A process for recovering corn germ and corn coarse fiber from corn in a dry grind
process, involving soaking corn kernels in water to produce soaked corn kernels,
grinding the soaked corn kernels to produce a ground corn slurry, and incubating
the ground corn slurry with at least one enzyme (amylase(s), protease(s), cell
wall degrading enzyme(s), or mixtures thereof, and optionally other enzyme(s))
to increase the specific gravity of the slurry to about 10-about 16 Baume so that
the corn germ and corn coarse fiber floats to the top of the slurry, recovering
the corn germ and the corn coarse fiber, and optionally producing ethanol from
the slurry no longer containing the corn germ and corn coarse fiber. The process
does not involve the addition of starch, a salt, a sugar syrup, or mixtures thereof
to the slurry.
