Distillers Grain

In the process of making ethanol, distillate grains will be produced. These distillate grains can be used as a supplemental feed for livestock.

Alcohol can be produced from a variety of cereal grains. The most commonly used grains are corn, milo, wheat, barley, and rye.

One bushel of corn produces 2.5 gallons of ethanol and about 40 lbs. of wet distillate grains, (or 18 lbs of dried distillate grains if it were to be dried). A 250 GPD distillate skid will consume 100 bushels of grain a day (5600 lbs) and produce about 3000 to 4000 lbs of wet distillate grains (depending on water content). These grains, the output of the strainer, can be brought to livestock and replace corn and soybean feed. Depending on what is mixed with the feed product, it can be fed to cattle sheep, goats, horses, swine, chickens, turkeys, or fish with excellent results.

The liquid that is left over after distillation, called thin stillage, acts as a energy and protein supplement and can completely replace water as a drinking source.

A number of substrates can be used to make ethanol, but corn is used most frequently in the US. Sugar is popular in the tropics. Jerusalem Artichokes have the potential for the largest ethanol production per acre.

Distillation Process
The starch source is ground and then fermented to ethanol. About one-third of the dry matter remains as the feed product. As a result, all the nutrients (protein, energy, fiber, and phosphorus) are increased three-fold because most grains contain approximately two-thirds starch.

Wet Versus Dried Distillers Grains
Comparing the feeding of distillers wet and dry grains, research has found no differences in feed intake or milk production.

On-farm observations indicate that the main considerations between the use of wet versus dried distillers grains are handling and costs. Dried can be stored for long periods while wet distillate grains can be kept 3-4 days in summer (7 days or longer in winter). Preservatives can be purchased that will extend the shelf life to two weeks. Beyond that time surface mold will grow and it will be unpalatable.

The FFDS-250-01 produces thin stillage and wet distillate grains (WDG). Larger ethanol plants need to dry the distillate grains for sale and transportation (an expensive, energy intensive step that is unnecessary unless stored for more than 3 days.)