note [Abstract]

Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]

7. Stockholders’ Equity

Rights Offering and LLC Concurrent Private Placement

In February 2011, we completed a Rights Offering (the “Rights Offering”) entailing a distribution to our common stockholders of rights to purchase depositary shares representing fractional interests in shares of Series A Non-Voting Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”). Concurrent with the Rights Offering, the LLC conducted a private placement of LLC interests that was structured to provide the holders of the membership interests in the LLC (other than the Company) with a private placement that was economically equivalent to the Rights Offering. On February 2, 2011, the Company’s stockholders approved an increase in the number of authorized shares of common stock of the Company, which resulted in the automatic conversion of shares of the Preferred Stock into shares of the Company’s common stock such that subscribers in the Rights Offering were issued one share of common stock in lieu of each depositary share subscribed for. These transactions were completed and 3,188,681 shares of common stock, at a price of $11.20 per share, and 918,463 LLC membership interests, at a price of $11.20 per unit (along with an equivalent number of shares of Class B common stock), were issued on February 4, 2011. The aggregate gross proceeds of the Rights Offering and the concurrent private placement were $46.0 million. The proceeds of the transaction were used to (i) repay in full $20.3 million owed under a bridge loan previously provided by certain affiliates of Greenlight Capital, Inc. and certain affiliates of Third Point LLC, (ii) repay in full $21.5 million owed under our then outstanding subordinated debt, (iii) repay $2.8 million of debt owed to Cargill and (iv) pay certain fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Rights Offering and the LLC’s concurrent private placement.

On February 15, 2011, the Company issued 329,890 shares of common stock to Cargill in exchange for the extinguishment of the remaining amount of indebtedness owed to Cargill. An additional $2.0 million that was carried on our balance sheet at December 31, 2010 due to troubled debt restructuring accounting was also extinguished. This amount, in addition to $2.8 million of the debt that was forgiven by Cargill, was accounted for as a capital contribution to additional paid-in capital because the Company and Cargill were considered related parties.

Reverse Stock Split

On June 15, 2012, the Company effected a reverse stock split with respect to all outstanding shares of common stock and Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty. The Company also split the number of authorized shares of common stock at a ratio of one-for-fourteen, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized common stock shares to 10,000,000, and also split the number of authorized shares of Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty, thereby reducing the aggregate number of authorized Class B common stock shares to 3,750,000. All share and per share information and all necessary par value adjustments have been retroactively restated in the financial statements to reflect the effect of this reverse stock split.

Stock Repurchase Plan

On October 15, 2007, the Company announced the adoption of a stock repurchase plan authorizing the repurchase of up to $7.5 million of the Company’s common stock. Purchases will be funded out of cash on hand and made from time to time in the open market. From the inception of the buyback program through September 30, 2012, the Company had repurchased 40,481 shares at an average price of $106.62 per share, leaving $3,184,000 available under the repurchase plan. The shares repurchased are being held as treasury stock. As of September 30, 2012, there were no plans to repurchase any additional shares.

Dividends

The Company has not declared any dividends on its common stock and does not anticipate paying dividends in the foreseeable future. In addition, the terms of the Senior Debt facility contain restrictions on the ability of the Operating Subsidiaries of the LLC to pay dividends or other distributions, which will restrict the Company’s ability to pay dividends in the future.

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Derivative Financial Instruments

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Text Block]

8. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company offsets amounts of cash collateral deposited with counterparties arising from certain derivative instruments executed with the same counterparty against the fair value amounts reported for those derivative instruments. The effects of derivative instruments on our consolidated financial statements were as follows as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011(in thousands) (amounts presented exclude any income tax effects).

Fair Value of Derivative Instruments in Consolidated Balance Sheet

		Derivative Assets (Liabilities)
	Consolidated Balance Sheet Location	September 30, 2012		December 31, 2011
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Commodity contract	Other current assets	$	—	$	(470	)
Cash collateral held or provided with counterparty	Other current assets		—		781
Total		$	—	$	311

Effects of Derivative Instruments on Income

		Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
Consolidated Statements of Operations Location		2012			2011		2012			2011
		gain (loss)			gain (loss)		gain (loss)			gain (loss)
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Commodity contract	Net Sales	$	(592	)	$	—	$	(1,498	)	$	(532	)
Commodity contract	Cost of Goods Sold		(1,365	)		—		(1,886	)		—
	Net amount recognized in earnings	$	(1,957	)	$	—	$	(3,384	)	$	(532	)

In accordance with these provisions, we have categorized our financial assets and liabilities, based on the priority of the inputs to the valuation technique, into a three-level fair value hierarchy as set forth below. If the inputs used to measure the financial instruments fall within different levels of the hierarchy, the categorization is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities recorded on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets are categorized based on the inputs to the valuation techniques as follows:

Level 1 — Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in an active market that the Company has the ability to access at the measurement date. As of September 30, 2012, we do not have any Level 1 financial assets or liabilities.

Level 2 — Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on quoted prices in markets where trading occurs infrequently or whose values are based on quoted prices of instruments with similar attributes in active markets. Level 2 inputs include the following:

· Quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in non-active markets (examples include corporate and municipal bonds which trade infrequently);

· Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for substantially the full term of the asset or liability (examples include interest rate and currency swaps); and

· Inputs that are derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the asset or liability (examples include certain securities and derivatives).

See tables above for Level 2 financial assets and liabilities.

Level 3 — Financial assets and liabilities whose values are based on prices or valuation techniques that require inputs that are both unobservable and significant to the overall fair value measurement. These inputs reflect management’s own assumptions about the assumptions a market participant would use in pricing the asset or liability. As of September 30, 2012, we do not have any Level 3 financial assets or liabilities.

There were no transfers between the various financial asset and liability levels during the nine months ended September 30, 2012.

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Income Taxes

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]

10. Income Taxes

The Company has not recognized any income tax provision (benefit) for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 due to continuing losses from operations.

The U.S. statutory federal income tax rate is reconciled to the Company’s effective income tax rate as follows (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011			2012			2011
Tax benefit at 35% federal statutory rate	$	3,965		$	(892	)	$	12,192		$	5,186
State tax benefit, net of federal benefit		57			(13	)		174			74
Noncontrolling interest		(532	)		126			(1,780	)		(819	)
Valuation allowance		(3,736	)		928			(10,519	)		(3,788	)
Other		246			(149	)		(67	)		(653	)
Total	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—

The effects of temporary differences and other items that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities are presented below (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012			December31, 2011
Deferred tax assets:
Capitalized start up costs	$	3,364		$	3,558
Stock-based compensation		655			665
Net operating loss carryover		80,967			68,036
Other		129			258
Deferred tax assets		85,115			72,517
Valuation allowance		(43,790	)		(33,802	)
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment		(41,325	)		(38,715	)
Deferred tax liabilities		(41,325	)		(38,715	)
Net deferred tax asset	$	—		$	—

The Company assesses the recoverability of deferred tax assets and the need for a valuation allowance on an ongoing basis. In making this assessment, management considers all available positive and negative evidence to determine whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized in future periods. This assessment requires significant judgment and estimates involving current and deferred income taxes, tax attributes relating to the interpretation of various tax laws, historical bases of tax attributes associated with certain assets and limitations surrounding the realization of deferred tax assets.

As of September 30, 2012, the net operating loss carryforward was $227.5 million, which will begin to expire if not used by December 31, 2028. The U.S. federal statute of limitations remains open for our 2006 and subsequent tax years.

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details 2) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Remainder of 2012	$ 251
2013	978
2014	704
2015	8
2016	8
Thereafter	41
Total	$ 1,990	$ 2,763

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Stock-Based Compensation (Details Textual) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan 2007 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan 2007 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan 2007 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Stock Options [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Restricted Stock [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Authorized				3,000,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Shares Issued in Period				7,100,000
Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Number Of Shares Reduced				355,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Terms of Award				ten years		5 year
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Number of Shares Available for Grant	107,337	107,337
Percentage Of Stock Options Vested Of Common Stock On First Anniversaries Of Grant Date	30.00%	30.00%
Percentage Of Stock Options Vested Of Common Stock On Second Anniversaries Of Grant Date	30.00%	30.00%
Percentage Of Stock Options Vested Of Common Stock On Third Anniversaries Of Grant Date	40.00%	40.00%
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized						$ 308,000	$ 1,677,000	$ 1,677,000
Employee Service Share-based Compensation, Nonvested Awards, Total Compensation Cost Not yet Recognized, Period for Recognition (in years)						6 months		3 years 6 months
Percentage Of Restricted Stock Vest In Equal Increments On Each Of First Four Anniversaries	25.00%	25.00%
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Grants in Period			0		87,300		0	78,850

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Inventory, Current [Table Text Block]

A summary of inventories is as follows (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012		December 31, 2011
Raw materials	$	6,656	$	16,818
Work in process		2,819		5,672
Finished goods		3,442		3,698
	$	12,917	$	26,188

Schedule Of Property Plant And Equipment Estimated Useful Lives Table [Text Block]

Depreciation is computed by the straight line method over the following estimated useful lives:

	Years
Land improvements	20 – 30
Buildings and improvements	7 – 40
Machinery and equipment:
Railroad equipment	20 – 39
Facility equipment	20 – 39
Other	5 – 7
Office furniture and equipment	3 – 10

Schedule Of Estimated Future Debt Issuance Cost Amortization [Table Text Block]

Estimated future debt issuance cost amortization as of September 30, 2012 is as follows (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	251
2013		978
2014		704
2015		8
2016		8
Thereafter		41
Total	$	1,990

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Derivative Financial Instruments (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Derivative Instruments in Statement of Financial Position, Fair Value [Table Text Block]

The effects of derivative instruments on our consolidated financial statements were as follows as of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011(in thousands) (amounts presented exclude any income tax effects and have not been adjusted for the amount attributable to the noncontrolling interest).

Fair Value of Derivative Instruments in Consolidated Balance Sheet

		Derivative Assets (Liabilities)
	Consolidated Balance Sheet Location	September 30, 2012		December 31, 2011
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Commodity contract	Other current assets	$	—	$	(470	)
Cash collateral held or provided with counterparty	Other current assets		—		781
Total		$	—	$	311

Effects of Derivative Instruments on Income

		Three Months Ended  September 30,					Nine Months Ended  September 30,
Consolidated Statements of Operations Location		2012			2011		2012			2011
		gain (loss)			gain (loss)		gain (loss)			gain (loss)
Derivative not designated as hedging instrument:
Commodity contract	Net Sales	$	(592	)	$	—	$	(1,498	)	$	(532	)
Commodity contract	Cost of Goods Sold		(1,365	)		—		(1,886	)		—
	Net amount recognized in earnings	$	(1,957	)	$	—	$	(3,384	)	$	(532	)

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Stock-Based Compensation (Details 2) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012
Shares Unvested, January 1, 2012	33,043
Shares Granted	0
Shares Vested	(15,686)
Shares Forfeited	(183)
Shares Unvested, September 30, 2012	17,174
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested, January 1, 2012 (in dollars per share)	$ 49.81
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Granted (in dollars per share)	$ 0
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Vested (in dollars per share)	$ 50.32
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Forfeited (in dollars per share)	$ 46
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested, September 30, 2012 (in dollars per share)	$ 49.45

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Long-Term Debt (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Remainder of 2012	$ 170,482
2013	52
2014	56
2015	57
2016	60
Thereafter	2,532
Total	$ 173,239	$ 179,647

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Consolidated Statement of Changes in Equity (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data	Common Stock [Member]	Common Class B [Member]	Treasury Stock [Member]	Additional Paid-In Capital [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Parent [Member]	Noncontrolling Interest [Member]	Total
Balances at Dec. 31, 2010	$ 14	$ 4	$ (4,316)	$ 139,028	$ (80,560)	$ 54,170	$ 252	$ 54,422
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2010	1,315,447	355,607
Sale of common stock, net of expenses	32	0	0	33,245	0	33,277	0	33,277
Sale of common stock, net of expenses (in shares)	3,188,681	0
Sale of Class B stock, net of expenses	0	9	0	0	0	9	9,501	9,510
Sale of Class B stock, net of expenses (in shares)	0	918,463
Issuance of common stock in exchange for debt	3	0	0	11,598	0	11,601	0	11,601
Issuance of common stock in exchange for debt (in shares)	329,890	0
Stock-based compensation	0	0	0	1,493	0	1,493	0	1,493
Exchange of Class B shares to common	4	(4)	0	2,477	0	2,477	(2,477)	0
Exchange of Class B shares to common (in shares)	342,916	(342,916)
Issuance of restricted stock, (net of forfeitures)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures (in shares)	93,914	0
Net loss	0	0	0	0	(8,717)	(8,717)	(1,644)	(10,361)
Balances at Dec. 31, 2011	53	9	(4,316)	187,841	(89,277)	94,310	5,632	99,942
Balances (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2011	5,270,848	931,154
Stock-based compensation	0	0	0	1,119	0	1,119	0	1,119
Exchange of Class B shares to common	1	(1)	0	273	0	273	(273)	0
Exchange of Class B shares to common (in shares)	135,675	(135,675)
Issuance of restricted stock, (net of forfeitures)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures (in shares)	77,250	0
Net loss	0	0	0	0	(29,820)	(29,820)	(5,015)	(34,835)
Balances at Sep. 30, 2012	$ 54	$ 8	$ (4,316)	$ 189,233	$ (119,097)	$ 65,882	$ 344	$ 66,226
Balances (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2012	5,483,773	795,479

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Earnings Per Share

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings Per Share [Text Block]

4. Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net income by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Diluted earnings per share are calculated using the treasury stock method and includes the effect of all dilutive securities, including stock options, restricted stock and Class B common shares. For those periods in which the Company incurred a net loss, the inclusion of the potentially dilutive shares in the computation of diluted weighted average shares outstanding would have been anti-dilutive to the Company’s loss per share, and, accordingly, all potentially dilutive shares have been excluded from the computation of diluted weighted average shares outstanding in those periods.

On June 15, 2012, the Company effected a reverse stock split with respect to all outstanding shares of common stock and Class B common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty. All share and per share information in these financial statements has been retroactively restated to reflect the effect of this reverse stock split.

For both the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, 71,509 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share as their effect would have been anti-dilutive. For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, 72,633 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share as their effect would have been anti-dilutive. For the three months ended September 30, 2011, 73,883 shares issuable upon the exercise of stock options were excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share as their effect would have been anti-dilutive because the exercise price was above the average share price for the period.

A summary of the reconciliation of basic weighted average shares outstanding to diluted weighted average shares outstanding follows:

	Three Months Ended September 30,					Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2012			2011		2012			2011
Weighted average common shares outstanding – basic		5,224,257			5,119,751		5,177,569			4,601,912
Potentially dilutive common stock equivalents
Class B common shares		869,301			946,098		908,970			897,647
Stock options		-			-		-			1,250
Restricted stock		146,761			85,691		132,519			63,532
		1,016,062			1,031,789		1,041,489			962,429
		6,240,319			6,151,540		6,219,058			5,564,341
Less anti-dilutive common stock equivalents		(1,016,062	)		-		(1,041,489	)		(962,429	)
Weighted average common shares outstanding – diluted		5,224,257			6,151,540		5,177,569			4,601,912

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Noncontrolling Interest (Details)				12 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2007	Dec. 31, 2011 Private Placement [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Common Class B [Member]	Dec. 30, 2007 Common Class B [Member]	Dec. 31, 2011 Common Class B [Member]	Dec. 31, 2010 Common Class B [Member]	Dec. 31, 2009 Common Class B [Member]	Dec. 31, 2008 Common Class B [Member]
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares outstanding at initial public offering	5,483,773	5,270,848	897,903		795,479		931,154
LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares exchanged					(135,675)	(28,060)	(342,916)	(16,830)	(131,684)	(365,722)
Remaining LLC Membership Units and Class B common shares				918,463	795,479

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Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Disclosure Of Compensation Related Costs, Share-Based Payments [Abstract]

Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Activity [Table Text Block]

The following table summarizes the stock-based compensation expense incurred by the Company (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
(In thousands)	2012		2011		2012		2011
Stock options	$	219	$	236	$	710	$	863
Restricted stock		150		148		409		224
Total	$	369	$	384	$	1,119	$	1,087

Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity [Table Text Block]

A summary of stock option activity under the 2007 Plan as of September 30, 2012, and the changes during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 is as follows:

	Shares			Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Life (years)		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Options outstanding, January 1, 2012	73,610			$64.37
Granted		—			—
Exercised		—			—
Forfeited		(2,101	)		155.54
Options outstanding, September 30, 2012		71,509		$	61.69		2.2	$	0.00
Options exercisable, September 30, 2012		54,335		$	62.59		2.1	$	0.00

Schedule Of Unvested Stock Options Table [Text Block]

A summary of the status of our unvested stock options as of September 30, 2012, and the changes during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 is as follows:

	Shares			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
Unvested, January 1, 2012		33,043		$	49.81
Granted		—			—
Vested		(15,686	)		50.32
Forfeited		(183	)		46.00
Unvested, September 30, 2012		17,174		$	49.45

Schedule Of Restricted Stock Activity Table [Text Block]

A summary of restricted stock activity under the 2007 Plan as of September 30, 2012, and the changes during the nine months ended September 30, 2012 is as follows:

	Shares			Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per Award		Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Restricted stock outstanding, January 1, 2012		93,950		$	14.90
Granted		78,850			13.00
Vested		(25,987	)		16.00
Cancelled or expired		(1,600	)		14.41
Restricted stock outstanding, September 30, 2012		145,213		$	13.68	$	736,230

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Earnings Per Share (Details)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Weighted average common shares outstanding - basic (in shares)	5,224,000	5,120,000	5,178,000	4,602,000
Potentially dilutive common stock equivalents
Class B common shares	869,301	946,098	908,970	897,647
Stock options	0	0	0	1,250
Restricted stock	146,761	85,691	132,519	63,532
Weighted Average Number Diluted Shares Outstanding Adjustment	1,016,062	0	1,041,489	962,429
Weighted Average Number Of Shares Outstanding, Basic Including Potentially Dilutive Common Stock Equivalents	6,240,319	6,151,540	6,219,058	5,564,341
Less anti-dilutive common stock equivalents	(1,016,062)	0	(1,041,489)	(962,429)
Weighted average common shares outstanding - diluted (in shares)	5,224,000	6,152,000	5,178,000	4,602,000

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2012

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Principles Of Consolidation and Noncontrolling Interest [Policy Text Block]

Principles of Consolidation and Noncontrolling Interest

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the Company, the LLC and its wholly-owned subsidiaries: BFE Holdings, LLC; BFE Operating Company, LLC; Buffalo Lake Energy, LLC; and Pioneer Trail Energy, LLC. All inter-company balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The Company treats all exchanges of LLC membership units for Company common stock as equity transactions, with any difference between the fair value of the Company’s common stock and the amount by which the noncontrolling interest is adjusted being recognized in equity.

Use of Estimates, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Use of Estimates

Preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures in the accompanying notes at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Revenue Recognition

The Company sells its ethanol, distillers grain and corn oil products under the terms of marketing agreements. Revenue is recognized when risk of loss and title transfers upon shipment of ethanol, distillers grain or corn oil. In accordance with our marketing agreements, the Company records its revenues based on the amounts payable to us at the time of our sales of ethanol, distillers grain or corn oil. For our ethanol that is sold within the United States, the amount payable is equal to the average delivered price per gallon received by the marketing pool from Cargill’s customers, less average transportation and storage charges incurred by Cargill, and less a commission. We also sell a portion of our ethanol production to Cargill for export, which sales are shipped undenatured and are excluded from the marketing pool. For exported ethanol sales, the amount payable is equal to the contracted delivered price per gallon, less transportation and storage charges, and less a commission. The amount payable for distillers grain and corn oil is generally equal to the market price at the time of sale less a commission.

Cost of Sales, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cost of goods sold

Cost of goods sold primarily includes costs of materials (primarily corn, natural gas, chemicals and denaturant), electricity, purchasing and receiving costs, inspection costs, shipping costs, lease costs, plant management, certain compensation costs and general facility overhead charges, including depreciation expense.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses, Policy [Policy Text Block]

General and administrative expenses

General and administrative expenses consist of salaries and benefits paid to our management and administrative employees, expenses relating to third party services, travel, office rent, marketing and other expenses, including certain expenses associated with being a public company, such as fees paid to our independent auditors associated with our annual audit and quarterly reviews, directors’ fees, and listing and transfer agent fees.

Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include highly-liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less. Cash equivalents are currently comprised of money market mutual funds. At September 30, 2012, we had $10.8 million held at three financial institutions, which is in excess of FDIC insurance limits.

Receivables, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable are carried at original invoice amount less an estimate made for doubtful accounts based on a review of all outstanding amounts on a monthly basis. Management determines the allowance for doubtful accounts by regularly evaluating individual customer receivables and considering a customer’s financial condition, credit history and current economic conditions. Receivables are written off when deemed uncollectible. Recoveries of receivables previously written off are recorded as a reduction to bad debt expense when received. As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, no allowance was considered necessary.

Concentrations Of Credit Risk [Policy Text Block]

Concentrations of Credit Risk

Credit risk represents the accounting loss that would be recognized at the reporting date if counterparties failed completely to perform as contracted. Concentrations of credit risk, whether on- or off-balance sheet, that arise from financial instruments exist for groups of customers or counterparties when they have similar economic characteristics that would cause their ability to meet contractual obligations to be similarly affected by changes in economic or other conditions described below.

During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, the Company recorded sales to Cargill representing 74% and 76%, respectively, of total net sales. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, the Company recorded sales to Cargill representing 85% and 90%, respectively, of total net sales. As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the LLC, through its subsidiaries, had receivables from Cargill of $12.1 million and $12.0 million, respectively, representing 87% and 88% of total accounts receivable, respectively.

The LLC, through its subsidiaries, purchases corn, its largest cost component in producing ethanol, from Cargill. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, corn purchases from Cargill totaled $95.4 million and $310.8 million, respectively. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, corn purchases from Cargill totaled $126.3 million and $397.8 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011, the LLC, through its subsidiaries, had payables to Cargill of $11.1 million and $5.6 million, respectively, related to corn purchases.

Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Inventories

Raw materials inventories, which consist primarily of corn, denaturant, supplies and chemicals, and work in process inventories are valued at the lower-of-cost-or-market, with cost determined on a first-in, first-out basis. Finished goods inventories consist of ethanol and distillers grain and are stated at lower of average cost or market.

A summary of inventories is as follows (in thousands):

	September 30, 2012		December 31, 2011
Raw materials	$	6,656	$	16,818
Work in process		2,819		5,672
Finished goods		3,442		3,698
	$	12,917	$	26,188

Derivatives, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities

Derivatives are recognized on the balance sheet at their fair value and are included in the accompanying balance sheets as “derivative financial instruments”. On the date the derivative contract is entered into, the Company may designate the derivative as a hedge of a forecasted transaction or of the variability of cash flows to be received or paid related to a recognized asset or liability (“cash flow” hedge). Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is highly effective and that is designated and qualifies as a cash flow hedge are recorded in other comprehensive income, net of tax effect, until earnings are affected by the variability of cash flows (e.g., when periodic settlements on a variable rate asset or liability are recorded in earnings). Changes in the fair value of undesignated derivative instruments or derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are recognized in current period operations.

Accounting guidance for derivatives requires a company to evaluate contracts to determine whether the contracts are derivatives. Certain contracts that meet the definition of a derivative may be exempted as normal purchases or normal sales. Normal purchases and normal sales are contracts that provide for the purchase or sale of something other than a financial instrument or derivative instrument that will be delivered in quantities expected to be used or sold over a reasonable period in the normal course of business. The Company’s contracts for corn and natural gas purchases and ethanol sales that meet these requirements and are designated as either normal purchase or normal sale contracts are exempted from the derivative accounting and reporting requirements.

Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment is recorded at cost. All costs related to purchasing and developing land or the engineering, design and construction of a plant are capitalized. Maintenance, repairs and minor replacements are charged to operating expenses while major replacements and improvements are capitalized. Depreciation is computed by the straight line method over the following estimated useful lives:

	Years
Land improvements	20 – 30
Buildings and improvements	7 – 40
Machinery and equipment:
Railroad equipment	20 – 39
Facility equipment	20 – 39
Other	5 – 7
Office furniture and equipment	3 – 10

Debt, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Debt Issuance Costs

Debt issuance costs are stated at cost, less accumulated amortization. Debt issuance costs included in noncurrent assets at September 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 represent costs incurred related to the Company’s Senior Debt Facility and tax increment financing agreements. These costs are being amortized through interest expense over the term of the related debt. Estimated future debt issuance cost amortization as of September 30, 2012 is as follows (in thousands):

Remainder of 2012	$	251
2013		978
2014		704
2015		8
2016		8
Thereafter		41
Total	$	1,990

Impairment or Disposal of Long-Lived Assets, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company has two asset groups, its ethanol facility in Fairmont and its ethanol facility in Wood River, which are evaluated separately when considering whether the carrying value of these assets has been impaired. The Company continually monitors whether or not events or circumstances exist that would warrant impairment testing of its long-lived assets. In evaluating whether impairment testing should be performed, the Company considers several factors including the carrying value of the long-lived assets, projected production volumes at its facilities, projected ethanol and distillers grain prices that we expect to receive, and projected corn and natural gas costs we expect to incur. In the ethanol industry, operating margins, and consequently undiscounted future cash flows, are primarily driven by the crush spread. In the event that the crush spread is sufficiently depressed to result in negative operating cash flow at its facilities for an extended time period, the Company will evaluate whether an impairment of its long-lived assets may have occurred.

Recoverability is measured by comparing the carrying value of an asset with estimated undiscounted future cash flows expected to result from the use of the asset and its eventual disposition. An impairment loss is reflected as the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset. Fair value is determined based on the present value of estimated expected future cash flows using a discount rate commensurate with the risk involved, quoted market prices or appraised values, depending on the nature of the assets. As of September 30, 2012, the Company performed an impairment evaluation of the recoverability of its long-lived assets due to depressed crush spreads. As a result of the impairment evaluation, it was determined that the future cash flows from the assets exceeded the carrying values, and therefore no further analysis was necessary and no impairment was recorded.

Share-based Compensation, Option and Incentive Plans Policy [Policy Text Block]

Stock-Based Compensation

Expense associated with stock-based awards and other forms of equity compensation is based on fair value at grant and recognized on a straight line basis in the financial statements over the requisite service period for those awards that are expected to vest.

Asset Retirement Obligations, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Asset Retirement Obligations

Asset retirement obligations are recognized when a contractual or legal obligation exists and a reasonable estimate of the amount can be made. Changes to the asset retirement obligation resulting from revisions to the timing or the amount of the original undiscounted cash flow estimates shall be recognized as an increase or decrease to both the carrying amount of the asset retirement obligation and the related asset retirement cost capitalized as part of the related property, plant and equipment. At September 30, 2012, the Company had accrued asset retirement obligation liabilities of $148,000 and $186,000 for its plants at Wood River and Fairmont, respectively. At December 31, 2011, the Company had accrued asset retirement obligation liabilities of $144,000 and $181,000 for its plants at Wood River and Fairmont, respectively.

The asset retirement obligations accrued for Wood River relate to the obligations in our contracts with Cargill and Union Pacific Railroad (“Union Pacific”). According to the grain elevator lease with Cargill, the equipment that is adjacent to the grain elevator may be required at Cargill’s discretion to be removed at the end of the lease. In addition, according to the contract with Union Pacific, the buildings that are built near their land in Wood River may be required at Union Pacific’s request to be removed at the end of our contract with them. The asset retirement obligations accrued for Fairmont relate to the obligations in our contracts with Cargill and in our water permit issued by the state of Minnesota. According to the grain elevator lease with Cargill, the equipment that is adjacent to the grain elevator being leased may be required at Cargill’s discretion to be removed at the end of the lease. In addition, the water permit in Fairmont requires that we secure all above ground storage tanks whenever we discontinue the use of our equipment for an extended period of time in Fairmont. The estimated costs of these obligations have been accrued at the current net present value of these obligations at the end of an estimated 20 year life for each of the plants. These liabilities have corresponding assets recorded in property, plant and equipment, which are being depreciated over 20 years.

Income Tax, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to temporary differences between financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases and operating loss and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the years in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. The Company regularly reviews historical and anticipated future pre-tax results of operations to determine whether the Company will be able to realize the benefit of its deferred tax assets. A valuation allowance is required to reduce the potential deferred tax asset when it is more likely than not that all or some portion of the potential deferred tax asset will not be realized due to the lack of sufficient taxable income. The Company establishes reserves for uncertain tax positions that reflect its best estimate of deductions and credits that may not be sustained on a more likely than not basis. As the Company has incurred tax losses since its inception and expects to continue to incur tax losses for the foreseeable future, we will continue to provide a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets until the Company believes that such assets will be realized. The Company includes interest on tax deficiencies and income tax penalties in the provision for income taxes.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The Company’s financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and accounts payable are carried at cost, which approximates their fair value because of the short-term maturity of these instruments. Any derivative financial instruments are carried at fair value. The fair value of the Company’s capital leases and note payable are not materially different from their carrying amounts based on anticipated interest rates that management believes would currently be available to the Company for similar issues of debt, taking into account the current credit risk of the Company and other market factors. The fair value of the Company’s senior debt, based on an anticipated interest rate of 12%, is estimated to be approximately $155.3 million.

Segment Reporting, Policy [Policy Text Block]

Segment Reporting

Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise for which separate financial information is available and is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision maker or decision making group in deciding how to allocate resources and in assessing performance. Each of our plants is considered its own unique operating segment under these criteria. However, when two or more operating segments have similar economic characteristics, accounting guidance allows for them to be aggregated into a single operating segment for purposes of financial reporting. Our two plants are very similar in all characteristics and accordingly, the Company presents a single reportable segment, the manufacture of fuel-grade ethanol and the co-products of the ethanol production process.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements [Policy Text Block]

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) or other standards setting bodies that are adopted by us as of the specified effective date. Unless otherwise discussed, our management believes that the impact of recently issued standards that are not yet effective will not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements upon adoption.