“Distillers grains” is a term that sometimes creates confusion among cattle producers. Some distillers grains are excellent feed supplements, while others are often not worth the hassle. To understand the differences, it is important to know where and how the distillers grains were produced and the terminology the industry typically uses to describe each source.
Dried distillers grains (DDG) or dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS) are created as coproducts when corn or sometimes other grains are fermented to produce ethanol for automotive fuel. The moisture content of DDG and DDGS will typically be around 10%.
The terms DDG and DDGS are often used interchangeably. While this is not completely accurate, it is not a big deal from a practical standpoint. These products are excellent sources of both protein and energy. Crude protein values will typically be around 29% to 32% on a dry matter basis. Energy values, expressed in terms of total digestible nutrients (TDN), will typically be around 85% to 90% on a dry matter basis. There is variation in energy and protein levels between ethanol plants, so it is important to have an analysis from each plant when making comparisons.
DDG and DDGS are traditionally sold loose, but pelleted and cubed options are becoming more common. Additionally, more dealers are selling DDG or DDGS in 50-pound sacks or super sacks. This allows producers who don’t need a truckload to take advantage of this excellent supplement.
In addition to DDGS, an ethanol plant may sell wet distillers grains plus solubles (WDGS, about 65% to 70% moisture) or modified distillers grains plus solubles (MDGS, about 45% to 50% moisture). Because of their higher moisture content, the distance these products can be hauled is limited and the amount of time they can be stored is reduced. While these can be good options if you are located near an ethanol plant, it is important to account for the moisture content when evaluating prices and comparing them to DDGS.
Unfortunately, the term distillers grains is sometimes used to describe the byproduct that comes from craft beer and liquor production. The term spent grains should be used to describe this byproduct instead of distillers grains. These spent grains often have an extremely high moisture content and they are extremely variable in nutrient content. Because of the high moisture content, inconsistent supply, variable nutrient content, increased risk of acidosis and rapid spoilage, these spent grains often are not worth the hassle for most cattle producers.
