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In distillery operations, efficiency is not just limited to the recovery of alcohol. So, what does follow distillation? It is often what defines long-term stability and sustainability. Stillage, the hot slurry left behind after distillation, contains recoverable liquid along with spent grain solids. When properly managed with intent, this material can move from a disposal problem to a revenue-generating product stream.
At Galaxy Sivtek, screening and filtration are viewed as process-enablers rather than isolated machines. In stillage handling, vibro sifters support this philosophy by introducing control, consistency, and balance into solid–liquid separation stages.
Fresh stillage carries a heavy and inconsistent solids load, fibrous grain matter, agglomerates, and suspended particles, which is often at elevated temperatures. When the slurry goes directly into separation (or dewatering) equipment that is under high loads, the following problems develop:
Over time, these challenges increase operating costs and reduce process reliability.
Process Insight:
The uncontrolled entry of solids into the system is the main cause of most stillage-related problems, even though uncontrolled dewatering equipment is not the cause.
Installing a vibro sifter immediately after distillation introduces a controlled pre-screening step.
At this stage, the vibro sifter removes oversized and fibrous solids from the stillage before it reaches more intensive separation systems. This pre-conditions the slurry and stabilizes the flow of the materials instead of causing the separation in one step.
Galaxy Sivtek Design Approach:
Vibro sifters are engineered to support continuous liquid screening while maintaining gentle separation and process stability.
The recovered liquid from separating stillage is traditionally reused in the distillery environment – such as in fermentation and other utility processes. However, unprocessed remaining very fine solids may affect the consistency of fermentation and overall hygiene / sanitation levels overtime.
The vibro sifter functions as a secondary filtration system which removes tiny particles from the liquid while maintaining its original properties. The resulting process produces a liquid stream that meets reuse standards through improved cleaning and stability.
Process Benefit:
The process of recovering cleaner liquid allows for consistent multiple fermentation cycles which decrease the differences between production runs.
The solid fraction recovered from stillage is commonly repurposed as animal feed. Particle consistency is also critical in its handling, storage and acceptance.
A vibro sifter used after the initial separation is used to sort the solids, minimizing the surplus fines to enhance consistency. This improves usability and contributes to improved value recovery of recovered material.
Application Note:
Screening recovered solids is often overlooked, yet it directly influences transport efficiency and downstream acceptance.
Vibro sifters can be used in a distillery due to the following reasons:
Rather than adding complexity, they simplify stillage handling by reducing stress on critical equipment and stabilizing material flow.
Modern distilleries are moving away from single-machine solutions toward process-integrated separation strategies. Vibro sifters provide enabling systems which help organizations achieve operational efficiency and process consistency while maintaining their primary distillation activities.
By integrating vibro sifters into stillage handling, distilleries can reduce waste, recover value, and operate with greater control quietly, consistently, and by design.
