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Bioethanol seems very potential to be an alternative energy substituting the fossil-based energy due to its renewable sources. Any sources containing carbohydrate (poly or mono) may be fermented into ethanol (bioethanol). This study aims to investigate the optimum conditions in the fermentation of used paper HVS hydrolysate to yield ethanol. The used paper HVS hydrolysate, produced from the hydrolysis of used paper HVS, was initially treated with a so-called detoxification stage to remove compounds hindering the fermentation process. The detoxification stage employed adsorptive separation with the aid of carbon (charcoal) activated with KOH and K2CO3 solution. The fermentation varied the types of microbes or yeast (i.e. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Rhizopus oligosporus) and its concentration. Within the ranges of studied parameters, the optimum conditions to yield highest level of ethanol (0.436%) were activated carbon with KOH, yeast of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and concentration of 3 g yeast/70 mL hydrolysate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]