The Occurrence and Characteristics of Certain Yeasts Found in Fermented Honey1

Abstract

The fermentation of extracted honey after canning is a cause of much worry on the part of Wisconsin beekeepers, when a part of the crop has to be held over from one year to another. It was formerly believed that only unripened honey would ferment and sour. Thoroughly ripened honeys with a moisture content between 14 and 20% have been found which contain the potential elements for souring. Upon storage and with subsequent granulation of the honey, fermentation may begin. Several yeasts in the group zygosaccharomyces have been isolated and determined as new to science. Of the three known species, only one has so far been found.