108 MICRO-ORGANISMS AND FERMENTATION. 



causes the temperature of germinating barley, in badly managed 

 heaps, to rise to 60 C. or even further. 



Asperglllus (Sterigmatocystis) niger, according to investiga- 

 tions made by GAYON and BOURQUELOT contains a number of 

 different ferments ; for example, diastase, invertase, maltase, 

 and emulsin. 



In the greater number only the conidia stage is known. 



4. ASPERGILLUS ORYZJS. 



In the preparation of the strongly fermented Japanese rice 

 wine (" sake "), Aspergillus Oryzce is systematically employed. 

 Eice grains, freed from their liulls, are steamed, but the 

 aggregation and gelatinisation of the grains are avoided. In 

 order to prepare a malt serviceable for the brewer from these 

 grains, which are not capable of germination, arid from which 

 the ordinary diastatic action is consequently excluded, the 

 mass of grain is mixed with the so-called " Tane kosi " rice 

 grains, which are coated over with the mycelium and conidia 

 of Aspergillus Oryzce ; or the yellowish -brown spores of the 

 fungus are mixed with the steamed rice grains. In moist and 

 warm air there develops on the rice at the end of about three 

 days a white velvety mycelium, which gives to the whole mass 

 an agreeable odour, resembling apples or pine-apples. Before 

 the fructification of the fungus takes place, a fresh quantity of 

 steamed rice is introduced, and this also is gradually coated 

 over with mycelium ; this process is repeated several times. In 

 the " koji " mass thus produced a part of the starch has been 

 hydrolised, and some of the albuminoids have been rendered 

 soluble. The koji-mass is mashed, 21 parts of koji being 

 mixed with 68 parts of steamed rice and 72 parts of water. 

 This pasty mass (" moto ") is allowed to remain at about 

 20 C. ; after some days it clarifies, the conversion of starch 

 and dextrin into sugars progresses, and at the same time 

 a spontaneous and very violent fermentation sets in. In this 

 fermentation there occurs a Saccharomyces which is able to 

 produce a very high percentage of alcohol. The mass is now 

 heated up to about 30 C. At the end of two or three weeks 

 the primary fermentation is finished. The product, after being 



