*Watch the video for the full story and interviews about Ethanol in Mid-Michigan.
Ethanol is alcohol derived from corn. But how does corn become something that powers your car? Poet Energy's Ethanol plant in Caro explains it.
The recipe for Ethanol starts with something made in America - corn. Mid Michigan farmers each year pledge to deliver millions of bushels of corn to get the process started. Now the race for more efficient ethanol production keeps the Caro plant's methods a secret. And since our cameras weren't allowed in the plant, here's what we learned. Corn is ground up into tiny particles, then added with water and enzymes and heated to create a mash, in which starch is converted to sugar. The mash is cooled and yeast is added. These tiny organisms consume the sugar and create alcohol, which is further refined by a distilling process leaving behind ethanol. And in just 85 hours corn from Mid Michigan farmers turns into finished ethanol that can go right into your gas tank.. The leftover corn meal doesn't go to waste.
