An apparatus for extracting and recovering components from a biomass feedstock with pressurized low polarity water, commonly referred to as pressurized hot water, said apparatus comprising: two or more reaction columns (10, 20, 30, 40, 50) set up in parallel, each column having an outlet for egressing a liquids product flow; (i) a warming circuit arranged for supplying heated water and pushing it through jackets of the reaction columns for warming each column and its contents; (ii) a processing circuit arranged for supplying heated pressurized water and flowing it through the reaction columns, for extracting the biomass feedstock in the reaction columns, the heated pressurized water being pressurized low polarity water; (iii) a cooling circuit arranged for supplying cooled pressurized water and flowing it through the reaction columns, for cooling down the extracted biomass feedstock in the reaction columns and for cooling down the reaction columns; wherein each column separately communicates with the warming circuit, the processing unit, and the cooling circuit; a plurality of valves (170, 270, 370, 470, 145, 245, 345) and pumps (120, 220, 320, 420) the valves cooperating with each of said reaction columns and said pumps: (iv) to pressurize each of said reaction columns to a selected pressure; (v) to maintain the selected pressure in each of said reaction columns for a selected time period; and (vi) to release pressure in each of said pressurized reaction columns; a collection vessel (380, 732) for receiving the liquids product flow from each of said columns during a period of time when each of said columns is pressurized; and a vessel for receiving a waste water flow egressing from each of said reaction columns after each of said columns has been de-pressurized. two or more reaction columns (10, 20, 30, 40, 50) set up in parallel, each column having an outlet for egressing a liquids product flow; (i) a warming circuit arranged for supplying heated water and pushing it through jackets of the reaction columns for warming each column and its contents; (ii) a processing circuit arranged for supplying heated pressurized water and flowing it through the reaction columns, for extracting the biomass feedstock in the reaction columns, the heated pressurized water being pressurized low polarity water; (iii) a cooling circuit arranged for supplying cooled pressurized water and flowing it through the reaction columns, for cooling down the extracted biomass feedstock in the reaction columns and for cooling down the reaction columns; (i) a warming circuit arranged for supplying heated water and pushing it through jackets of the reaction columns for warming each column and its contents; (ii) a processing circuit arranged for supplying heated pressurized water and flowing it through the reaction columns, for extracting the biomass feedstock in the reaction columns, the heated pressurized water being pressurized low polarity water; (iii) a cooling circuit arranged for supplying cooled pressurized water and flowing it through the reaction columns, for cooling down the extracted biomass feedstock in the reaction columns and for cooling down the reaction columns; wherein each column separately communicates with the warming circuit, the processing unit, and the cooling circuit; a plurality of valves (170, 270, 370, 470, 145, 245, 345) and pumps (120, 220, 320, 420) the valves cooperating with each of said reaction columns and said pumps: (iv) to pressurize each of said reaction columns to a selected pressure; (v) to maintain the selected pressure in each of said reaction columns for a selected time period; and (vi) to release pressure in each of said pressurized reaction columns; (iv) to pressurize each of said reaction columns to a selected pressure; (v) to maintain the selected pressure in each of said reaction columns for a selected time period; and (vi) to release pressure in each of said pressurized reaction columns; a collection vessel (380, 732) for receiving the liquids product flow from each of said columns during a period of time when each of said columns is pressurized; and a vessel for receiving a waste water flow egressing from each of said reaction columns after each of said columns has been de-pressurized.