FERMENTATION THE ADVANCED CULTURE

FERMENTATION THE ADVANCED CULTURE

BY VYSHNAVI, ON AUGUST 2019

Fermentation is a natural process of decomposition rotting to preserve food, to make it easy to digest, or lend it a strong, tangier [sometimes literally intoxicating] flavor.

Some tiny organisms like yeasts, molds, or bacteria consume food for energy they convert carbohydrates like starch and sugar into alcohol or acids. The production of waste products of each organism impacts some desirable characters. 

                    For example; lactic acid gives pungency to cheese and                                            ethanol give mild kick and aroma to beer.

The human role in fermentation is to maintain proper conditions for rotting, and preventing growth of undesirable bacteria and maintaining temperature [some like warm temp; while some prefer cold]

Fermentation is also one of the old methods of preparing food, indispensable to such ancient staple as bread, Wine, and soya sauce.

BEER 

Mesopotamian clay table is the oldest known recipe for making beer, the processes hasn’t changed since then. 

The most commonly malted grain is barley, the grain is steeped in water,  allowing them to germinate and dried, by the time enzymes converts starch into sugars  that is digested by yeast.  The mashed  product produced from malting, mixed with water to form a sweet liquid later filtered and boiled is ready to be fermented with brewer's yeast. 
  
Fermentation takes nearly 10 days for yeast to consume sugar and produce waste products, which r two most valued ingredients of beer they'r alcohol and carbon dioxide [source of its fizz].

Through barley is most commonly used, Wheat, corn, rice, rye, and oats are also used. There r two main categories. Top-fermenting yeasts ferment quickly and produces thick surface foam. Bottom-fermenting yeasts uses to make light, clean lager beers, tends to settle. usually beer is sweet due to barley malting bitter hops r added to cut the sweetness.

BREAD

You might be wondering how bread comes in this category but next time you enjoy a bread slice make sure to thank yeast. these single cell fungi ferments the dough by converting sugar["these sugars are produced when water breaks down the starch in flour"] to alcohol and carbon dioxide.

 The carbon dioxide fills the dough with bubbles leads to rise of bread and the alcohol burned off in baking give rich subtle flavor. yeast gets killed in baking high temperature. 

WINE

As we all know the yeasts are used to turn grapes into wine, may be a cultured type chosen for its reliable hardiness under certain conditions. some wine makers believe product complex qualities unique to their winery or locale.

To make sweet dessert wine, wine makers stop the fermentation process before all the sugar is consumed by yeast. Red wine undergoes second fermentation by lactic acid bacteria, which gives softer flavor. Sparkling wine also need second fermentation but it takes place in bottle.

VINEGAR

Vinegar can be made with almost anything which contains sugars from apple juice to coconut water. preparation involves two steps fermenting processes, first step uses yeast to convert sugar to alcohol, second step uses bacteria[Acetobacter] to  metabolize the alcohol into acetic acid, which gives it sour flavor and makes it a natural disinfectant. 

Cellulose produced by acetobacter combines with acetic acid forms what's called as the mother. even herbalists attribute healing properties to the mother. but may of us finds it unappetizing.