Patent ID: 7919291

Claim:
A method for producing ethanol from ground corn which method comprises: providing an aqueous composition comprising ground corn sized such that more than 50% of the ground corn passes through a 0.5 mm screen, an fungal acid amylase and a glucoamylase under conditions which produce glucose including a pH of 3 to 6, a temperature of 25° C. to 40° C., and a solids content 20 to 50 weight percent; and fermenting the glucose in the presence of a yeast and in the absence of added protease, under conditions which produce ethanol wherein said conditions include a pH of 3 to 6 and maintaining a glucose concentration in the aqueous composition of less than 1 weight percent after 12 hours of saccharification and fermentation, wherein said method produces at least 18 volume percent ethanol.