Potable ethanol

Generally, the scale of commercial processes (i.e., with the exception of potable ethanol or glucose isomerate) is modest, and for enzymes it is very low, only a few kg/day. 

Lactose is readily fermented by lactic acid bacteria, especially Lactococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp., to lactic acid, and by some species of yeast, e.g. Kluyveromyces spp., to ethanol (Figure 2.27). Lactic acid may be used as a food acidulant, as a component in the manufacture of plastics, or converted to ammonium lactate as a source of nitrogen for animal nutrition. It can be converted to propionic acid, which has many food applications, by Propionibacterium spp. Potable ethanol is being produced commercially from lactose in whey or UF permeate. The ethanol may also be used for industrial purposes or as a fuel but is probably not cost-competitive with ethanol produced by fermentation of sucrose or chemically. The ethanol may also be oxidized to acetic acid. The mother liquor remaining from the production of lactic acid or ethanol may be subjected to anaerobic digestion with the production of methane (CH4) for use as a fuel several such plants are in commercial use. 

The major outlet for all molasses at the present time is in feed for cattle or other animals. Fermentation into rum, potable ethanol, citric acid, and vinegar continues to be a market for considerable quantities of molasses and large quantities are used for growing yeasts. However, these uses have diminished in relation to feed use over the years. Beet molasses, because of its high content of nitrogeneous substances, is valued for the production of citric acid by fermentation. 

Now, the ethanol used is almost always anhydrous, meaning it has no water. The closest one can get commercially to anhydrous ethanol is Everclear which is 95% ethanol and 5% water (190 proof). A lot of chemical supply stores will not carry 100% (200 proo ethanol because it is a potable (drinkable) product. This means that they would have to get a liquor license or some other state permit to sell the stuff and that is a hassle that many don t want to bother with,... 

Starches. In the United States, all potable alcohol, most fermentation industrial alcohol, and most fuel alcohol is currendy made principally from grains com is the principal feedstock for fuel alcohol. Fermentation of starch from grain is somewhat more complex than fermentation of sugars because starch must first be converted to sugar and then to ethanol. This process was known to the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians who brewed beer almost 5000 years ago (202). The simplified equations for the conversion of starch to ethanol are... 

The manufacture of potable and industrial ethanol requires that as little substrate as possible is diverted into production of new cell mass. In theory, Ig of glucose should yield 0.511 g of ethanol and 0.489g of carbon dioxide but in practice, in batch aerobic fermentations, it is usually found that about 0.1 g of the glucose is diverted into new cell mass such that (Maiorella et al., 1981)... 

Perfumes contain 10-25% oil in SDA 39C. The denaturant is diethyl phthalate - 1 100. Colognes and toilet waters contain 2-6% oil in SDA 40 as shown in Figure 9. The denaturant is brucine sulfate - 3 oz. per 100 gallons. Ethanol used as a solvent for flavors is the 95% grade and is fully taxed since it is potable. All ethanol used for fragrances and flavors must get by the close scrutiny of the Quality Control perfumer or flavorist. The road can be rough. 

Kuo et al. [789] determined down to 2x 10 ng (0.02pg L ) of beryllium in potable water by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. After mixing with an ethanolic solution of A -trifluoroacetylacetone the Be(TFA)2 complex formed is extracted with... 

Grandet et al. [807] have described a method for the determination of traces of bromide and iodide in potable water which permits determination of 50pg bromide L 1 and 5pg iodide L 1 without preconcentration of the sample or 0.5pg bromide and 0.2pg iodide L 1 after preconcentration. The method is based on the transformation of the halides into 2-bromo- or 2-iodo-ethanol. These derivatives are extracted with ethyl acetate and determined with an electron capture detector. The difference in the retention periods enables both halides to be determined simultaneously in one sample. The method is substantially free of interferences and is suitable for use on many types of water. 

Aqueous solutions of these alcohols occur when sugar solutions are fermented and may be separated by distilling the mixtures. It is a common, economically valuable process for manufacturing potable liquors and for producing industrial alcohol from fermented molasses solutions or pulp mill wastes. One of the authors (A.Y.M.) reports that design and operation of these columns is hampered by lack of vapor-liquid equilibrium data, especially for making potable liquors, where small amounts of the alcohols other than ethanol greatly affect the flavor and, therefore, the products marketability. 

One example of whey utilization technologies is the production of alcohol from cheese whey at the Carbery Milk Products Ltd. factory, Ballineen, Ireland. The Carberry plant produces 2.59% v/v of ethanol from 4.7 w/v of lactose in whey permeate (Barry, 1982). Because the Kluveromyces species, used in anaerobic fermentations, have low ethanol tolerance, preconcentration of the lactose is not possible, so fermentation and distillation costs are considerable. Under Irish conditions potable alcohol is the most profitable outlet but in other countries, anhydrous alcohol for industrial or power uses may be more attractive (Ozmihci and Kargi, 2008). 

Any potable alcohol, such as ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is the alcohol of concern to halal food or flavor production. Propylene glycol, frequently used in food and drug industries, is not a concern. Alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine or distilled spirits (vodka, whiskey, etc.) are forbidden under halal guidelines. 

Fuel alcohol (denatured ethanol, which contains impurities such as methanol so that it is not potable) produces about llAOOBtu lb" (IBtu or British thermal unit is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 lb of water at its maximum density, 1°F, and is equal to about 252cal). Gasoline produces about twice as many British thermal units. 

Kuo et al. [789] determined down to 2 x 10 "g (0.02jig L " ) of beryllium in potable water by gas chromatography with electron capture detection. After mixing with an ethanolic solution of N-trifluoroacetylacetone the Be(TFA)2 complex formed is extracted with cyclohexane. To the excess of free N-trifluoroacetylacetone is added sodium bicarbonate solution with shaking for at least 15s. The pH must be above 7.5, preferably in the range 8-5-9.0. Deionised water showed no detectable levels of beryllium, while Taiwan tap water had a level of O.lSpg L. ... 

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