Fermentation using mixed legume and grain feedstock

[ldanielrosa]

TL;DR Summary

I want the cheapest reliable feedstock and use the residue as well

I use ethanol for cleaning glassware and resin 3D prints. The glassware is sometimes used for food. If possible, I'd prefer to only keep one grade of ethanol on hand.

I've made sugar mash, but that is hardly the least expensive feedstock for ethanol. I had given some thought to using wheat flour, and for this I would need a source for amylase enzyme (relevant data, but not the core question).

I am now considering animal feed that I have access to for 20 cents per pound. This is a milled mix of green pea, lentil, millet, and one or two other common items to make a 20% protein. I plan to keep the protein rich residue as well.

My questions are: Will amylase enzyme that is available for brewing work for this, or will something in the legumes interfere? Is there another option that is available besides attempting to malt barley?

 

[256bits]

TL;DR Summary: I want the cheapest reliable feedstock and use the residue as well

for 20 cents per pound

How much carbohydrate content does your feed contain?
If say, 30%, then a sugar price of 60 cents/pound would be comparable for the ethanol production, without the hassle of the mix, but with loosing out on the protein residue.

 

[Rive]

I've made sugar mash, but that is hardly the least expensive feedstock for ethanol.

Depends. Do you need ethanol, or some moonshine-like distilled spirit will do?

mix of green pea, lentil, millet, and one or two other common items

...that is some weird whisky you are brewing there!?...

 

[Fra]

TL;DR Summary: I want the cheapest reliable feedstock and use the residue as well

I use ethanol for cleaning glassware and resin 3D prints. The glassware is sometimes used for food. If possible, I'd prefer to only keep one grade of ethanol on hand.

I've made sugar mash, but that is hardly the least expensive feedstock for ethanol. I had given some thought to using wheat flour, and for this I would need a source for amylase enzyme (relevant data, but not the core question).

I am now considering animal feed that I have access to for 20 cents per pound. This is a milled mix of green pea, lentil, millet, and one or two other common items to make a 20% protein. I plan to keep the protein rich residue as well.

My questions are: Will amylase enzyme that is available for brewing work for this, or will something in the legumes interfere? Is there another option that is available besides attempting to malt barley?

Unless that stuff happens to have preservatives added that that inhibits the s.cerevisae I would guess it may work, it would be easy to try in small batch. But you need to gelatinize the starch just as with the flour to give the amylase access to work. You probably need to get this a bigger scale to make the effort=work worth with gelatinization of starch, adding enzymes and then separate the solids, as compared to just buying sugar and add nutrition. So while it might work, not sure about economy if you add all the extra work.

/Fredrik

 

[Vlad Tepesh]

Distilled for 2 years via a wash of sugar and turbo yeast. Since amylase you can buy in a big bag and a little goes along way I hadnt got to the stage of having or living next to a orchard to grab all their fruit waste, blend at water, amylase and ferment for 10 days. It will be a great experiment one day as a cheaper source of sugar while using amylase to pull that last bit of sugars out. There's a guy on youtube who fermented a toilet role with amylase is powerful stuff. Same thing in your spit.