Ethanol Plant

[AquaVitae]

I recently became lucky enough to begin work at an ethanol plant that produces fuel ethanol and rather quickly became acquainted with the differences of small scale home beverage (batch) distillation and large scale continuous industrial production of it for fuel purposes.

First off, heads and fusels are distilled along with the rest of the ethanol, its all combustible and can't really do anything else with it
Second, cooking is of course done with added amylases, both Alpha and gluco, and ordered/used in bulk
Third, and i was not aware of this until i had gotten the job, but i too once used to ponder the food verse fuel debate, untill i had learned that the spent distillers grains are dried and sold as a high protein feed for the livestock industries. When considers that almost one third of crops grown eventually end up as livestock feed, and that high protein is more desirable to a farmer than high carbohydrate, i can see why the plant in which i now work was one of the few to survive the hike in corn prices in 2008, they were actually able to adjust the process for increasing quality of the feed produced, and able to fetch a premium, of course to the detriment of ethanol production, but since EtOH prices had bottomed it was more profitable anyway, so in reality what we see today (as opposed to 5 years ago) are ethanol plants that manage and ensure the quality of all co-products form the process, not just ethanol, which i think is an important aspect to consider, in early 2000s when there was an ethanol plant boom, people were only thinking of the ethanol, and not of any other profit potential, with the spike of corn prices many of those plants died out because they were unable to produce and sell ethanol.

just so knowledge i thought i'd share with this community

[Ayay]

There's thinkin outside the box. The box is most often determined by others for their own ends.

[LWTCS]

Recon your outfit qualifies for the "Black Alcohol" tax credit also?

[AquaVitae]

we're 100% corn, so im not sure if that would qualify for the tax credit or not, if not we could always add the ethanol to the dry feed and give it to coal plants, at least you'd be getting some use out of it instead of what the paper industry did,

[Opendoors]

Hi

I'm new to the site and I have a question. I'm looking to make ethanol fuel, after Reading some
posts and from my research I think that I will use molasses. Does anyone know the address for
good ethanol fuel forum which is still alive and kicking. I've tried every search I can think of and
I keep coming back to this site, but from what I can see and read this site is for of an drinking alcohol/ethanol
site. I don't really want to waste peoples time by posting question and that here.

Thank you

imran

[Dnderhead]

many of these have died out because of time /money involved.
mile high has several references also they mite help you if you send Email.
http://www.milehidistilling.com/Alcohol ... s_s/85.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[azeo]

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/alcoholfuel/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

could be worth a look

[manu de hanoi]

Would you be able to tell us :
- how the stills are heated
- the power (watt x Hours or joules) consumed per volume of pure ethanol produced ?

[C2H5OH]

Its good that the plant you work at makes livestock feed from the corn after its used. The ethanol that I buy is not an issue when it comes to the food verse fuel debate, its made from 0% corn and 100% sugar based food waste.

[SuburbanStiller]

Anything we can use to make better hooch? What type of still head is used?

[moonshine guy]

If you can find a DVD that David Blume made about alcohol can be fuel, he tells the whole story about alcohol, it's well worth the time to watch it!