Kid goat pre-gastric esterase immobilized in a hollow fiber reactor was used to hydrolyse butteroil at buffer pH values of 5.0, 6.0 and 7.0. Overall hydrolysis proceeded fastest at pH 6.0, but changes in volatile fatty acid ratios with pH suggest that the same enzyme:substrate system can produce different flavor profiles, e. g., at pH 6.0 the relative rate of production of undesirable soaplike flavors is minimized.