8 
BULLETIN 1152, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
all organisms would undoubtedly be killed. After roasting, the 
wheat is crushed, the crushing being carried to the extent of break- 
ing the grains into large pieces. Furthermore, the crushing should 
be of such a character as to reduce some portions of the kernels to 
a fine powder or wheat dust. A supply of roasted wheat may be 
kept on hand and crushed as needed. 
The sterile softened beans and the crushed and powdered wheat 
are mixed in large trays or on mixing tables (fig. 5). All sur- 
plus water having been drained from them, the beans are cooled 
down to below 28° C. before being mixed with the wheat and the 
tane-koji. If the beans are needed immediately they may be cooled 
with a draft of air directed over a thinly spread layer. If it is 
necessary to allow the cooked beans to stand for a while before 
being used, they may be spread out or heaped in low piles and 
covered with a cloth or canvas. 
Fig. 5. — Inoculating soy beans and wheat with mold ferment for shoyu-koji in Japan. 
(Reproduced by courtesy of G.'Kita.) 
The beans and wheat need to be thoroughly mixed in such a 
manner that the beans are held apart. The angular pieces of wheat 
when evenly and thoroughly distributed among the beans serve as 
a mechanical means of separating the wet smooth beans which 
would naturally pack much closer. The interstices are filled with 
the finer wheat particles to a certain extent, but not enough to 
check aeration. It is well to have the wheat, rather than the beans. 
on the surface. Furthermore, these two ingredients need to be 
thoroughly mixed, so that the wheat dust may form a coat over 
each bean. The surfaces of the beans treated in this manner have 
a lower water content than when the precaution of thorough mix- 
ing is not taken. The dry wheat dust takes up moisture readily. 
The lower water content thus induced on the exterior of the beans 
is better adapted to mold growth than to bacterial growth. 
