Typically, the whole kernel is ground up and processed, although only corn starch is necessary to make ethanol. It is simply more affordable to go this route, said Singh. Other ethanol processors use wet milling, which involves soaking the corn so that it can be separated into starch, germ and protein. These components can be sold or used separately. For example, the corn must be soaked in sulfur dioxide for 24 to 36 hours before it can be broken down into its parts.
Quick germ adds some preliminary wet milling technology to the dry grind process.
By soaking corn kernels in water for three to 12 hours before they are ground up, the germ can be easily removed. Besides adding value to corn processed to ethanol, removing the germ adds significantly to the efficiency of ethanol processing. This technique potentially increases the number of gallons of ethanol produced by each fermenter. A further benefit of using the quick germ method in ethanol production is its effect on evaporators. In the process of making ethanol, thin stillage passes through evaporators where moisture levels are reduced.