TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Method: The liquefying and treating steps are carried out simultaneously or sequentially. The liquefied mash is treated with a protease in the treating step. The method further involves a distillation step to obtain the fermentation product. The fermentation product is ethanol.The liquefying step is carried out using a bacterial alpha-amylase or a fungal alpha-amylase. The bacterial alpha-amylase is a Bacillus alpha-amylase preferably alpha-amylase derived from Bacillus stearothermophilus or its variant with the mutations: R179asterisk and G180asterisk or I181asterisk+G182asterisk, especially I181asterisk+G182asterisk+N193Fasterisk. The bacterial alpha-amylase is used in an amount between 0.0005-5 KNU per g DS, preferably between 0.001-1 KNU per g DS, such as around 0.050 KNU per g DS. The pH during liquefaction is 4.5-7, preferably 5-6, more preferably 5.4-5.6. The method further involves, prior to the liquefying step, milling the starch-containing material, and forming a slurry comprising the milled starch-containing material and water. The slurry is heated to above the initial gelatinization temperature. The slurry is jet-cooked at a temperature of 95-140degreesC, preferably 150-125degreesC, for 1-15 minutes, preferably for 3-10 minutes, more preferably around 5 minutes, before liquefying step.The treating step is carried out as a post liquefaction protease treatment. The protease is fungal, bacterial or plant origin. The protease is an endo-protease and/or exoprotease, preferably of bacterial or fungal origin. The protease is a metalloprotease. The protease is a fungal protease derived from Aspergillus, Aspergillus niger, A. saitoi, A. awamori, A. aculeatus, A. oryzae, Mucor, preferably Mucor pusillus or M. miehei, Rhizomucor, preferably Rhizomucor pusillus, or R. miehei, Rhizopus, Candida, Coriolus, Endothia, Enthmophtra, Irpex, Pencillium, Sclerotium, Thermoascus, preferably Thermoascus aurantiacus, or Torulopsis. The bacterial protease is derived from Bacillus, preferably B. amyloliquefaciens or B. licheniformis, or Nocardiopsis, preferably Nocardiopsis prasina or N. dassonavilla. The protease is a plant protease derived from barley.The treating step is carried out at conditions optimal for the protease in question. The temperature during protease treatment in liquefying step is 25-90degreesC, preferably 30-80degreesC, such as 65-75degreesC, especially around 50degreesC or 70degreesC. The pH during protease treatment in treating step is between 2 and 11. The liquefied starch in the treating step has a concentration between 20 and 50% (w/w) total solids (TS), preferably between 30-40% (w/w) TS. The protease treatment in the treating step is carried out for 0.1-12 hours, preferably 1-10 hours, more preferably 2-8 hours.The protease is present at a concentration in the range from 0.0001-1 wt.% of TS, preferably 0.001-0.1 wt.% of TS. The saccharification in saccharifying step is carried out as a pre-saccharification step lasting for 40-90 minutes, at temperatures from 28-65degreesC, at a pH between 4 and 6, followed by complete saccharification during fermentation in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process (SSF). The saccharification and fermentation steps are carried out as a SSF process. The SSF is carried out for 20-100 hours, preferably 24-72 hours.The carbohydrate-source generating enzyme is a glucoamylase, maltogenic amylase, beta-amylase or their combination. The carbohydrate-source generating enzyme is a glucoamyase, preferably present in a concentration of 0.005-5 AGU/g DS, more preferably between 0.01-1 AGU/g DS, such as especially around 0.1-0.5 AGU/g DS. The glucoamyase is derived from a strain of the genus Aspergillus, A. niger, A. awamori, or A. oryzae, or a strain of Talaromyces, preferably T. emersonii, or a strain of Athelia, preferably A. rolfsii, or a strain of the genus Trametes, preferably T.ciingulata. The fermenting organism is yeast, preferably yeast capable of fermenting sugars to ethanol, such as Saccharomyces sp., preferably S. cerevisiae.