| Whatever happened to the Steffen House, once | | | | frowned upon by those who relied upon rivers for |
| a critical feature of beet sugar factories, especially | | | | other industrial purposes, including fishing. In time, |
| in Europe? A Steffen House was considered so | | | | molasses, which is basically a sugar syrup that has |
| essential to the economic success of a beet | | | | been through the factory a number of times and |
| sugar factory that a major player in the business | | | | is by the process of elimination mostly sugarbeet |
| of building and operating beet sugar factories in | | | | waste containing fifty percent sucrose, found a |
| the earliest days of the 20th Century, Henry | | | | variety of markets. Early on, it became a source |
| Oxnard, said he would not accept a contract to | | | | of ethyl alcohol but lost favor for many years |
| build a sugar factory unless it included a Steffen | | | | because of the low cost of foreign crude oil. |
| House. | | | | Interest in ethyl alcohol production would revive in |
| A key measurement of a beet factory's | | | | the 1970's when crude oil prices rose. Molasses is |
| performance then and now is the percent of | | | | also a principal raw material for the production of |
| sucrose in molasses. The appearance of any | | | | baker's yeast and is a major source for the |
| sucrose in molasses is evidence that sugar | | | | production of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and |
| intended for the warehouse, ended up, instead, in | | | | citric acid. However the volume demanded by |
| molasses. In Oxnard's day, molasses was deemed | | | | those users was low compared to the quantity |
| a waste product and as such was often poured | | | | made available by the nation's beet sugar |
| into the rivers abutting a sugar factory. Typically, | | | | companies. The price of molasses was low as a |
| in a standard factory lacking a Steffen House, or | | | | consequence. |
| in this more modern period, an ion-exchange | | | | The 1970's saw attitudes about factory waste |
| process, beet molasses will consist of fifty | | | | change from acceptance by the general public to |
| percent sucrose, an unacceptable loss to those | | | | a near total rejection of the premise that because |
| engaged in the management of a beet factory. | | | | of the good factories do (provide useful products |
| Factory superintendents refer to the presence of | | | | and economic strength) their waste products |
| sugar in molasses as "purity". High purities, then, | | | | must be tolerated. Thus the Steffens process |
| reflect high sugar losses to molasses - the same | | | | which produced liquid waste bearing high alkalinity |
| as pouring money down the drain. | | | | and pH as well as high organic content and |
| Molasses production is generally equal to five | | | | consequent malodorous compounds became |
| percent on beets processed, thus a factory run | | | | unwelcome. A Steffens House discharged waste |
| of 1,000,000 tons of beets could result in the | | | | water in amounts as great as eight hundred |
| production of 50,000 tons of molasses which | | | | percent of the volume of molasses processed. |
| would contain roughly 25,000 tons of sugar which | | | | Various studies indicated that it was possible to |
| would have a market value of ten million dollars, | | | | ameliorate the strength of the odors emanating |
| assuming sugar is sold at $.20 per pound, net of | | | | from Steffen waste. The cost, however, to install |
| manufacturing costs. It should go without saying | | | | and operate effective systems would offset the |
| that the prevention of the loss of sugar to | | | | economic gains provided by the process. Thus |
| molasses is a paramount challenge to beet | | | | factory managers who employed the Steffens |
| factory managers. Since early, technology | | | | process began shutting them down and those |
| captured as much sugar as permitted by | | | | who desired the benefits of such a process, |
| equipment then extant, the next curative was to | | | | looked elsewhere. In addition to its shortcomings |
| remove sugar from molasses. That became the | | | | on the environmental front, the Steffens process |
| role of the Steffen House. | | | | recovered only about 60% of the sugar in |
| The Steffen process was a method for | | | | molasses. Sugar manufacturers began looking |
| extracting sugar from molasses invented by Carl | | | | elsewhere for a solution to the task of recovering |
| Steffen a Vienna born Austrian who patented the | | | | sugar from molasses. Seeping into their thoughts |
| process in 1883 while engaged in sugar | | | | was the idea that it would be better to avoid |
| manufacture in Moravia. While his method has | | | | making molasses in the first place. They turned to |
| several variations, the process basically begins by | | | | ion exchange, a process that would forestall the |
| diluting molasses with water (enough to create a | | | | making of molasses in the traditional sense. |
| solution of 5-12% sucrose) and cooling it to a | | | | Ion exchange, or deionization, is a method of |
| very low temperature (below 18 degrees C) after | | | | reducing impurities from juice which then allows |
| which finely powdered lime (Calcium oxide) in | | | | for increased extraction of sugar. The principle of |
| sufficient quantity to establish a relationship of 130 | | | | ion exchange has been known for more than 125 |
| percent to the sucrose content is continuously | | | | years but seldom used in the beet sugar industry |
| added with agitation at a uniform and slow rate. | | | | because of its unfortunate habit of increasing the |
| The sugar in the molasses combines with the lime | | | | sodium content of sugar juices which retards the |
| and a saccharage of lime is formed which is | | | | ability of sugar to crystallize. However, later-day |
| insoluble in the liquid. The saccharate was then | | | | sugar manufacturers have turned to the practice |
| separated and washed in a filter press. The cake | | | | of ion-exclusion chromatography which was first |
| from the filter press (saccharate of lime) was | | | | used successfully to produce high fructose corn |
| mixed with sweet water to a consistency of | | | | syrup (HFCS). The process is based on the |
| cream and took the place of milk of lime in the | | | | exclusion of ionic compounds and the inclusion of |
| carbonation process. | | | | nonionic compounds. |
| About ninety percent of the sugar originally in the | | | | Molasses, then, once regarded as a thief who |
| beet was extracted in those factories that | | | | captured huge volumes of valuable sugar during |
| employed the Steffen process. In some facilities, | | | | the sugar manufacturing process had been made, |
| the waste water from the Steffen process, | | | | at last, to give up its plunder via ion exchange |
| which was rich in fertilizing qualities (primarily | | | | where the sugar recovery rates reach ninety |
| potassium sulfate), was used for irrigating lands | | | | percent compared to sixty percent in the old |
| adjoining the factory. The structure designed to | | | | Steffens House and without negative |
| accommodate the equipment employed in the | | | | environmental impact. And yet another bonus |
| Steffen process became generally referred to in | | | | awaited sugar factories that turned to ion |
| the industry as the "Steffen's House". | | | | exchange. |
| The Steffen process won quick popularity in | | | | Modern factories beginning in the 1990's began |
| Europe but found less favor in the United States | | | | producing betaine from molasses, a valued food |
| most likely because the process was more | | | | additive with additional medicinal benefits. The |
| sophisticated in terms of its associated chemistry | | | | University of Maryland Medical Center noted in |
| than any process introduced into a beet factory | | | | one of its studies that inexpensive wines that use |
| up until that time. The first such process was | | | | beet sugar to increase the alcohol content, contain |
| installed in 1888 at Watsonville, California. It was a | | | | betaine. Some experts suggest that this may |
| small pilot plant with three 5-foot coolers supplied | | | | explain why wine drinkers from France tend to |
| by the Grevenbroich Machinery Company of | | | | have low rates of heart disease despite diets high |
| Germany. Grevenbroich eventually supplied much | | | | in fat and cholesterol. More cogent, however, is |
| of the equipment for three pioneer California | | | | the value of betaine as a feed supplement for |
| factories, Watsonville, Los Alamitos, and Chino and | | | | chickens and pigs. A number of experiments |
| continued to supply Oxnard's Steffen process | | | | show that the addition of betaine to the feeds |
| equipment until his company and Kilby | | | | improves performance. Also, studies with pigs |
| Manufacturing of Cleveland, Ohio, began producing | | | | indicate an effect of betaine in energy metabolism |
| improved models a few years later. | | | | and a sharp increase in growth hormones. |
| In the United States, the roster of accomplished | | | | Humans, too, are finding uses for betaine as a |
| chemists who held lead positions in beet factories | | | | food supplement under a different name, |
| was slim. Often factory superintendents hewed to | | | | trimethylglycine or TMG. |
| tried and true technology of the past, preferring | | | | Thus, the Steffen process, once the savior of |
| methods learned from experience rather than | | | | sugar manufactures fell into disrepute because of |
| scholarship. Guided by practical experience instead | | | | environmental and cost concerns but made way |
| of theory, they would without malice reject ideas | | | | for the more efficient and environmentally friendly |
| and methods for which they lacked a basis for | | | | ion exchange. |
| understanding. The Watsonville experimental | | | | Sources: |
| Steffens process was little used, for example, | | | | GREAT WESTERN SUGAR COMPANY, The |
| because the factory superintendent "did not | | | | Technology of Beet Sugar Manufacture, The |
| believe in it." | | | | Great Western Sugar Company, Denver, |
| The primary attraction of the Steffen process lay | | | | Colorado, June 30, 1920 - an instruction manual |
| in comparative advantage. Molasses was then an | | | | prepared largely by D. J. Roach for use by the |
| unwanted commodity and presented itself more | | | | operating employees of the company's beet |
| as a waste issue than a salable product. Removing | | | | sugar factories. |
| sugar from molasses was regarded as getting | | | | GUTLEBEN, Dan, The Sugar Tramp-1954- |
| good value from something that would otherwise | | | | Michigan, Printed by: Bay City Duplicating Co, San |
| be discharged into the river, a practice that was | | | | Francisco, 1954 |
| from the earliest days of the U.S. beet industry | | | | McGINNIS, R.A. (Ed. |