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This study evaluated the bleachability of wood fibers from acid hydrotropic fractionation (AHF) of birch using ptoluenesulfonic acid (p-TsOH) at low temperatures below 90 °C. The wood fibers had varying amounts of lignin after AHF under different conditions using both batch and flow-through configurations. The extent of lignin reprecipitation in batch mode was evaluated by extended washing with p-TsOH. 2D 13 C− 1 H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy indicated that residual lignin on fibers from batch reaction was significantly more condensed than that from flow-through under equivalent conditions. Furthermore, condensation substantially affected oxidative bleaching by reducing the reactivity of the residual lignin. Even a little variation in the extent of lignin condensation showed a marked effect on sample bleachability. Specifically, oxygen bleaching at 110 °C removed 79% of residue lignin from a batch fractionated fiber sample with 7% β-O-4 aryl ether linkage and resulted in 55% ISO fiber brightness. The same oxygen bleaching removed 87% of residue lignin from a flow-through fractionated fiber sample with almost the same lignin content but with a higher β-O-4 of 16%, or lower degree of lignin condensation, and higher brightness of 59% ISO. The 4% increase in brightness with the same loading of bleaching chemical translates to significant cost reduction. Furthermore, a brightness of 70% or more can be achieved with single stage peroxide bleaching for the flow-through AHF fibers.