The production of ethanol from carob pods by Saccharomyces cerevisiae in solid-state fermentation was investigated. The maximal ethanol concentration (160 +/- 3 g/kg dry pods), ethanol productivity (6.7 +/- 0.2 g/kg per hour), ethanol yield (40 +/- 1.8%), biomass concentration (7.5 +/- 0.4 x 10(8) cells/g carob pulp) and fermentation efficiency (80 +/- 2%) were obtained at an inoculum amount of 3%, a particle size of 0.5 mm, a moisture level of 70%, a pH of 4.5 and a temperature of 30 degrees C. Under the same fermentation conditions both sterilized and non-sterilized carob pods pulp gave the same maximum ethanol concentration.