Estimation of Ethanol Yield in Corn Mash Fermentations Using Mass of Ash as a Marker

An equation to estimate the ethanol yield by mass of ash in fermentation was generated. The equation was based on the assumption that mass of ash does not change during the course of fermentation. Ethanol yield estimated by the mass of ash equation was validated by contrasting it to ethanol yield obtained by the distillation method. Results showed no difference (P = 0.925) in yields estimated by the aforementioned methods. Furthermore, this innovative method was tested in three fuel ethanol plants located in the American Midwest. The results from each of these plants showed that the ethanol yield estimated by mass of ash is valid, consistent and can be used to compare individual fermentations and/or treatments.