An experimental study was conducted to propose an adequate mathematical model for liquid-gas equilibrium in acetic acid fermentations. Three operation scales (laboratory, pilot plant, and industrial plant) were employed to obtain the sets of experimental data. The proposed model, based in the UNIFAC method for the estimation of activity coefficients of a solution consisting of several components, takes into account the effect of temperature. However, in the set of equations, it has been necessary to put in the degree of equilibrium (epsilon). This coefficient adequately reflects the physical conditions of fermentation equipment. The experimental and numerical results help to define the fundamental mechanisms for liquid-gas equilibrium in these systems and demonstrate the model validity in the three tested scales. It was also found that in an industrial setting, closed systems are those with lowest evaporation losses. Copyright 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.