ECONOMICS OF GERM PRESEPARATION FOR DRY-GRIND ETHANOL FACILITIES

A detailed economic analysis of a 914 tonnes/day (36,000 bu/day) ''Qui ck Germ'' ethanol process was performed. The Quick Germ ethanol proces s is a combination of a dry-grind and a wet-milling ethanol process. T he Quick Germ ethanol process increases the coproduct value in the dry -grind ethanol process by recovering germ before fermentation. Germ is recovered using the conventional wet-milling degermination process. E conomic assessment of the Quick Germ process proved profitable. The sa vings achieved by recovering germ as a coproduct and by increasing the fermenter capacity due to removal of nonfermentables from the corn ma sh will reduce the manufacturing cost of ethanol by 2.69 cent/L (10.19 cent/gal or $0.265/bu) when compared to the conventional dry-grind et hanol process.