Methods for producing a high protein corn meal from a whole stillage byproduct and system therefore
AssigneeFluid Quip Technologies, LLC
InventorChie Ying Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates generally to corn dry-milling, and more specifically, to methods for producing a high protein corn meal from a whole stillage byproduct produced in a corn dry-milling process for making ethanol and a system therefore. In one embodiment, a method for producing a high protein corn meal from a whole stillage byproduct includes, in a corn dry-milling process for making ethanol, separating the whole stillage byproduct into an insoluble solids portion and a thin stillage portion. The thin stillage portion is separated into a protein portion and a water soluble solids portion. Next, the protein portion is dewatered then dried to define a high protein corn meal that includes at least 40 wt % protein on a dry basis.
Claims18
A method for producing grain meal from a whole stillage comprising:
- separating a whole stillage byproduct, via a plurality of in-line separation devices, into an insoluble solids portion and a thin stillage portion, which includes protein, wherein the insoluble solids portion is processed into distillers wet grain and/or distillers dried grain with or without solubles;
- and
- prior to any evaporation step, separating the thin stillage portion, via a mechanical separation device, into only a protein portion and a water soluble solids portion,
- wherein the protein portion is not subsequently subjected to an evaporator and the protein portion defines a grain meal that includes at least 40 wt % protein on a dry basis.
A method for producing grain meal from a whole stillage comprising:
- separating a whole stillage byproduct, via a plurality of in-line separation devices, into an insoluble solids portion and a thin stillage portion, which includes protein, wherein the insoluble solids portion is processed into distillers wet grain and/or distillers dried grain with or without solubles and wherein the plurality of in-line separation devices is selected from a filtration centrifuge, a decanter centrifuge, a pressure screen, a paddle screen, or any combination thereof;
- and
- prior to any evaporation step, separating the thin stillage portion, via a nozzle centrifuge or cyclone apparatus, into only a protein portion and a water soluble solids portion,
- wherein the protein portion is not subsequently subjected to an evaporator and wherein the protein portion defines a grain meal that includes at least 40 wt % protein on a dry basis.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.