Separation and Characterization of the Active Soil-Aggregating Agent Present in Distillery Slops

Abstract

Information resulting from laboratory studies is presented to show the nature of the soil-aggregating and stabilizing agents present in rum distillery slops. It was found that the main agents were constituents of the 80-percent alcohol-insoluble fraction of the rum distillery slops as shown by determining its soil-aggregate-stability activity. Fractionation of the active material indicated that 6 percent of it was a mannose-bearing polysaccharide, 7 percent protein, and the rest, 87 percent, or main constituent, was a caramel. This one results from the sucrose recovery process at the sugar factory and is not attacked by yeast in the molasses fermentation process.