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KASON CORPORATION

67-71 East Willow Street

Millburn, NJ 07041

Tel:  973-467-8140, ext 211

Fax:  973-258-9533

Website: http://www.Kason.com

E-Mail: JLing@Kason.com

Model MO-SS Centri-Sifter in 8 Feathers Distillery

 

The best equipment to remove spent grains from their distillery’s discharge stream was found by 8 Feathers Distillery to be Kason Corporation’s Centri-Sifter. Substantially less expensive than alternatives from other manufacturers, the solution simplified equipment needs.

 

Once grain is fermented or distilled, it requires disposal by a means acceptable to the local community.  Craft distilleries, often located within a Publicly Owned Treatment Works (POTW) service area, require strict limits on solids discharged in the waste stream. Since many craft whiskey distilleries use hammer mills to grind grains, the resulting byproduct is too fine to allow lautering as the grain removal method, so an aggressive process like the Centri-Sifter must be used. 

 

When originally presented with 8 Feathers process challenge, Kason Corporation offered the MOS Centri-Sifter with a heavy duty screen as the best separation option – though possible to accomplish with a traditional Vibroscreen, the Centri-Sifter allows higher flow rates while also producing a discharge of spent grain with less remaining free water.

 

After sending a sample of the material to be separated, Kason Corporation conducted a free process test and suggested a screen mesh and paddle design to separate material and minimize the risk of screen blinding.

 

For a small distillery facing these restrictions, the challenge to economically remove spent grains becomes limited and daunting.  Trucking of stillage discharge is cost prohibitive with high water content so producers seek solutions to separate grain from liquid for efficient disposal.

 

Before choosing Kason Corporation’s Centri-Sifter, other separation methods identified included passive settling systems, chemical flocculation, or mechanical separation. Among mechanical separation options considered were filter presses, screw presses, and centrifugal separators.  Initial studies indicated all these as viable choices where presses are the most expensive and centrifugal sifters are the most cost effective solutions.  8 Feathers Distillery studied these options and concluded that mechanical separation using Kason Corporation’s Centri-Sifter offered the best combination of cost, function and efficiency.

 

Though settling tanks provide effective separation, the process requires multiple holding tanks with excessive time and space requirements. Use of chemical flocculation renders the spent grains unfit for use as animal feed – instead they become solid waste which must be disposed of in landfills.

 

A filter press sized to meet distillery needs requires a large compressor to drive air diaphragm pumps.  Without adding some form of solids coagulant to the process stream, the filter cloths require extensive cleaning after each use.  The chemicals which enhance the solids collection render the collected grains unacceptable for use as animal feed. These additional equipment and chemical needs make filter presses, though effective, the most expensive option.

 

Screw presses are appropriate for general industrial use but lack features to clean adequately for a distillery. No press fit within budget, flowrate and footprint constraints of 8 Feathers. While mechanical separation is the best solids removal method, Kason Corporation’s Centri Sifter minimizes cost, time, space, and environmental impacts best within the types considered.

 

After purchase and prior to installation, Kason Corporation supplied mechanical drawings to allow 8 Feathers to construct the necessary platform to house the Centri-sifter.  Once the unit arrived it was installed without issue and began initial testing immediately.

 

The results were as good, or better, than expected.  The unit processed a 1500 gallon, 40% solid test sample fed at 40gpm, without any screen blinding or degradation of performance.  The separated grain was suitably dry for transport by truck. 

 

Now, the MOS Centri Sifter provided by Kason Corporation is in production at 8 Feathers Distillery and provides a key function in POTW compliance while still allowing captured solids to be used for animal feed in an efficient and cost effective grain separation solution.

 

Links to Videos:

 

Kason at 8 Feathers - Video 1

 

Kason at 8 Feathers - Video 2

 

Kason at 8 Feathers - Video 3

 

Kason at 8 Feathers - Video 4

 

 

Kason Centri-Sifter in 8 Feathers Distillery.pdf

Edited by Kason Corporation
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Presses offer a very dry discharge, but for high flows, the size of the equipment increases as do other ancillary equipment needs. In some cases the Kason can be used to "thicken" the sludge to allow use of smaller presses for a great solution and very dry cake. It really depends on what one is trying to accomplish. In this instance, for the required flows and dryness, the Kason Centri-Sifter offered the most reasonable results.

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  • 2 years later...

Remember, not all Centri-Sifters are created equally either. I can tell you about suitability of particular machines. Be careful in the used equipment market, you may find what "looks right" from the outside but which you'll need to upgrade on the inside.  It may be a real fight to get things up and running as 8 Feathers can attest - but consider the new machineto get off on the right foot and also think about alternative financing options should you want to find a creative way to get a machine into your distillery. I can point you in the direction of a few capital companies or you may be aware of your own locally. Section 179 of the IRS code may be helpful too.

Section 179 is one of the most important tax codes for business owners, It lets you deduct all (or part) of the cost of equipment that is purchased or leased and put into place before the end of the year.

Contact me at 270-60-KASON or JLing@KASON.com about screening processes or to give you more information on financing thru a third party.

GG-0386 Eight Feathers Distillery CH-Brewer Distiller Int'l Nov 2019.pdf

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On 9/1/2017 at 12:03 PM, Stumpy's said:

We are also using a Kason centri-sifter. It is by far the best solution to separating grain from stillage that we have found thus far. Our farmer loves the quality of the grain he is getting off of it!

Are you distilling on the grain?

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2 hours ago, John Bassett said:

8 Feathers appears to be out of business.  I would love to speak with them.

I thought they were still operating under new ownership after Greg Lowe and his partners sold the business - but I too see the "last call" out there on the webpage unfortunately

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  • 4 months later...
On 2/9/2020 at 10:02 AM, starcat said:

Interesting. What do they go for?

And what about the Belt Press machine that has been shown on this forum as an effective alternative?

Belt presses offer very dry solids but at the expense of difficult cleaning and maintenance.

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  • 1 month later...

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