Unit 9 - Lesson 4 - Co-products Whisky

Question 1

Good example of co-product in fermentation

Answer 1

CO2

Question 2

What is the formula for fermentation

Answer 2

C6H12O6 —> 2C2H5OH + 2CO2 + heat + Biomass
One molecule of glucose is converted to two molecules of alcohol and two molecules of carbon dioxide as heat is released.

Question 3

What is the breakdown of 100T of raw material

Answer 3

1/3 - alcohol
1/3 - CO2
1/3 - solids

Question 4

Goal for CO2 recovery?

Answer 4

gas released during the fermentation phase

Since some has too much air at beginning and some stuck in mash

Question 5

At what levels does it start making sense to recover CO2

Answer 5

Operations > 20 mLa

Because it is energy intensive and high capex

Question 6

What are the main principles for CO2 capture?

Answer 6

BASICALLY YOU HAVE TO SOLIDIFY CO2
Raw gas purification
Equipment e.g. pipework
Primary and secondary compression
Silica gel towers to remove trace levels of water
Activated carbon towers to remove any unwanted off-odours
Refrigeration to produce liquid carbon dioxide
Bulk storage of the final product at pressure at around -25°C

Question 7

What are some co-products for whisky?

Answer 7

CO2
Cereal Residues can be converted to feedstock
Fusel Oil

Question 8

What is recoverable in the pre-processing of barley?

Answer 8

Barley dust and screenings will be recovered.
Stones and other materials will be discarded.
Malt rootlets will be recovered.

Question 9

How can cereal be made as a co-product?

Answer 9

1. used wet or pelletized as animal feed

2. Used in a bio reactor

Question 10

Solids production at a distillery 1 mLa production per week solids

Answer 10

A distillery with a capacity of 1.0 mLa will only produce roughly 20 t of dry solids per week.

Question 11

What is the challenge for smaller producers to resell the grain residues?

Answer 11

Getting the water out
Can use:
-Use of wedge wire screens as a filter
-Filter presses
-Screw presses
-Centrifuges
-Various evaporation operations
-Various drying operations

Question 12

What is different between the treatment of Fusel oil for continuous and batch process?

Answer 12

Batch does not use Fusel as a co-product and sometimes allow it in the liquor
Continuous produces much Fusel and reselss

Question 13

How much alcohol in Clean Fusel oil

Answer 13

Almost none

Has to be <8.6% ABV

Question 14

What is Fusel used for in the Chemical industry

Answer 14

production of other organic compounds.

Question 15

What industries used Fusel Oil

Answer 15

pharmaceuticals, photographic, perfume and food industries

Question 16

At the distillery what can Fusel oil be used?

Answer 16

As a fuel or co-fuel for steam