Patent ID: 8257951

Claim:
An ethanol production process wherein a corn feedstock is hydrolyzed to produce ethanol and whole stillage, the improvement to which comprises: a. reducing production of a volatile organic compounds stream by separating the whole stillage to produce a wet distillers grain containing protein-containing solids and a thin stillage containing a solubles stream containing vitamins, minerals, proteins and yeast; b. filtering at least a portion of the thin stillage through a microfilter to form a carotenoid-containing retentate and a water soluble permeate comprising vitamin, mineral, protein and yeast; and c. filtering at least a portion of the water soluble permeate through an ultrafilter to produce a protein and yeast- containing retentate and a vitamin and mineral-containing permeate; d. drying at least one from the group consisting of: wet distillers grain, the carotenoid-containing retentate, the protein and yeast containing retentate and the vitamin and mineral-containing permeate in a spray dryer operating at an inlet hot air temperature of less than about 450° F. and an exhaust temperature of between about 140° F. and about 170° F. for a period of time to produce at least one product having a water content of less than about 15% by weight and a reduced stream of volatile organic compounds.