The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-02-27
NATURAL YEAST.
A Strange Discovery Recently
Made in California.
It Ii Fcrmenting Substance Which IL
Superior to tho Kcphir-Ycast Found
in tho Caucasus
Regions.

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 kephir, this American product
causes alcoholic fermentation of milk,
affording beverage that is pronounced
refreshing and delightful. Many Cali
fornian housekccpers always have on
hand this saccharomycite in jar half
filed with swectcncd water, and tho
fcrment product known as California
bees beer, is drawn and used as n tonic.
The kephir grains fcrment dextrosc as
we'll as lactrose, and it is the dextrosc
or grape-sugar ferment product that
has been used mostly in this country.
In Germany and Russia the milk fer
mented by kephir grains has become
popular as n drink, and an enterprising
firm has recently opened factory
where the ferment will be manufac-
turcd for the bevcrage-loving Germans.
The original kephir-yeast, known to-
scientists as Kern's mill1-ferment, is
found in tho Caucasus regions, and is
called by the natives kipher, lSiaphir,
kefir, or kephir. 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 lScphir-grains
to six or seven volumes of milk, is cx-
sod To {t,f,,
ture for about twcntyfour hours and
shaken frequently. The fcrmcnt is
poured from the grains and mixed with
twice its volume of fresh milk, which in
turn is fermentcd, eliminating large
amount of carbonic-acid gas, and form
ing from one-half to one per cent. of al
cohol. When made successfully the
liquid is thick, without large coagulated
Jumps, and has n pleasantly acid taste.
The preparation of the famous lloumiss
of the stcppes differs from this only in
the longer process of fermentation,
when it becomes n frothing, foaming,
decidedly acid drink. The popularity
of the kephir is due largely to its medic
inal properties. Gastric and pulmon-
airy complaints are often cured by it.
As Il large part of the albuminoids in
the milk are pcptonizcd during fcrmcn-
tation the tonic is great aid to digcs-
ton.
The organ of the llephir grains was
for long time unknown. Nothing
could be learned from the natives of the
source, but scientists now believe that
in its wild form it grows in little
clumps or granules on bushes found in
the mountains below the snow-linc. 1t
is supposed that the original growth
was by spores, but culture continued
under a variety of conditions failed to
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 l1nacl1
of producing spores. In appearance the
grains are white, compact, elastic, slim
cnveloped, massed, spherical or ellipti-
cal in contour, and varying in size from
one to five millimctcrs in diameter.
The small grains arc generally smooth.
but the larger ones have numerous
small outgrowths and resemble
miniature cauliflowers. The grains
shrink by loss of water, becoming
ycllowsh-brown when dry, but do
not lose the power of fcrmcnt-
ing. When placed in milk they bo-
come white again, and in few days
grow rs rapidly and Torment as readily
as 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 mbedded
The American lsephir, in the process
of fermcnting milk, docs not cause the
milk to sour, in the ordinary sense
The mixture is acid, but no coagulation
takes place. The ordinary becr-ycast
has not the property of fermenting
sweet milk, although it does produce
alcoholic fermentation in sour milk. 1t
also inverts cane sugar, another point
of difference between the bccr-yeast
and kephir, the latter having the power
to fcrmcnt deXtrose and lactose. but not
Saccharose.