Livestock feed from corn ethanol byproduct
A method for processing of byproducts in an ethanol production process to improve their nutritional value is provided. The method includes applying a mixture of microorganism to a stillage stream with concomitant production of organic acids and de-emulsification and liberation of oil for recovery. An improved livestock feed resulting from ethanol production is provided which comprises a much reduced oil content and a much higher level of organic acids.
1. A method for producing an improved distillers grains resulting from an ethanol production process comprising obtaining whole stillage, applying a mixture of microorganisms from the class Bacilli to the whole stillage in a fermentation process which application of microorganisms metabolizes the carbohydrates in the whole stillage with concomitant production of organic acids and reduction of oil by de-mulsification and liberation of oil for recovery, and separating the oil, whereby resultant distillers grains produced from the whole stillage have a reduced oil content and a concentration of energy dense organic acids.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ethanol production process is a dry-milling ethanol production process.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture of microorganisms is applied to by-product whole stillage resulting from the production of ethanol from grains in dry-milling ethanol.
4. The method of claim, wherein a microorganism is of the order Lactobacillales.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the microorganism is selected from the group consisting of the genus Pediococcus, Lactobacillus, Enterococcus and Bacillus.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the microoganism is selected from the group consisting of the species Plantarum, Casei , and Acidophilus.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture of microorganisms produces an enzyme selected from the group consisting of beta-glucanase, cellulases, hemicellulases, amylases, proteases, lipases and maltases.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic acids produced comprise one or more of lactic, acetic, propionic, butyric, iso-butyric, valeric, iso-valeric, succinic, citric, malic, fumaric, aspartic, amino and others or their equivalents.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the organic acids produced are selected from the group consisting of lactic, malic, fumaric and propionic acid.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic acid concentration is equal to from about 2% to about 30% on a dry weight basis.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic acid concentration is equal to from about 4% to about 25% on a dry weight basis.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic acid concentration is equal to from about 5% to about 20% on a dry weight basis.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resultant distillers grains has an oil content from about 1% to 8% on a dry weight basis.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resultant distillers grains has an oil content from about 1.5% to about 6% on a dry weight basis.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the resultant distillers grains has an oil content from about 2% to about 4.5% on a dry weight basis.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fermentation process is anaerobic.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fermentation process lasts from about 2 hours to about 60 hours.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fermentation process lasts from about 4 hours to 36 hours.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fermentation process lasts from about 6 hours to 24 hours.