Preliminary Note on the Sake Yeast. 
BY 
K. Yabe, Nögakushi. 
It has been repeatedly asserted that a fungus related to 
Aspergillus called Eurotium Oryzœ, forms conidia, which can 
bring on alcoholic fermentation. This fungus plays a great part 
in the manufacture of sake on account of its high diastatic pro¬ 
perties. Rice infected with that fungus, i.e. f koji, is mashed 
along with freshly boiled rice, whereupon, not only sacchari¬ 
fication, but also fermentation gradually sets in. Micros¬ 
copical examination now reveals the presence of numerous cells 
of a Saccharomyces, which have the size of the beer yeast, 
but also frequently are about J larger in diameter. We have 
made several experiments in this Institute in order to see 
whether this yeast could be transformed into the above named 
mycelium fungus, and have always failed, from which it is to be 
concluded that the sake yeast is not a certain stage of development 
of Eurotium y but a species quite distinct. We hope to communi¬ 
cate at a later occasion the details of further investigations. 
For the present, the remarks which follow may suffice as to the 
behaviour of the sake yeast. 
This species exhibits its fermentative activity in solutions 
containing a much higher percentage of alcohol than certain other 
kinds of yeasts. A small amount of the yeast was suspended in a 
Pasteur solution (containing a higher percentage of glucose than 
usual) and quantities, of io cc. each, were placed in seven flasks, 
to which were added 50 cc. of the Pasteur solution, a measured 
amount of alcohol of known strength, and the necessary amount 
of water to make the volume 100 cc. The percentage of sugar 
in the flasks at the beginning was 9.48. After 6 days the sugar 
was determined by Allihn's method in those bottles where the 
fermentation had been lively, while in others the usual titration 
method was used. The results are as follows :—• 
