Kinetics of anaerobic digestion of different mixtures of glucose and intermediates of its acidogenic degradation (ethanol, butyrate, propionate and acetate) have been investigated in batch reactors. Hydrogen concentration and pH value constitute the primary modulating factors in the process. Slight inhibition of the methanogenic step by the excess of butyrate, propionate and ethanol was also observed. The obtained information, as well as the proposed stoichiometry, will be used in an accompanying paper as a basis for the development of a mathematical model of batch anaerobic digestion of glucose. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.