Distillieries - Environmental Clearance

DistilleriesFigure 3-2: Water Balance for a Distillery - Model Case3.4 Process of Distilleries Based on Molasses3.4.1 AlcoholIn India, alcohol is manufactured by two processes:Batch processContinuous processa) Batch processThe molasses obtained from the sugar industry is first diluted to bring down theconcentration of sugar from 40–45% to 10–15%. Using a portion of the diluted molassesa yeast culture is developed from an inoculum. After 4 - 6 hours, when the culture hasdeveloped fully, the remaining molasses is mixed and allowed to ferment for 30–40hours. The pH is maintained around 4-4.5 by addition of sulphuric acid. As the reactionis exothermic, the contents of the fermentation tank are kept at 35-37 o C by constantlysprinkling cold water on the outer surface of the fermentation tank.TGM for Distillery Industry 3-12 August 2010