NOVELTY - Producing ethanol comprises (a) hydrogenating alkanoic acid and/or its ester in reactor in presence of catalyst to form crude ethanol mixture, (b) separating portion of crude ethanol mixture in first distillation column operated above atmospheric pressure to yield first residue comprising alkanoic acid, and first distillate comprising ethanol and acetaldehyde, and (c) separating portion of first distillate in second distillation column to yield second residue comprising ethanol, and second distillate comprising acetaldehyde, where second residue comprises less than 1 wt.% of diethyl acetal.    USE - The method is useful for producing ethanol (claimed) which is used in a variety of applications including fuels, solvents, chemical feed stocks (to make other chemicals e.g. vinegar, ethyl acrylate, ethyl acetate, ethylene, glycol ethers, ethylamines, ethyl benzene, aldehydes, butadiene and higher alcohols preferably butanol), pharmaceutical products, cleansers, sanitizers, hydrogenation transport or consumption.    ADVANTAGE - The method: reduces acetal concentrations when separating ethanol from a crude product in at least one distillation column which is operated at a higher pressure to increase the equilibrium constant that favors hydrolysis of the acetal; and provides the ethanol product which is substantially free of acetaldehyde, optionally comprising less than 8 wppm of acetaldehyde, preferably less than 1 wppm of acetaldehyde.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) a method (m2) for producing ethanol comprising providing a crude ethanol mixture comprising acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethanol and diethyl acetal, separating a portion of the crude ethanol mixture in a first distillation column operated above atmospheric pressure to yield a first residue comprising acetic acid, and a first distillate comprising ethanol and acetaldehyde, and step (c) as above per se, where the second residue comprises less than 1 wt.% of diethyl acetal;    (2) a method (m3) for producing ethanol comprising step (a) as above per se, separating a portion of the crude ethanol mixture in a first distillation column operated above atmospheric pressure to yield a first residue comprising ethanol and water, and a first distillate comprising ethyl acetate and acetaldehyde, and separating a portion of the first residue in a second distillation column to yield a second residue comprising water, and a second distillate comprising ethanol, where the second distillate comprises less than 1 wt.% of diethyl acetal; and    (3) a method (m4) for producing ethanol comprising providing a crude ethanol mixture comprising acetic acid, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, ethanol and diethyl acetal, separating a portion of the crude ethanol mixture in a first distillation column operated above atmospheric pressure to yield a first residue comprising acetic acid, ethanol and water, and a first distillate comprising ethyl acetate and acetaldehyde, and separating a portion of the first residue in a second distillation column to yield a second residue comprising water and acetic acid, and a second distillate comprising ethanol, where the second distillate comprises less than 1 wt.% of diethyl acetal.