Increasing Capacity

All distilleries have a bottleneck somewhere in the process. For small distilleries it is often the size of the pot or column. For larger distilleries it is usually the dry house operations - be it evaporators or dryers.

The SOS process can help grow capacity for smaller distilleries by using the system ahead of the distillation process. By removing the spent grain before distillation, the size of the cook can be increased by 30%. Eliminating the grain in the pot increases the output capacity for more fermented liquid and allows for faster heating and distillation. For larger distilleries, implementing the SOS process is best utilized after distillation. The SOS process will produce a ddgs with 38 - 40% dry solids vs a centrifuge which is typically 25% dry solids. This reduction in moisture greatly reduces thermal load on the dryer, which can allow a higher beer feed rate if the column is able to support it. The SOS process also produces a significantly cleaner thin stillage. Decreasing the amount of solid levels in the thin stillage greatly reduces fouling in the evaporators. Again, this allows for higher beer feed rates over a longer time frame as the evaporators don't foul as quickly.