TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The integrated process further involves recycling a second portion of the thin stillage directly as backset; where the second portion of the thin stillage is reduced by the amount of biogas effluent recycled as backset. The fresh water amount is reduced by the amount of biogas effluent recycled as backset. The integrated process further involves providing a neutralizing agent to control the pH of the first portion of the thin stillage. The neutralizing agent is ammonia; where microorganisms adapted to an ammonia environment are provided for anaerobically digesting the first portion of the thin stillage; and where nitrogen from the ammonia provided as a neutralizing agent and additional ammonia generated by digestion of the organic acids is recycled in the biogas effluent backset as a nutrient for the fermentation, thereby reducing or eliminating the need to separately add ammonia for the fermentation. The step of anaerobically digesting is conducted in at least one digester. The integrated process further involves recycling a second portion of the thin stillage directly as backset from the separator to the pretreatment apparatus; where an increase in the amount of backset obtained by recycling the biogas effluent from the biogas apparatus reduces the amount of the second portion of the thin stillage recycled directly as backset, reducing the amount of solids returned to the pretreatment apparatus so that more raw plant materials can be added to the pretreatment apparatus. The integrated process further involves concentrating a third portion of the thin stillage into syrup by boiling off vapor from the thin stillage; and providing a portion of the syrup to the biogas apparatus for processing into biogas and biogas effluent, the syrup and the first portion of thin stillage being provided to the biogas apparatus in any ratio. The integrated process further involves concentrating a third portion of the thin stillage into syrup by boiling off vapor from the thin stillage; and recycling the vapor as backset, the third portion being reduced by the amount of biogas effluent recycled as backset, thereby reducing the amount of the syrup. The integrated process further involves drying the wet distillers grains and the syrup, the energy loading of the dryer being reduced based on the amount of organic solids converted to biogas and the amount of biogas effluent recycled as backset with reduced solids, resulting in a reduced amount of the syrup that must be dried. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.