[redgolum]

Ethanol has a place. The digested grains make excellent cattle feed. That is what the market needs to be (and honestly is) tied to.

You ferment enough to supply the demand for DDG. Maybe a little extra for CO2 and other side products. But right now, the supply of feed is such that it is out racing the demand. If the EPA and tax breaks went away the industry would fall to the level that is needed to support the dairy and beef suppliers, with a little extra for drinkable sales.

[knarf]

Don’t know a whole lot about it except my chicken feed has steadily increased in the last two years.

[11th Commandment]

Your comments on DDG do not tell the entire story. DDG's are concentrated protein because the all the sugar, i.e., energy is removed from the grain during the distilling process. However as any animal dietitian will tell you, DDG wreck havoc on the animal because the animal needs energy to absorb all that protein. To much DDG creates animal stress which slows growth and increases mortality.

Some innovative companies have developed enzymes to help digest DDGs, but there is definitely a limit on the amount of DDGs in the animal diet. Another problem is DDG quality- some of the stuff would make you puke at the sight of it. Finally there are issues with preservation/degradation during storage and transportation.

You may ask, well then were do all these DDG go to, someone must buy them... the answer is the Chinese buy them up in huge quantities.

[sportutegrl]

Ethanol has a place.

In a short glass with ice and diet pepsi.