The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1892-05-05
NATURAL YEAST.
A Stran~e Discovery Recently
Made in California.
1t Ia a Fermcnting Substance Which Is
superior to the Kephir-Yeast Found
in the Caucasus
Regions.

A srec'eS Of yeast closely resembling
the kephir found in the regions of the
Caucasus mountains has been discov-
cred in California, says San Francisco
letter to the New York Tribune. Like
the lsephir, this American product
causes alcoholic fermentation of milk,
afforsiing beverage that is pronounced
refreshing and delightful. Many Cali
fornian houselscePcrs always have on
hand this saccharomycite in q jar half
filled with sweetened water, and the
ferment product known as California
bees beer, is drawn and used as tonic.
The sephir grains fermcnt dextrose as
we'll as lactrose, and it is the deXtrose
or grape-sugar ferment product that
has been used mostly in this country.
In Germany and Russia the milk fer
mentel by lephir grains has become
popular as a drink, and an enterprising
firm has recently opened factory
where the torment will be manufac-
turcd for the bcverage-loving Germans.
The original llephir-yeast, known to
scientists as Kern's milk-fcrment, is
found in the Caucasus regions, and is
called by the natives kipher, kiaphir,
kefir, or lycphir. The food of the peas
ants is limited to flesh and milk, for
agriculture Is impossible in mountain
Gus districts. The milk is never taken
straight" the desired mixture being
obtained by adding the alcoholic fer
ment to the fresh milk. The process Is
simple enough. The compound, con-
sisting of one volume of kephir-grains
to six or seven volumes OF milk, is eX-
posed to the air at an ordinary tempera-
ture for about twenty-four hours and
shaken frequently. The fcrment is
poured from the grains and mixed with
tUice its volume of fresh milk, which in
turn is fermented, eliminating large
amount of carbonic-acid gas, and form
ing from one-half 20 one per cent. of al
cohol. When made successfully the
liquid is thick, without large coagulated
Jumps, and has pleasantly acid taste.
The preparation of the famous koumiss
of the steppes differs from this only In
the longer process of fermentation,
when it becomes Il frothing, foaming,
decidedly acid drink. The popularity
of the kephir is due largely to it's medic
inal properties. Gastric and pllmon-
ary complaints are often cured by it.
As a largc part of the albuminoids in
the milk are peptonized during fermen-
tation the tonic is a great aid to diges-
ton.
The organ of the kephir grains was
for long time unknown. Nothing
could be learned from the natives of the
l,,,f icta ha1 hot
in its wild form it grows in little
clumps or granules on bushes found in
the mountains below the snow-line. II
is supposed that the original growth
was by spores, but culture continued
under a variety of conditions failed tc
show the spore process of growth. The
yeast cells for an infinity of generations
have grown by budding in the milk
and the plant may have lost the knacl
of producing spores. In appearance the
grains are white, compact, elastic, slim
envcloped, massed, spherical or ellipti
cal in contour, and varying in size from
one to five millimeters in diameter
The small grains are. generally smooth
but the larger ones have numerou.
small outgrowths and resemble
miniature cauliflowers. The grain.
shrlnk by loss of water, becoming
ycllowish- Thrown when dry, but dc
not lose the power Of ferment
ing, When placed in milk they be
come white again, and in few day
grow as rapidly and ferment as readil,
us the fresh grains. Each grain, whci
examined with microscope. disclose,
two different structures, yeast cells ant
bacteria. The bacteria form the large
mass of the cell, in which the yeast cell
of all shapes and sizes, arranged il
rows, are imbedded.
The American kephir, in the process
of fcrmenting milk, does not cause tn
milk to sour, in the ordinary sense
The mixture is acid, but no coagulatio
takes place. The ordinary beer-yeas
has not the property of fermentin
sweet milk, although 1t does produc
alcoholic fermentation in sour milk.
also inverts cane sugar, another poir
of difference between the beer-yeas
and kephir, the latter having the powe
to ferment dextrose and lactose, but nc
saccharose.
Uoree Meat in Paris.