In this work, the process performance of an anaerobic sequencing batch reactor (ASBR) for the hydrogen production from glucose-containing wastewater was studied. The anaerobic sludge taken from a brewery wastewater-treating anaerobic unit was pretreated by boiling for 15 min before being added into the ASBR unit as the seeding sludge. The ASBR unit was operated at a temperature of 37 degrees C, a hydraulic reaction time (HRT) of 24 h, and different chemical oxygen demand (COD) loading rates from 10 to 50 kg m(-3) d(-1) without and with pH control at 5.5. The results showed that at the optimum COD loading rate of 40 kg m(-3) d(-1) and pH 5.5, the produced gas was found to contain 44% H-2 and 56%CO2, and no methane in the produced gas was detected at all operating conditions. At these optimum conditions, the highest hydrogen yield was 1.46 mol H-2/mol glucose consumed. Additionally, the main organic components in the liquid effluent were acetic and butyric acids. Under the optimum COD-to-nitrogen (COD:N) ratio of 100:2.4, the system with pH controlled at 5.5 gave the highest specific H-2 production rate of 7.441 H-2 l(-1) d(-1), corresponding to the highest butyric acid to acetic acid ratio. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.