Effect of soy skim from soybean aqueous processing on the performance of corn ethanol fermentation

The feasibility of using soy skim, a co-product of the aqueous processing of soybeans, in ethanol production from corn was evaluated. Specific growth rates were compared when Saccharomyces cerevisiae was grown in soy skim and peptone-yeast extract media supplemented with glucose. Such soy skim was proved to be a good nitrogen source for yeast growth. Next, fermentation of dry-ground corn to ethanol using soy skim as the media was simulated on 1.5-L scale. Replacing water with soy skim increased the initial ethanol production rates by 4-32% while final ethanol yield was about 39 g/100 g dry corn, similar to the result when water was used. Solid and protein contents in the finished beer increased with the addition of soy skim. Thus, replacing water in corn-ethanol fermentation with soy skim is feasible, and may improve the economics of both aqueous soybean processing and corn ethanol fermentation.