The production of ethanol from a renewable resource such as corn utilizes a fermentation process with enzymes and yeast to convert starches and sugars to ethanol. To improve the productivity of the fermentation process, certain stress factors affecting the activity of the yeast are carefully managed throughout the process. These include monitoring the relative concentrations of glucose, ethanol, lactic acid and acetic acid. This information is then used to optimize fermentation conditions. HPLC analysis can easily provide information about the critical components of fermentation and is widely used throughout the U.S. in producer labs. Typical HPLC run times are 20 to 30 minutes. This application note describes the use of a Waters Breeze HPLC System in obtaining the necessary information in 10 minutes. With HPLC run times reduced by more than 50%, plant operators can determine component concentrations more quickly, resulting in superior fermentation process control. Consequently, plant managers have the potential to increase ethanol plant productivity and reduce loss due to fermentation failure.