Patent ID: 8603786

Claim:
A method for reducing the water content of a solid 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) 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; (b) depositing at least a portion of the separated solids component on an apparatus comprising a belt; (c) transporting the solids component along the apparatus by movement of the belt while conducting at least two separate addition-removal procedures thereto, wherein each procedure comprises: (i) adding an ethanol solution to the separated solids component, wherein the ethanol content of the solution of each procedure is higher than the ethanol content remaining in the separated solids component; and (ii) 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; and (d) at least partially drying the separated solids component.