Stillage (Spent Grain)
Stillage is the residue left in the still after distillation, the spent grain and liquid. Part of the liquid (backset) is often reused, and the solids become animal feed or other byproducts.
Every run leaves stillage behind. The liquid backset is commonly recycled into the next mash in the sour mash process, while the wet grain is frequently sold or given to local farms as cattle feed, turning a waste stream into a sustainability and cost story worth tracking.
What is stillage dewatering?
Whole stillage is mostly water, so many distilleries separate it into a solid fraction (wet distillers grains, or wet cake) and a liquid fraction (thin stillage), typically with a centrifuge or a press. The thin stillage can be evaporated into a syrup and recombined with the solids, and part of the liquid is retained as backset for the next mash. Dewatering cuts hauling weight and makes the solids far easier to store, feed out, or dry.
What are DDGS?
Dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS) are stillage solids that have been dewatered and then dried, usually with the evaporated thin-stillage syrup added back in. Shelf-stable and protein-rich, DDGS are sold as livestock feed, turning a distillation byproduct into a revenue and sustainability stream worth tracking against each production run.
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