TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The hydrator/mixer comprises a heated water jacket surrounding a first vessel having an outlet in fluid communication with the inlet of the passage. The apparatus further comprises: a second vessel having an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the passage; a residence tube section having an inlet in fluid communication with the outlet of the passage; a transport fluid supply adapted to supply transport fluid to the transport fluid nozzle; fluid movers in series and/or parallel with one another, where the transport fluid supply is adapted to supply transport fluid to the transport fluid nozzle of each device; transport fluid supply lines connecting the transport fluid supply with each nozzle, where each transport fluid supply line includes a transport fluid conditioner; a dedicated transport fluid supply for each transport fluid nozzle; a low pressure flash tank located downstream of the fluid mover, where the low pressure flash tank is adapted to reduce the temperature of fluid leaving the passage of the fluid mover; a recirculation pipe adapted to allow fluid recirculation from downstream of the fluid mover to upstream of the fluid mover; a recirculation pipe adapted to allow fluid recirculation through the hydrator/mixer; a strainer located upstream of the fluid mover, where the strainer is adapted to remove large particles and/or other debris from the slurry; a jet cooker located downstream of the strainer and upstream of the fluid mover; one or more residence tubes located downstream of the fluid mover; and a second fluid mover located downstream of the one or more residence tubes, where the second fluid mover comprises (i) a passage of substantially constant diameter; and (ii) a transport fluid nozzle communicating with the passage of the second fluid mover and adapted to inject high velocity transport fluid into the passage of the second fluid mover. The second vessel includes an insulator for insulating the contents of the second vessel. The residence tube includes an insulator for insulating the contents of the residence tube as it passes through. The transport fluid nozzle is annular and circumscribes the passage. The transport fluid nozzle has an inlet, an outlet and a throat portion between the inlet and the outlet, where the throat portion has a cross-sectional area which is less than that of the inlet and the outlet. The transport fluid conditioner is adapted to vary the supply pressure of the transport fluid to its respective nozzle. The transport fluid supply includes a transport fluid conditioner. The conditioner is adapted to vary the supply pressure of the transport fluid to each respective nozzle. The apparatus is integrated into an ethanol production plant for producing ethanol and non-ethanol products from the starch-based feedstock. The system further comprises a fermenter, a yeast prop tank coupled to the fermenter, a beer well located downstream of the fermenter, a beer column, a centrifuge adapted to process stillage from the beer column, and a thin stillage tank located downstream of the centrifuge and adapted to produce backset to be directed to the hydrator/mixer. The ethanol production plant is a dry mill or a wet mill plant. The dry mill plant utilizes a corn dry grind based feedstock. The wet mill plant utilizes a corn wet milling based feedstock.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The step (f) comprises: forming a low pressure region downstream of the nozzles; and generating a condensation shock wave within the passage downstream of the nozzles by condensation of the transport fluid. The transport fluid is injected at a subsonic or a supersonic velocity. The step (f) occurs on a single pass of the slurry through the fluid mover. The step (f) includes recirculating the slurry through the fluid mover. The process further comprises recirculating the slurry through the vessel; passing the slurry through a strainer prior to step (e) to remove large particles and/or other debris from the slurry; passing the slurry through a jet cooker prior to step (e); directing the slurry from the fluid mover to one or more residence tubes; directing the slurry from the one or more residence tubes to a second fluid mover having a second substantially constant diameter passage; injecting a high velocity transport fluid into the slurry through one or more nozzles communicating with the passage of the second fluid mover, thus further hydrating and heating the starch content of the slurry, where the slurry is further atomized to form a dispersed droplet flow regime downstream of the nozzles of the second fluid mover; transferring the slurry to a second vessel from the second fluid mover, and maintaining the temperature of the slurry in the second vessel for another predetermined period of time; transferring the slurry to a second vessel from the fluid mover, and maintaining the temperature of the slurry in the second vessel for another predetermined period of time; agitating the slurry in the first and second vessels for the respective predetermined periods of time; directing mash resulting from liquefaction of the slurry in the second vessel to a fermenter; distilling ethanol after fermentation of the mash; processing stillage resulting from the fermentation and distillation to produce backset that is directed to the first vessel; adding an enzyme composition to the slurry in the second vessel; and adding a further enzyme to the slurry in the second vessel to break the starch content into short chains of polysaccharides in order to produce non-ethanol products. The step of transferring the slurry to the second vessel includes passing the slurry through a low pressure flash tank to reduce the temperature of the slurry. The measurements of materials comprise measurements of materials entering into and leaving the fermenter. The measurements of materials comprise relied ethanol concentration, dissolved solids concentration, water mass balances and beer density. The step of adjusting one or more parameters comprises adjusting at least one input and at least one operating condition. The input is selected an amount of feedstock, an amount of liquid or an amount of enzyme. The operating condition is temperature, process time, process flow rate, throughput, fluid speed or pH level. Preferred Components: The transport fluid is a hot, compressible gas. The hot, compressible gas is steam, carbon dioxide or nitrogen. The working fluid is water. The feedstock is dry milled maize, dry milled wheat, dry milled sorghum, potato, oats, barley, rye, rice or cassava. The enzyme composition comprises alpha -amylase.