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In the corn wet milling process, the shelled corn is first cleaned and steeped in water. The swollen corn is coarsely ground to loosen the germ. The used steep water yields nutrients used in animal feeds. Corn oil is extracted from the germ, while the germ residue is used for animal feeds. A second grinding process releases the starch and gluten for separation. The gluten and fibre separated during the grinding process are used in animal feeds.
To produce ethanol, the fermentation process for both wet and dry milling is almost identical. Partially processed corn that has been mixed with water is transferred to fermenters where yeast is added. The mash is then agitated and kept cool to boost the activity of the yeast. After about 50 hours a 'beer' is produced.
This "beer" is transferred to distillation columns where the ethanol is driven off and concentrated to 190 proof before being dehydrated to 200 proof. The dehydrated, or anhydrous, ethanol is then sold for food use or mixed with a denaturant (such as gasoline) before distribution to fuel terminals or retailers.