Dr. John E. Murtagh

John's Resume

John's Publications

The Alcohol Textbook

The Alcohol Glossary

The Worldwide Distilleries Guide

Distilleries and Fuel-Ethanol Plants Online Network

A reference for the beverage, fuel and industrial alcohol industries.

This book has been written to fill a void in the scientific literature available for distillers. For twenty three years a short course has been held, in Kentucky, each year, for alcohol distillery managers and chemists. This course has been directed towards the fermentation and distillation of ethyl alcohol (ethanol) for all sectors concerned with this product, including fuel, beverage and industrial alcohol producers.

Over the years, the course has established a core group of lecturers with international reputations. This has led students from all over the world to congregate annually in Kentucky for this course, and there has been an ever-increasing demand for a textbook for the course, covering all aspects of the production of alcohol by fermentation and distillation.

With this aim in mind, the lecturers at the Alcohol School and other world-renowned experts, have produced a textbook that can be used for course participants and members of the alcohol-distilling community in general.

The book has been integrated with a common overall theme and is intended to meet the needs of all levels in the industry, thus making useful and vital information generally accessible, and to make the technical language understandable.

The Alcohol Alphabet

A key feature of the book is John Murtagh's "Alcohol Alphabet," which is a glossary of the technical terms used in the industry. The very full definitions make the glossary interesting reading, and provide a sound base for developing a thorough knowledge of alcohol production and utilization.

Fourth edition published in November 2003 by Nottingham University Press. 446 pages and fully-searchable CD Rom.

Table of Contents

Forward
T. Pearse Lyons (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)

Ethanol industry today

1. Ethanol around the world: rapid growth in policies, technology and production.
   T.Pearse Lyons (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
   
   Raw material handling and processing
   
   
2. Grain dry milling and cooking procedures: extracting sugars in preparation for fermentation.
   Dave R. Kelsall and T.Pearse Lyons (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
   
   

3. Enzymatic conversion of starch to fermentable sugars.
   Ronan F. Power (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
   
   

4. Grain handling: a critical aspect of distillery operation.
   David J. Radzanowski (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
   
   Substrates for ethanol production
   
   
5. Lignocellulosics to ethanol: meeting ethanol demand in the future.
   Charles.A. Abbas (Archer Daniels Midland, Illinois, USA)
   
   
6. Ethanol production from cassava.
   Nguyen T.T. Vinh (The Research Institute of Brewing, Hanoi, Vietnam)
   
   
7. Whey alcohol - a viable outlet for whey?
   Jack O'Shea (Alltech Inc., Co. Meath, Ireland)
   
   
8. Treatment and fermentation of molasses when making rum-type spirits.
   Robert Piggot (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
   
   Yeast and management of fermentation
   
   
9. Understanding yeast fundamentals.
   Inge Russell (Interational Centre for Brewing and Distilling, School of Life Sciences, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK)
   
   
10. Practical management of yeast: conversion of sugars to ethanol.
    Dave R. Kelsall and T. Pearse Lyons (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
    
    
11. Continuous fermentation in the fuel alcohol industry:
    How does the technology affect yeast?
    W. M. Ingledew (University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada)
    
    
12. Understanding near infrared spectroscopy and its applications in the distillery.
    Don Livermore (Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd., Ontario, Canada), Qian Wang and Richard S. Jackson (Bruker Optics Inc., Massachussetts, USA)
    
    
13. Emerging biorefineries and biotechnological applications of nonconventional yeast: now and in the future.
    Charles A. Abbas (Archer Daniels Midland, Illinois, USA)
    
    Beverage alcohol production
    
    
14. Production of Scotch and Irish whiskies: their history and evolution.
    T.P. Lyons (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
    
    
15. Tequila production from agave: historical influences and contemporary processes.
    Miguel Cedeño Cruz (Tequila Herradura, S.A. de C.V., Jalisco, Mexico)
    
    
16. Production of heavy and light rums: fermentation and maturation.
    Robert Piggot (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
    
    
17. From pot stills to continuous stills: flavor modification by distillation.
    Robert Piggot (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
    
    
18. From liqueurs to "malternatives": the art of flavoring and compounding alcohol.
    Andy Head and Becky Timmons (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
    
    
19. Production of American whiskies: bourbon, corn, rye and Tennessee.
    Ron Ralph (Ron Ralph & Associates Inc., Kentucky, USA)
    
    Contamination and hygiene
    
    
20. Bacterial contamination and control in ethanol production.
    N.V. Narendranath (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
    
    
21. Managing the four T's of cleaning and sanitizing: time, temperature, titration and turbulence.
    Jim Larson and Joe Power (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
    
    Recovery
    
    
22. Ethanol distillation: the fundamentals.
    Phillip W. Madson (KATZEN International Inc., Ohio, USA)
    
    
23. Development and operation of the molecular sieve: an industry standard.
    R.L. Bibb Swain (Delta-T Corporation, Virginia, USA)
    
    Engineering ethanol fermentations
    
    
24. Water reuse in fuel alcohol plants: effect on fermentation.
    Is a "zero discharge" concept attainable?
    W.M. Ingledew (University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada)
    
    
25. Understanding energy use and energy users in contemporary ethanol plants.
    John Meredith (Ro-Tech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
    
    The dryhouse, co-products and the future
    
    
26. Dryhouse design: focusing on reliability and return on investment.
    John Meredith (Ro-Tech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
    
    
27. Ethanol production and the modern livestock feed industry: a relationship continuing to grow.
    Kate A. Jacques (Alltech Inc., Kentucky, USA)
    
    
28. Biorefineries: the versatile fermentation plants of the future.
    Karl A. Dawson (Alltech Inc. Kentucky, USA)
    
    
    The Alcohol Alphabet
    A glossary of terms used in the ethanol-producing industries.
    J.E. Murtagh (Murtagh and Associates, Virginia, USA)
    
    

To order The Alcohol Textbook CD ROM only, click here.

Comments, questions and information may be forwarded to:

Murtagh & Associates
3409 Briarcrest Drive, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54701, USA
Telephone/Fax: (1) 715-831-8151
E-mail: murtagh@murtagh.com

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