CHAPTEE IV. 

 The Mould-Fungi. 



THE mould-fungi ordinarily affect the fermentation industries 

 in a somewhat different manner from the bacteria. Whilst 

 the latter in distilleries as a rule, in breweries only 

 exceptionally make their appearance in great force during 

 the fermentation, and are therefore able to bring about 

 important changes in the course of the fermentation, and in 

 the resulting products, the mould-fungi, on the contrary, 

 usually occur outside the true field of the fermentation in 

 that they select as places of growth the vessels, tools, rooms, 

 the green malt, and the quiescent masses of yeast, especially 

 top-fermentation yeast. Accordingly the mould-fungi have a 

 more subordinate, but nevertheless very real, importance. If 

 we only sufficiently examine a growth of mould which has 

 developed on the ceiling or walls of a fermenting room, or 

 on the sides of a vessel, it will very soon be found that we 

 have practically never to do with a mould growth alone ; in 

 nearly every case bacteria and yeast-like cells are found 

 amongst the filaments of mould. These filaments extend 

 upwards, and thereby raise the foreign bodies which in this 

 exposed position are more readily carried away, partly by the 

 workmen, and partly by the air. 



During malting, all sorts of microscopic organisms are 

 present on the raw materials containing starch. The mould- 

 fungi are usually regarded as the most dangerous enemies, 

 and this is certainly due to the fact that they are visible to 

 the naked eye during development, and thus obtrude them- 

 selves upon our notice in an unmistakable manner. If, 



