286 



The Philippine Journal of Science 



sugar content of nipa juice is due to the activity of a peroxidase 

 elaborated by the flower stalk. This enzyme is not produced by 

 long stems to any extent, but as the stems become short, due 

 to repeated cutting from the end to renew the flow of juice, 

 the quantity of peroxidase elaborated becomes large, and any 

 delay in heating or adding sulphites will result in the loss of 

 much or all of the sugar present in the original juice. Where 

 the juice is mixed with molasses solution much of the sugar of 

 the molasses is also destroyed by the enzyme. Sterilization would 

 destroy the enzyme, but this would likewise destroy the yeast 

 present in the nipa juice and would prevent the inoculation of 

 the ferment by means of the nipa juice, which is one of the 

 reasons for adding it to the diluted molasses. 



A summary of the results obtained by use of the Molhant 

 process is included. 



Table XIII. — Average yield of alcohol by use of the Molhant process. 



Mo- 

 lasses. 



Number 

 of sam- 

 ples run. 





Yield. 





Average, 

 per cent 

 of theo- 

 retical. 



Maxi- 

 mum. 



Mi- 

 nimum. 



Per cent. 











20 



1 

 3 



91.1 

 90.4 







90.7 



89.9 



23 



3 



85.5 



86.8 



83.9 



24 



3 



86.4 



88.5 



85.4 



25 



3 



86.8 



87.7 



84.9 



Table XII shows that the more concentrated solutions gave 

 high yields of alcohol and that the use of the process will result 

 in the saving of fermenting space; fuel for distillation, since 

 more concentrated solutions of alcohol will be obtained; and 

 the production of dependable high yields of alcohol. 



A sample of ferment, 20 per cent molasses with the regular 

 amount of sulphuric acid and 1 equivalent of ammonium sulphate, 

 was added and inoculated with yeast, and the temperature was 

 kept at 25° C. to demonstrate the effect of lower temperatures. 

 The results are given in Table XIV. 



The sample gave a yield of 91.1 per cent of the theoretical 

 amount of alcohol obtainable. This result illustrates the ad- 

 vantage of keeping the ferment as free as possible from bacterial 

 contamination. Temperatures below 30° C, together with vigor- 

 pus yeast growth, accomplished this end. 



