Storage of Cereal Grains and Their Products

Dr. Kurt Rosentrater is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering as well as Food Science and Human Nutrition at Iowa State University. He also serves as Executive Director of the Distillers Grains Technology Council, which is an organization focused on education and outreach to improve the use of beverage and fuel alcohol coproducts in animal feeds. He is actively pursuing a research program to improve the sustainability of the grain-based alcohol industry. His research is focused on developing processes to add value to, and more effectively utilize cereal-based fermentation coproducts. He is developing sustainable, economical materials and products from distillers grains, such as enhanced feeds, foods, bioplastics, biocomposites, industrial intermediates, additional biofuels, and bioenergy. Over the last several years, his work has helped advance the capabilities of ethanol plants to produce, transport, store, and utilize coproducts, which has led to improved utility for livestock producers and increased economic values for ethanol manufacturers. His expertise is in value-added coproduct development, alternative recycling and reprocessing strategies for biofuel coproduct streams, improvements in processing efficiencies, life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, modeling and simulation of processing systems, plant layout, and process design. He attended Iowa State University where he received his BS, MS, and PhD in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. He is a member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, the American Association of Cereal Chemists, the Institute of Food Technologists, the American Society for Engineering Education, the American Physical Society, and Sigma Xi Honorary Research Society.

Part I: Introduction to Grain Storage
1. Introduction to cereals, oil seeds, pulses, and pseudo-cereals
2. Storage throughout history
3. Overview of contemporary storage systems for cereals, oil seeds, pulses, and pseudo-cereals
4. Alternative storage practices and technologies
5. Storage in developing countries

Part II: Design and operation of grain facilities
6. Physical, chemical, and engineering properties of grains
7. Layout, functional, and operational design considerations
8. Structural design, life safety, and explosion prevention considerations
9. Material handling operations
10. Cleaning and sorting operations
11. Grain sampling, inspection, and grading
12. Moisture in grains and its measurement
13. Near infrared and other rapid measurement systems
14. Grain drying systems
15. Grain aeration systems and storage management
16. Sensors, instrumentation, control, and automation systems
17. Safety, human interactions, and decision-making processes
18. Management systems and good manufacturing practices
19. Identity preservation and considerations for genetically modified organisms
20. Seed handling operations

Part III: Preservation of grain quality
21. Biochemical, functional, and nutritive changes during storage
22. Microflora and molds in grains
23. Mycotoxins in grains
24. Rodents in grains
25. Insects in grains
26. Control of pests and preventing deterioration during storage
27. Integrated pest management
28. Biosecurity

Part IV: Further considerations
29. Economics of grain storage
30. Federal regulations and oversight
31. International perspectives
32. Conclusions and future prospects