Patent ID: 8288138

Claim:
A process for converting a grain fermentation residual product into ethanol, comprising: A) pretreating a grain fermentation residual product with acid and heat to degrade hemicellulosic material within the grain fermentation residual product, wherein pretreating the grain fermentation residual product includes an in-line processing system, comprising: A1) treating the grain fermentation residual product with acid to form an acidified grain material; A2) steam-heating the acidified grain material in a pressurized pipe, to a temperature of between about 325Â° F. to about 375Â° F. and a pressure of between about 80 to about 170 psig; A3) flowing the heated and acidified grain material through a throttle valve into a reaction vessel slightly above atmospheric pressure; A4) neutralizing the grain material in the reaction vessel; A5) adding a liquid brewery feedstock or water to provide a mixed material stream; and A6) cooling the mixed material stream to a temperature of between about 130Â° F. to about 150Â° F. with an in-line pipe heat exchanger; B) hydrolyzing the pretreated grain fermentation residual product with an enzyme to convert starch and cellulosic material to simple sugars; C) fermenting the simple sugars into ethanol with an ethanol-producing microbe; D) distilling the ethanol; E) dehydrating the ethanol to remove water; and F) recovering whole stillage as an animal or fish feed product.