Current methods for characterization of lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks for biological conversion are dominated by compositional analysis and digestibility/ fermentation tests; however, both these groups of laboratory methods have their respective advantages and disadvantages. The purpose of this paper is to develop a wet-chemistry assay for determination of lignocellulosic biomass quality that combines both compositional analysis and fermentation methods. This assay also should not require expensive or highly specialized laboratory equipment and should be able to be adapted for high throughput applications, such as near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS)