BACILLUS-FERMENTATION OF SOYBEANS

Kinema fermentations of Indian and Canadian No. 1 soybeans by Bacillus sp. DK-W1 and by mixed cultures of Bacillus sp. DK-W1 and Enterococcu s faecium DK-C1 were essentially identical. The viable cell count of B acillus increased from an initial 10(5) to 10(10) c.f.u./g wet wt afte r 48 h incubation at 37-degrees-C. The pH of the fermentation dropped from an initial 6.9 to about 6.4 after 8 h and then rose to 8.6 after 32 h, with a coincident increase in proteolytic activity and ammonia c oncentration. The fermentations containing E. faecium and Bacillus exh ibited a greater initial pH decline and a slightly retarded subseqent increase in pH compared with fermentations with Bacillus only. The pre sence of E. faecium had no detectable effects on growth of the Bacillu s, proteolytic activity, ammonia production or the final pH of the fer mentations.