324 Milk and Its Products 



Koumiss is a beverage made from milk that has 

 undergone alcoholic fermentation. It resembles but- 

 termilk in taste, but has a frothy appearance and 

 the casein of the milk is coagulated into a fine curd. 

 It was originally made from mares' milk by various 

 wandering tribes in Russia and Asia. It has been 

 found to possess certain dietic properties, and is 

 now prepared from cows' milk by various formulas. 

 According to Fleischman, one of the best formu- 

 las is as follows : 



One hundred pounds of separator skim milk is 

 mixed with 42 pounds of water, 1.75 pounds of 

 granulated sugar, .75 pounds of milk-sugar and 

 5% to 6 ounces of good yeast, and is allowed to 

 stand for 32 hours at a temperature of 100 F. 

 During this time the mixture is stirred about six 

 times at equal intervals. It is then decanted into 

 patent -stoppered bottles, the stoppers secured and 

 the bottles put into a cellar at a temperature of 

 55 F. It should be used within six days. 



Kephir is a similar beverage to Koumiss. In its 

 preparation the fermentation is brought about by 

 certain bodies, the so-called Kephir grains, of which 

 very little is known. Kephir is but little known 

 in this country. 



Wheyn. Quite recently there has been patented 

 in this country by Alexander Bernstein, of Berlin, 

 Germany, a nourishing, mildly stimulating drink with 

 the above name. It is, according to the specifications 

 of the letters patent, a sour, sterilized whey, from 

 which the albuminous matter and fat have been re- 



