Development of a novel liquid fertilizer from distillery stillage

Distillery stillage is a liquid waste produced during the fermentation of milk permeate to yield alcohol. Stillage is an environmental liability due to its potential to create anoxic dead zones in aquatic ecosystems. Nevertheless, stillage also is rich in vital nutrients that can support plant growth. The goal of the proposed research is to reformulate distillery stillage to be used as a green liquid fertilizer, thereby converting a waste stream into a valuable by-product. Our partner organization, Dairy Distillery (DD) is an innovative company that produces high-quality ethanol from milk permeate, making the world’s first milk-based vodka (“Vodkow”) and hand sanitizers. Current waste treatment facilities necessary to safely dispose of large volumes of stillage will represent a significant operating cost ($250,000 per year) to DD upon expansion. If stillage can be reformulated into a fertilizer, these costs will be reduced dramatically, directly benefiting DD and reducing the footprint of fermentation.

Faculty Supervisor:

Allyson MacLean;Alexandre Poulain

Student:

Partner:

Dairy Distillery

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Retail trade

University:

University of Ottawa

Program: