An acetic acid production process comprising: contacting methanol, carbon monoxide and optionally methyl acetate in the presence of a reaction medium comprising a carbonylation catalyst under carbonylation conditions sufficient to form a carbonylation product comprising acetic acid; and recovering acetic acid from the carbonylation product, wherein the recovering acetic acid comprises: flashing the carbonylation product to form a vapor fraction and a liquid fraction; separating components in the vapor fraction to form a first overhead stream, a first acetic acid stream and a first bottoms stream; drying the acetic acid stream to remove water therefrom, forming a water stream and a second acetic acid stream; separating components in the second acetic acid stream to form an acetic acid product stream and a second bottoms stream; contacting the second bottoms stream with an alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst in liquid phase, soluble solid phase or solid phase under esterification conditions sufficient to form an esterification product stream comprising alkyl acetate and alkyl propionate; separating at least a portion of the alkyl acetate from the alkyl propionate within the esterification product stream to form a second overhead stream comprising alkyl acetate and a third bottoms stream comprising alkyl propionate and less than 2 wt.% alkyl acetate; and optionally recycling one or more streams selected from the liquid fraction, the first bottoms stream, the water stream, the second overhead stream and combinations thereof to the carbonylation reaction. contacting methanol, carbon monoxide and optionally methyl acetate in the presence of a reaction medium comprising a carbonylation catalyst under carbonylation conditions sufficient to form a carbonylation product comprising acetic acid; and recovering acetic acid from the carbonylation product, wherein the recovering acetic acid comprises: flashing the carbonylation product to form a vapor fraction and a liquid fraction; separating components in the vapor fraction to form a first overhead stream, a first acetic acid stream and a first bottoms stream; drying the acetic acid stream to remove water therefrom, forming a water stream and a second acetic acid stream; separating components in the second acetic acid stream to form an acetic acid product stream and a second bottoms stream; contacting the second bottoms stream with an alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst in liquid phase, soluble solid phase or solid phase under esterification conditions sufficient to form an esterification product stream comprising alkyl acetate and alkyl propionate; separating at least a portion of the alkyl acetate from the alkyl propionate within the esterification product stream to form a second overhead stream comprising alkyl acetate and a third bottoms stream comprising alkyl propionate and less than 2 wt.% alkyl acetate; and optionally recycling one or more streams selected from the liquid fraction, the first bottoms stream, the water stream, the second overhead stream and combinations thereof to the carbonylation reaction. flashing the carbonylation product to form a vapor fraction and a liquid fraction; separating components in the vapor fraction to form a first overhead stream, a first acetic acid stream and a first bottoms stream; drying the acetic acid stream to remove water therefrom, forming a water stream and a second acetic acid stream; separating components in the second acetic acid stream to form an acetic acid product stream and a second bottoms stream; contacting the second bottoms stream with an alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst in liquid phase, soluble solid phase or solid phase under esterification conditions sufficient to form an esterification product stream comprising alkyl acetate and alkyl propionate; separating at least a portion of the alkyl acetate from the alkyl propionate within the esterification product stream to form a second overhead stream comprising alkyl acetate and a third bottoms stream comprising alkyl propionate and less than 2 wt.% alkyl acetate; and optionally recycling one or more streams selected from the liquid fraction, the first bottoms stream, the water stream, the second overhead stream and combinations thereof to the carbonylation reaction.