Table 1.

Main characteristics of ethanol production in the USA and Brazil.

Characteristics	USA	Brazil
Main feedstock	Corn	Sugarcane
Fermentation process	Without yeast recycling	With yeast recycling
Solids in suspension	>30%	<1%
Fermentation yield	85–90%	90–92%
Fermentation time	45–60 h	6–12 h
Yeast concentration	3–4%	8–12%
Ethanol concentration	12–18% (v/v)	7–12% (v/v)
Days of plant operation	345	200–240
Main by-product/residue	DDGS for animal feed	Vinasse for ferti-irrigation