Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1892-02-19
NATURAL YEAST.
A Strange Discovery Recently
Made in California.
1t Is Fermenting Substance Which Is
Superior tn the Kephir-Ysast Found
In the Caucasus
Regions,

-
"A species 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 i,ephir, this American product
causes alcoholic fermentation of milk,
atfording beverage that is pronounced
refreshing and delightful. Many Cali
fornian housekeepers always have on
hand this saccharomycite in q jar half.
filed with sweeteDed water, and the
fcrment product known, as California
bees beer, is drawn aud used as tonic.
The lzephir grains ferment 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
mentcd by lsephir grains has become
popular us drink, and an enterprising
firm has recently opened a factory
where the ferment will be manufac-
tured for the bcverage-loving Germans.
The original l1ephir-yeast, known to
scientists as Kern's milk-ferment, is
found in the Caucasus regions, aud is
called by the natives lziphcr, kiaphir,
ltefr, or bcphir. 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 ny adding the alcoholic, fer
ment to the fresh milk. The process Is
simple enough. The compound, con-
aistiny of one volume of kephir-Grains
six or seven volumes of milk. is eX-
posed to the air at an ordinary tempera-
tul'e for about twenty-four hours and
shaken frequently. The fcrment is
poured from the grains and mixed with
twice it's volume of fresh milk, which il
turn is; fermepted, eliminating q. large
amount of carbonic acid gas, and form
ing from onc-haH to one per cent. of al
cohol. When made successfully the
liquid is thick, without large cJaeTlated
Jumps, and has. pleasantly acid taste.
The preparation Of the famous l1oumiss
of the steppes differs from this only in
the longer process of fermentation,
when ID becomes n frothing, foaming,
decidedly acid drink. The popularity
of the lScphir is due largely to it's medic
inal prOpc rites. Gastric and pulmon-
AIRY complaints are often cured by it.
AS n lari,a part of the albuminoids in
the mil, are peptonized during fermen-
tation The tonic is great aid to digcs-
ton.
The organ of the kephir. grains was
FIR long time unknown. Nothing.
could be learned from the natives of the
>ource, but scientists now believe that
III its wild form it grows in little
clumps or granules on bushes found in
the mountains below: the snow-line. 1t
Is supposed that the original growth
was by SporesA but culture continued
under variety of conditions failed to
Show the spore process of growth. The
yeast cells for an infnity of generations
h"ve grown by budding in the. milk,
and the plant may have lost the knaclx
Of producing spores. In appearance the
grains are white, compact, elastic, Slim
envcioped, massed, spherical or ellipti-
cal III contour, and varying in size from
one to five Ipillimeters in diameter.
The small grains are generally smooth,
bat the larger ones have numerous
small outgrowths and resemble
piniature caulifowcrs. The grains
Sariuh 10y loss of water, becoming.
ycllowish- brown when dry, but do
not Lose the power of Torment.
.ng When placed III milk they be-.
come white again. and in few DAYS
grow as rapidly and ferment us readily
a. the fresh grains. Each grain, when
examined with MICROSCOPE. disclosed
tWo different structures, yeast cells and
bacteria. The BACTERIA form the larger
mass Of the cell, in which the yeast cells
Of all shapes and sizes, arranged in
rows, are imbCxldcd.. .. .s
She, AMERICAN kephiu, in the process
OF fcrmcINing milk, does not cause the
milk to sour, IN the ordinary sense.
The mixture is acid, but no coagulation
takes place. The ordinary Icer-yeast
has not the property of ferrnenting
sweet thflki although it does produce
Hcohohc fermentation in sour milk. It
also inverts cane sugar, another point
m diffGreuce between the bacr.vcnst