NOVELTY - Saccharification process (p1) (100) comprises obtaining lignocellulosic biomass (102), and converting the lignocellulosic biomass into sugars (104) by: flowing the lignocellulosic biomass counter-currently to a flow of water through a saccharification vessel comprising a column; and converting the lignocellulosic biomass into a sugar solution using an enzyme in the column.    USE - The process is useful for saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass.    ADVANTAGE - The process: achieves the same conversion as conventional systems while reducing enzyme requirements by a large factor (such as by a factor of 3.9-10.8), and thus cost effective and introduces the enzyme at an intermediate stage in the counter-current system; allows undigested solids to be washed counter-currently to recover interstitial sugars; incorporates antimicrobial agents into the saccharification solution and then be removed and recycled using appropriate methods; creates synergies by using volatile antimicrobial agents that may be removed in a sugar concentrator that employs thermal methods; adds antimicrobial agents directly in the form of plants (such as oregano or other plants with essential oils) without the need to extract the essential oils; utilizes a packed column to achieve counter-current saccharification, while maintaining a portion of the solids in the column above the waterline to help keep the biomass from floating in the column; thermally concentrate sugar solutions; utilizes boiler ash to pretreat the biomass under alkaline conditions; and synergizes the counter-current saccharification with shock pretreatment, which is particularly effective at low enzyme loadings.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) a saccharification process (p2) comprising obtaining lignocellulosic biomass, and converting the lignocellulosic biomass into sugars by flowing the lignocellulosic biomass counter-currently to a flow of water through multiple saccharification vessels comprising a series of stirred tanks, separating solids exiting each stirred tank from sugars exiting each stirred tank, and converting the lignocellulosic biomass into a sugar solution using an enzyme in at least some of the stirred tanks; and    (2) a saccharification process (p3) comprising obtaining lignocellulosic biomass, and converting the lignocellulosic biomass into sugars by adding at least one antimicrobial agents to the lignocellulosic biomass, flowing the lignocellulosic biomass counter-currently to a flow of water through at least one saccharification vessel, converting the lignocellulosic biomass into a sugar solution using an enzyme in the saccharification vessel, concentrating the sugar solution, and removing at least a portion of the antimicrobial agents from the sugar solution while concentrating the sugar solution.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a schematic view of saccharification process.    Saccharification process (100)    Lignocellulosic biomass (102)    Concentrated sugars (104)    Pretreatment stage (106)    Sterilization stage (108)