PROCESS OF PRODUCING A FERMENTATION PRODUCT
The invention relates to a process of producing a fermentation product, such as ethanol, from starch-containing material, including i) subjecting starch-containing material to an alpha-amylase, ii) subjecting the material obtained in step i) to an alpha-glucosidase and/or a maltose-generating enzyme, and iii) fermenting the material in the presence of a fermenting organism, such as yeast. Alternatively the invention relates to a process of producing a fermentation product from starch-containing material, preferably granular starch, which process comprises: a) subjecting starch-containing material to an alpha-glucosidase and optionally a glucose-generating and/or maltose-generating enzyme, and b) fermenting the material in the presence of a fermenting organism.
1 - 57 . (canceled)
58 . A fermentation product from a fuel ethanol production process in which a starch-containing plant material has been subjected to an enzyme mixture which product comprises ethanol and residual plant material, wherein the plant material comprises raw granular starch having a gelatinization temperature, wherein the process comprises treatment of the raw starch at a temperature below the gelatinization temperature, and wherein the enzyme mixture comprises an alpha-amylase, a glucoamylase and an alpha-glucosidase.
59 . The fermentation product of claim 58 wherein the plant material is corn.
60 . The fermentation product of claim 58 wherein the ethanol production process comprises a saccharification step and a fermentation step and the saccharification step is in the presence of an effective amount of enzyme mixture.
61 . The fermentation product of claim 58 wherein the ethanol production process comprises a simultaneously-performed saccharification step and fermentation step.
62 . The fermentation product of claim 61 wherein the fermentation step is in the presence of a fermenting organism and the product comprises the fermenting organism.
63 . The fermentation product of claim 58 wherein the process is a batch process.
64 . The fermentation product of claim 63 wherein the saccharification steps lasts up to 72 hours.
65 . The fermentation product of claim 62 wherein the fermenting organism comprises yeast.
66 . The fermentation product of claim 58 wherein the fermentation product comprises mash.
67 . The fermentation product of claim 58 wherein the fermentation product further comprises fermented mash.
68 . The fermentation product of claim 58 which further comprises wet grain.
69 . The fermentation product of claim 58 wherein the residual plant material comprises wet grain.
70 . The fermentation product of claim 58 wherein the residual plant material comprises distillers dried grains.
71 . The fermentation product of claim 58 which further comprises syrup.
72 . A fermentation product from a fuel ethanol production process in which a starch-containing plant material has been subjected to an enzyme mixture which product comprises distillers dry grains, wherein the plant material comprises raw granular starch having a gelatinization temperature, wherein the process comprises treatment of the raw starch at a temperature below the gelatinization temperature, and wherein the enzyme mixture comprises an alpha-amylase, a glucoamylase and an alpha-glucosidase.
73 . A fermentation product from a fuel ethanol production process in which a starch-containing plant material has been subjected to an enzyme mixture which product comprises ethanol, residual plant material and enzyme mixture, wherein the enzyme mixture comprises active endogenous plant alpha-glucosidase and exogenous alpha-glucosidase.
74 . The fermentation product of claim 73 wherein the enzyme mixture further comprises alpha-amylase.
75 . The fermentation product of claim 74 wherein the enzyme mixture further comprises glucoamylase.
76 . The fermentation product of claim 75 wherein the enzyme mixture further comprises a raw-starch-degrading glucoamylase.