The properties of biodiesel are determined by its oleaginous composition and the alcohol used in the transesterification. This study was performed using palm and palmist oils and methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, and benzyl alcohols to investigate their influence on the cold flow properties, density, and viscosity of the resulting biofuel. The products were also characterized by H-1 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses. Biofuel produced from palmist oil had different properties compared to biofuel synthesized from palm oil because of its lower average chain length and lower content of unsaturation. Biodiesel produced with palmist oil and isopropyl alcohol had the lowest values of cold filter plugging point (CFPP) (-16 degrees C) and density (860 kg/m(3)). The use of benzyl alcohol yielded a biofuel with high viscosity and density values that do not adhere to any international specifications for biodiesel.