Spent Grain Dryers
Spent grain dryers are the combination of centrifuges and fluid bed dryers, each customized for the application.
Spent grain is valuable for animal feed and some human food, but the moisture content destroys its shelf-life. To extract its value, distilleries and some breweries use equipment to dry spent grain immediately after collection.
Available Methods
Some distilleries use tumble (rotary) dryers, but these are not the right solution for this application due to the inherent nutrient degradation and risk of combustion caused by the heat. Belt dryers can also be used, but we find them to take too much space for the volume they can handle. The best solution was pioneered by our supplier, Kason, and involves dewatering the spent with a centrifuge, then using a fluid bed dryer to finish the job.
Dewatering
The first step to dewatering spent grain is to use a specialized centrifugal sifter (Learn more about centrifugal sifters on abmequipment.com). Unlike horizontal units that rely on short augers to feed standard centrifuges, the dewatering screener uses specialized components and can be inclined up to 40° to increase the dwell time of material within the chamber, increasing the drainage rate of free liquid. Raising the outlet end of the cylindrical chamber causes moisture to remain near the downhill inlet of the cylindrical screen, increasing the dryness of the discharged solids.
Spent Grain Centrifuge Benefits
- Takes moisture down to 60-50%
- Eliminates screen failures
- Nearly infinite turn-down ratio
- Stainless steel construction with food-grade finish
- Low footprint
- Casters (optional)
- Adjustable-slope stand for consistency variations
From small pilot models to large commercial, both the centrifuges and fluid bed dryers are available in sizes that can accommodate virtually any need.
After drying, we can package your spent grain into bulk bags using bulk bag fillers.
Drying
The rest of the drying is done with a specialized circular fluid bed dryer. (Learn more about fluid bed dryers on abmequipment.com). Fluid bed dryers use a vibrating bed and upward draft of warm air to quickly dry spent grain without degrading it. Circular models are used instead of rectangular because they’re more efficient and easier to clean.
Spent Grain Fluid Bed Dryer Benefits
- Takes moisture down to 13-9%
- Uniform drying of product
- Low footprint
- Energy-efficient
- Quick-Clean sanitary design
- Compliance with safety and sanitary standards
- (Comparatively) low-noise
- Casters (optional)
- Explosion-proof (optional)
Both the centrifuges and fluid bed dryeres are available in a range of sanitary models and food-grade finishes that provide easy cleaning and maintenance, minimizing downtime between batches. All of Kason’s screening and dewatering equipment for distilleries is constructed with high-grade 304 and 316 stainless steel and can comply with global safety and sanitary standards.
Give us a call or fill out a form to learn how we can add value to your brewery or distillery!