The amount of distillers grains generated as a co-product of the distilling and ethanol fuel industry are a valuable resource. The Distillers Grains Technology Council is front and center in the effort to discover and develop new ways to use these grains.

We take a look at how they do just that.

What Is The Distillers Grains Technology Council?

The Distillers Grains Technology Council was formerly known as the Distillers Feed Research Council founded in 1940. It is a non-profit organization serving the alcohol beverage industry as well as the livestock and fuel ethanol industries.

The focus of the Distillers Grains Technology Council is to improve the quality, utilization and value of distillers grains. It is the main voice on regulatory and safety issues which affect the use and production of distillers grains.

The council also provides technical services and education about distillers grains for the benefit of the industries that it serves. It is based at Iowa State University and has 13 full members and 21 associate members.

History Of The Distillers Grains Technology Council

Founded in 1940 as the Distillers Feed Research Council the council’s mission was to help the distillery industry to cultivate uses for the waste materials left over after fermentation.

This was a great success and farmers started to use these materials to feed to their livestock and continued to do so throughout the 20th century.

By 1996 the council recognized that it was necessary to address the needs of the growing fuel ethanol industry. The name of the council was changed to the Distillers Grains Technology Council to reflect the inclusion of these services.

Mission Of The Distillers Grains Technology Council

The principal goals of the council are to provide support to the beverage, livestock and fuel industries with issues that affect them.

It supplies technical services and education to its member producers as well as users of distillers grains. The council is an advocate for members on issues related to nutrition, regulatory and safety issues.

Market development is another goal. This means promoting and supporting research into existing and emerging market opportunities for distillers grains. The council also raises awareness of the value of this co-product.

Membership Of The Distillers Grains Technology Council

The council has 13 full members including the Jack Daniel’s Distillery and Phibro Ethanol Performance Group. Full membership means each company has a voting member on the council’s board of directors which meets 3 to 5 times a year.

Full members provide direction and input on pertinent research projects which are affiliated with the council. They also receive publications and literature on the production, and processing of distillers grains throughout the year.

The Distillers Grains Technology Council holds an annual symposium which full members help to organize and plan. They also receive reduced registration fees for the annual symposium for all company attendees where they can display their company literature.

Full members of the council can also have their company information added to exhibits and promotional material at major trade shows. They receive important and relevant information on the distilling industry and in particular distillers grains throughout the year.

The membership fees for full members is $9,000 per year.

Associate members also benefit from membership but to a lesser extent. They are entitled to reduced registration fees for the annual symposium for two Company attendees. They also have the opportunity to display their company name and literature at the symposium.

Information on distillers grains is sent to associate members periodically throughout the year. The fees for associate members is $1,000 per year.

Scholarships Funded By The Distillers Grains Technology Council

The Distillers Grains Technology Council provides funding for a number of research scholarships to graduate students. The purpose of the scholarship program is to reward research accomplishments in relevant fields and to encourage increased research.

The scholarships are typically awarded at the annual symposium. Recipients are those who have completed original research which results in new knowledge being gained on distillers grains, their production, distribution, nutrition or other possible uses.

Production Of Distillers Grains

Distillers grains are mainly commercially sold as dried grains with solubles which is abbreviated as DDGS. It is a free-flowing, stable product with a yellow to brown color and a bulk density of 30–40 pounds per cubic foot.

It is readily available throughout the year as some dry-mill distillers process between 50-250 thousand bushels of grain a day. This results in 8–9 tons of distillers dried grains with solubles for every 1,000 bushels of grain that is processed.

DDGS is transported by truck, river barge, railroad and ship. With a uniform moisture content of 8-12% it has a long storage life as long as it is cooled properly and stored in a cool, moisture free environment.

Nutrition Of Distillers Grains

As a food source for animals distillers grains are an excellent source of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals. It is a particularly good source of bypass protein for ruminants such as cattle.

Distillers grains have also been used in human foods as an additive and a flour.

Final Thoughts

We hope that you have enjoyed this guide to the Distillers Grains Technology Council and that it has been informative and interesting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are Distillers Grains Used For?

Dried distillers grains are a co-product from the beverage alcohol industry as well as from the production of ethanol from grain. They are typically used as an animal feed as they are high in protein.

Can You Feed Straight Distillers Grains To Cattle?

Distillers grains can be fed straight to cattle as wet or dry additions and are high in protein. However, they are high in rumen-undegradable protein and phosphorus so need to be balanced carefully with calcium and degradable protein.

What Has The Distillers Grains Technology Council Achieved?

For more than 50 years the Distillers Grains Technology Council has funded many research studies at prestigious universities on using distillers grains in animal feed as well as in human food.