TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - CHEMICAL ENGINEERING - Preferred Process: One or more acids are produced by fermentation of the saccharified biomass sugars. The saccharified biomass sugars are produced by saccharification of a cellulosic or lignocellulosic biomass material with a method selected from one or more enzymes, one or more acids, and its combinations. Making product further involves: (a) recalcitrance reducing the cellulosic or lignocellulosic material by electron beam irradiation; (b) applying a hydrogen pressure between about 5 and 120 atm while utilizing catalyst to produce alcohols; and (c) isolating at least one of the acids prior to converting one or more acids into one or more esters. The method further involves: (a) passing the ester over a second catalyst, where the first and second catalyst are different or the same catalysts; (b) applying a first pressure of hydrogen while passing the ester over the first catalyst and applying a second pressure of hydrogen while passing the ester over the second catalyst, where the first pressure is higher than the second pressure by at least 10 pounds per square inch (psi); (c) heating the first catalyst to a first temperature while passing the ester over the first catalyst and heating the second catalyst to a second temperature while passing the ester over the second catalyst, where the first temperature is higher than the second temperature by at least 10 degrees C; (d) applying a hydrogen pressure between about 5 and 100 atm while passing the hydrogen over the first and/or second catalyst; or (e) fermenting the biomass to at least two fermentation products where the two of the products are the acid and an alcohol which are, in turn, reacted to form an ester. Preferred Components: One or more acids comprise butyric acid or acetic acid. The first and second catalyst or catalyst includes a metal selected from platinum (Pt), osmium (Os), rhenium (Re), ruthenium (Ru), rubidium (Rb), nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), molybdenum (Mo), tungsten (W), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), oxides of these and combinations of these. The ester is selected from ethyl butyrate, butyl butyrate, hexyl butyrate and octyl butyrate. The product of the fermentation comprises a carboxylic acid, where the carboxylic acid has from 1 to 20 carbons and 1 to 5 carboxylic acid groups. The carboxylic acid is butyric acid. Fermentation product comprises an alcohol. The ester is selected from ethyl butyrate, butyl butyrate, hexyl butyrate and octyl butyrate. Preferred Parameter: The dose of irradiation is between 10 and 200 Mrad. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.