A method of making C 8+ compounds comprising: (i) providing a first reactant comprising one or more oxygenates having a general formula C x H y O z and a first reactant average oxygen to carbon ratio of between 0.2 and 1.0, calculated as the total number of oxygen atoms, z, in the oxygenates divided by the total number of carbon atoms, x, in the oxygenates, and wherein x = 2-12 carbon atoms and z = 1-4 oxygen atoms; (ii) providing a second reactant comprising one or more molecules having a general formula C p H r O s and a second reactant average oxygen to carbon ratio of less than 0.2, calculated as the total number of oxygen atoms, s, in the oxygenated hydrocarbons C p H r O of the second reactant divided by the total number of carbon atoms, p, in the hydrocarbons C p H r and oxygenated hydrocarbons C p H r O of the second reactant, and wherein p = 2-7 carbon atoms and s = 0-1 oxygen atoms, the second reactant including one or more oxygenated hydrocarbons having the formula C p H rO; (iii) combining said first reactant and said second reactant to provide a combined reactant stream wherein the number of carbon atoms in the combined reactant stream from the first reactant is greater than 10% of the total carbon atoms in the combined reactant stream, and the number of carbon atoms in the combined reactant stream from the second reactant is greater than 10% of the total carbon atoms in the combined reactant stream; (iv) catalytically reacting the combined reactant stream with hydrogen in the presence of an acid condensation catalyst to produce a product stream comprising water and (a) a plurality of C 8+ compounds selected from the group consisting of C 8+ alkanes, C 8+ alkenes, C 8+ cycloalkanes, C 8+ cycloalkenes, C 8+ alcohols, C 8+ ketones, an aryl, a fused aryl, an oxygenated aryl, an oxygenated fused aryl, and a mixture thereof, and (b) one or more C 7- compounds having 2 to 7 carbon atoms and 0 to 1 oxygen atoms, wherein the acid condensation catalyst comprises: (a) an acidic support; or (b) a heterogeneous acid catalyst comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Cu, Co, Ru, Cr, Ni, Ag, an alloy thereof, and a combination thereof; (v) separating a portion of the C 7- compounds from the product stream to provide a recycle stream and recycling the recycle stream to form at least in part the second reactant. (i) providing a first reactant comprising one or more oxygenates having a general formula C x H y O z and a first reactant average oxygen to carbon ratio of between 0.2 and 1.0, calculated as the total number of oxygen atoms, z, in the oxygenates divided by the total number of carbon atoms, x, in the oxygenates, and wherein x = 2-12 carbon atoms and z = 1-4 oxygen atoms; (ii) providing a second reactant comprising one or more molecules having a general formula C p H r O s and a second reactant average oxygen to carbon ratio of less than 0.2, calculated as the total number of oxygen atoms, s, in the oxygenated hydrocarbons C p H r O of the second reactant divided by the total number of carbon atoms, p, in the hydrocarbons C p H r and oxygenated hydrocarbons C p H r O of the second reactant, and wherein p = 2-7 carbon atoms and s = 0-1 oxygen atoms, the second reactant including one or more oxygenated hydrocarbons having the formula C p H rO; (iii) combining said first reactant and said second reactant to provide a combined reactant stream wherein the number of carbon atoms in the combined reactant stream from the first reactant is greater than 10% of the total carbon atoms in the combined reactant stream, and the number of carbon atoms in the combined reactant stream from the second reactant is greater than 10% of the total carbon atoms in the combined reactant stream; (iv) catalytically reacting the combined reactant stream with hydrogen in the presence of an acid condensation catalyst to produce a product stream comprising water and (a) a plurality of C 8+ compounds selected from the group consisting of C 8+ alkanes, C 8+ alkenes, C 8+ cycloalkanes, C 8+ cycloalkenes, C 8+ alcohols, C 8+ ketones, an aryl, a fused aryl, an oxygenated aryl, an oxygenated fused aryl, and a mixture thereof, and (b) one or more C 7- compounds having 2 to 7 carbon atoms and 0 to 1 oxygen atoms, wherein the acid condensation catalyst comprises: (a) an acidic support; or (b) a heterogeneous acid catalyst comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Cu, Co, Ru, Cr, Ni, Ag, an alloy thereof, and a combination thereof; (a) a plurality of C 8+ compounds selected from the group consisting of C 8+ alkanes, C 8+ alkenes, C 8+ cycloalkanes, C 8+ cycloalkenes, C 8+ alcohols, C 8+ ketones, an aryl, a fused aryl, an oxygenated aryl, an oxygenated fused aryl, and a mixture thereof, and (b) one or more C 7- compounds having 2 to 7 carbon atoms and 0 to 1 oxygen atoms, (a) an acidic support; or (b) a heterogeneous acid catalyst comprising a metal selected from the group consisting of Pd, Pt, Cu, Co, Ru, Cr, Ni, Ag, an alloy thereof, and a combination thereof; (v) separating a portion of the C 7- compounds from the product stream to provide a recycle stream and recycling the recycle stream to form at least in part the second reactant.