Methods for producing a high protein corn meal from a whole stillage byproduct and system therefore
First Claim
1. A method for producing a grain meal from a whole stillage byproduct comprising:
- separating the whole stillage byproduct into a wet cake portion and a thin stillage portion, which includes protein;
prior to any evaporation step, separating out a solids portion, including the protein, from the thin stillage portion, wherein the solids portion, including the protein, is not subsequently subjected to an evaporator; and
drying the solids portion, including the protein, to define a grain meal that includes at least 40 wt % protein on a dry basis.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for producing a grain meal from a whole stillage byproduct comprising:
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separating the whole stillage byproduct into a wet cake portion and a thin stillage portion, which includes protein; prior to any evaporation step, separating out a solids portion, including the protein, from the thin stillage portion, wherein the solids portion, including the protein, is not subsequently subjected to an evaporator; and drying the solids portion, including the protein, to define a grain meal that includes at least 40 wt % protein on a dry basis. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for producing grain meal from a whole stillage byproduct, the system comprising:
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a first apparatus that receives a whole stillage byproduct, wherein the first apparatus separates the whole stillage byproduct into a wet cake portion and a thin stillage portion, which includes protein; a second apparatus that is situated after the first apparatus and prior to any evaporator and that receives the thin stillage from the first apparatus, wherein the second apparatus separates out a solids portion, including the protein, from the thin stillage portion; and an evaporator that is situated after the second apparatus and that receives the remaining thin stillage portion but does not receive the separated solids portion, including the protein, wherein the evaporator separates soluble solids from the remaining thin stillage portion, via evaporation, and wherein the separated solids portion, including the protein, defines a grain meal that includes at least 40 wt % protein on a dry basis. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification