Patent ID: 8449728

Claim:
A method for reducing the water content of a solids component prepared from a fermentation product of a fermentation process in a biorefinery that performs distillation of ethanol wherein the fermentation product provides for an aqueous-ethanolic component and a solids component, the method comprising the steps of: (a) fractionating corn to separate endosperm from other components of the corn; (b) fermenting a fractionated portion of the corn comprising substantially entirely endosperm to obtain a fermentation product, the fermentation product comprising an aqueous-ethanolic component and a solids component; (c) partially separating the aqueous-ethanolic component from the solids component to provide a separated solids component having a reduced amount of the aqueous-ethanol component; and (d) conducting at least two separate addition-removal procedures thereto wherein each procedure comprises adding an ethanol solution or solvent to the separated solids component and further wherein the ethanol or solvent content of the each solution is higher than ethanol or solvent content of the aqueous-ethanol component remaining in the separated solids component and then removing at least a portion of liquid therefrom such that after each addition-removal procedure the water content in the separated solids component is lower than the prior procedure.