Re: [Biofuel] How much water is used to produce ethanol? Please
Hi Doug ; Apparently the big plants use vacuum to completely evaporate and recycle all water used during fermentation and distillation. This yields distillers spent grains with soluables, a more valuable byproduct. Also it is a closed loop system so fewer problems with EPA and so on. BR Peter G. Thailand --- DHAJOGLO <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Doug, > This really depends on how the ethanol is > produced. For instance, if you are doing the old > fashion method of mashing then you will have greater > water consupmtion versus a direct enzyme conversion > (adding alpha/beta amalyse directly). Additionally, > water can be recovered from the solids after > distillation has occured. Also, there may be water > requirements for the condenser. This water is in a > closed system but may be important to you. > > Generally, when fermeting your water/sugar mixture > will yield a water/alcohol mixture. This can range > as high as 20% ethanol (though, I have never hit > more then 15% personally). So, best case, you are > using roughly 4/5ths water for 1/5th alcohol. Of > course that does not take into consideration any > loss due to boiling/mashing/converting. > > While that doesn't answer the specific question it > may give you some info for further research. I > would suggest contacting an ethanol producer in your > area. They may be able to help you out. > > -dave > KC0PBZ > > On Friday, May 26, 2006 2:44 PM, Doug Younker > wrote: > > > >Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 14:44:40 -0500 > >From: Doug Younker > >To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org > >Subject: [Biofuel] How much water is used to > produce ethanol? Please > > > >I googled >ethanol faq<, visited this group's > archives along with JtF > >webpage. In the event the answer to may question > was there I evidently > >scrolling by it. ethanol is hoped to be the savior > of the "family" farm > >here in Western Kansas. Recently a letter to the > editor made some > >claims of how much water was needed/used to produce > one gallon of > >ethanol. Due to that I', looking for evidence of > how much water is > >really used. Facilities to produce ethanol have > been built, are being > >built, the construction of more being planned for. > Water is an issue > >here so how much water could we expect to use in > the processing of grain > >into ethanol? I don't know if it makes a > difference,some plants where > >built with using Milo (grain sorghum). Milo being > selected because it > >does well when dry land farmed. Thanks... > >-- > >Doug, N0LKK > >Kansas USA > > > > > > ___ > Biofuel mailing list > Biofuel@sustainablelists.org > http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org > > Biofuel at Journey to Forever: > http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html > > Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list > archives (50,000 messages): > http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/ > > __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
Re: [Biofuel] How much water is used to produce ethanol? Please
Doug, This really depends on how the ethanol is produced. For instance, if you are doing the old fashion method of mashing then you will have greater water consupmtion versus a direct enzyme conversion (adding alpha/beta amalyse directly). Additionally, water can be recovered from the solids after distillation has occured. Also, there may be water requirements for the condenser. This water is in a closed system but may be important to you. Generally, when fermeting your water/sugar mixture will yield a water/alcohol mixture. This can range as high as 20% ethanol (though, I have never hit more then 15% personally). So, best case, you are using roughly 4/5ths water for 1/5th alcohol. Of course that does not take into consideration any loss due to boiling/mashing/converting. While that doesn't answer the specific question it may give you some info for further research. I would suggest contacting an ethanol producer in your area. They may be able to help you out. -dave KC0PBZ On Friday, May 26, 2006 2:44 PM, Doug Younker wrote: > >Date: Fri, 26 May 2006 14:44:40 -0500 >From: Doug Younker >To: biofuel@sustainablelists.org >Subject: [Biofuel] How much water is used to produce ethanol? Please > >I googled >ethanol faq<, visited this group's archives along with JtF >webpage. In the event the answer to may question was there I evidently >scrolling by it. ethanol is hoped to be the savior of the "family" farm >here in Western Kansas. Recently a letter to the editor made some >claims of how much water was needed/used to produce one gallon of >ethanol. Due to that I', looking for evidence of how much water is >really used. Facilities to produce ethanol have been built, are being >built, the construction of more being planned for. Water is an issue >here so how much water could we expect to use in the processing of grain >into ethanol? I don't know if it makes a difference,some plants where >built with using Milo (grain sorghum). Milo being selected because it >does well when dry land farmed. Thanks... >-- >Doug, N0LKK >Kansas USA > ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
[Biofuel] How much water is used to produce ethanol? Please
I googled >ethanol faq<, visited this group's archives along with JtF webpage. In the event the answer to may question was there I evidently scrolling by it. ethanol is hoped to be the savior of the "family" farm here in Western Kansas. Recently a letter to the editor made some claims of how much water was needed/used to produce one gallon of ethanol. Due to that I', looking for evidence of how much water is really used. Facilities to produce ethanol have been built, are being built, the construction of more being planned for. Water is an issue here so how much water could we expect to use in the processing of grain into ethanol? I don't know if it makes a difference,some plants where built with using Milo (grain sorghum). Milo being selected because it does well when dry land farmed. Thanks... -- Doug, N0LKK Kansas USA ___ Biofuel mailing list Biofuel@sustainablelists.org http://sustainablelists.org/mailman/listinfo/biofuel_sustainablelists.org Biofuel at Journey to Forever: http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html Search the combined Biofuel and Biofuels-biz list archives (50,000 messages): http://www.mail-archive.com/biofuel@sustainablelists.org/
