TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The degassing apparatus is a flash evaporator or a purge column.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method further comprises the step of separating and recovering product from the product-enriched vapor, preferably ethanol-enriched vapor. The separation and recovery of the ethanol from the ethanol-enriched vapor is conducted in a rectifier. The fermentation of step (a1) is batch-fed fermentation. The batch-fed fermentation continues without interruption for at least 3 (preferably 6) days. The by-product gasses produced during the fermenting process of step (a1) are discharged from the fermenter. The by-product gasses discharged from the fermenter are collected and trace ethanol and water vapor contained in the by-product gasses is separated and recycled to the vacuum evaporation apparatus. The by-product gasses removed from the fermentation liquid during the degassing step (c1) are collected and trace ethanol and water vapor are removed from the byproduct gasses and recycled to the vacuum evaporation apparatus. Preferred Components: The feedstock is a low solids feedstock. The feedstock is gums, fatty acids and crude oil extracts from animals or plants. The product is an alcohol or organic acid. The product-enriched vapor of step (d) comprises 15-20 wt.% product. The ethanol-enriched vapor comprises 15-20 wt.% ethanol. EXAMPLE - Paenibacillus macerans strain was maintained on plates containing Luria-Bertani (LB) medium comprising tryptone (10 g), yeast extract (5 g), sodium chloride (NaCl) (10 g), and agar (15 g) per liter. Liquid nutrient broth yeast extract (NBYE) comprising difco nutrient broth (8 g/l), difco yeast extract (5 g/l) and NaCl (5 g/l) supplemented with glycerol (40 g/l) was used for overnight culture and fermentation. Calcium carbonate (10 g/l) was added to flask cultures for pH control. The cultures (stored as glycerol stocks at -80 degrees C) were streaked onto LB plates and incubated overnight at 42 degrees C. Single colonies growing on the plates were used to inoculate NBYE medium (40 ml), seed cultures in 250 ml baffled flasks grown aerobically at 42 degrees C and 175 revolution per minute (rpm) overnight. These cultures were used to provide an inoculum for a 5l-fermenter. Anaerobic fermentations containing NBYE medium were conducted in a 5-l fermentation system at a temperature of 42 degrees C and agitation of 200 rpm. After 22 hours, the fermenter was connected to the vacuum assisted purification zone for ethanol extraction and the process was continued and worked upto give extracted ethanol (13.2 g).