Fermenting Feed Series - Part 2 of 3
FERMENTATION BASICS:
A TALE OF TWO FERMENTATIONS
By Sue -
There are several different types of fermentation
that are used for different results depending on the item that you are
fermenting and the results desired.
In this article I'll attempt to provide a very basic overview of Alcohol Fermentation and Lacto-Fermentation processes. Hopefully this short overview will encourage you to research and learn more on your own!
When fermenting feed for my chickens, I use lacto-fermentation.
When fermenting feed for my chickens, I use lacto-fermentation.
Chicken feed fermenting in glass container.
FERMENTATION - WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT BUCKET
ANYWAY?
In very general terms:
Yeasts consume
sugars (carbohydrates) and produce alcohol.
Bacteria consume
sugars (carbohydrates), starches or alcohol and produce acids.
FERMENTATION
FOR ALCOHOL
-When fermenting
to produce
alcohol, various yeasts are used.
These yeasts digest the carbohydrates (sugars) and produce alcohol.
-In high concentrations, alcohol is toxic
even to alcohol-producing yeasts which will eventually die off when the
concentration of alcohol becomes high enough in the fermenting mixture.
Example: Almost everyone has had a gallon of
apple cider go "hard" over time as the various yeasts that are
present in the environment do their work and begin producing alcohol while
they're enjoying consuming the carbohydrates in the cider. Now If you
keep that hard cider long enough, it will eventually turn to vinegar...so what
happened?
- Acetobacter bacteria
convert alcohol to acetic
acid which is the main ingredient in vinegar; this
process is aerobic (open to the air). The "mother" in an
unpasteurized vinegar contains these bacteria and other health-producing
ingredients.
According to Bragg.com their raw apple cider
vinegar (ACV) Contains: "enzymes and important minerals, such as
potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, chlorine, phosphorus, iron, silicon and
other trace minerals. The vitamins contained in ACV are bioflavonoids (vitamin
P), beta-carotene (precursor to vitamin A), vitamin C, E, B1, B2, and B6."
-Acetic acid preserves food by lowering pH (raising
acid level) and making an environment that is unfriendly to harmful bacteria.
Notes:
-Alcohol is processed by the liver rather than through the digestive
system. Liver damage can occur with excessive consumption over a
long-term basis.
LACTO-FERMENTATION
-During lacto-fermentation,
various Lactic Acid
Bacteria (LAB) are used to digest the carbohydrates (sugars) and produce lactic acid.
This lactic acid is what produces the "tangy" or "sour"
flavor that is found in items such as yogurt, raw lacto-fermented pickles, raw
lacto-fermented sauerkraut, etc.
-High concentrations of LABs are beneficial to the
digestive tract and immune system and even produce additional nutritive
value in the form of B Vitamins, Vitamin
K2 and Enzymes. (See Part 1 BENEFITS OF
LACTO-FERMENTING FEED FOR CHICKENS for more information.)
"The proliferation of lactobacilli in
fermented vegetables enhances their digestibility and increases vitamin levels.
These beneficial organisms produce numerous helpful enzymes as well as
antibiotic and anti-carcinogenic substances. Their main by-product, lactic
acid, not only keeps vegetables and fruits in a state of perfect preservation
but also promotes the growth of healthy flora throughout the
intestine." (From Weston A Price
Foundation Website Article: Lacto-Fermentation)
-Lactic acid preserves food
and produces an environment that is unfriendly to
harmful bacteria. This type of food preservation has been used
for centuries. As the acid level raises in the food (pH lowers) it prevents
"deadly" bacteria from being able to grow in the food.
Lactic Acid Bacteria...."does inhibit most Gram-positive organisms including spore-formers such as Clostridia Botulinum and heat-resistant spoilage organisms." (Quote from: http://silvalab.fsnhp.msstate.edu//vinegar_lactic.pdf)
IMPORTANT
NOTE: This is one of the reasons that preserving lower acid foods via
lacto-fermentation is safer than heat canning as deadly bacteria such as
botulism can grow in low acid, heat-canned products due to their ability to
proliferate anaerobically.
(See Part1 BENEFITS OF LACTO-FERMENTING FEED
FORCHICKENS for more information.)
Lacto-fermentation is generally anaerobic (not open to the air).
-Common food items that use this process are fermented milks (yogurt, cheese, kefir, buttermilk, etc.), fermented vegetables (sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi. etc.) and fermented meats (corned beef, sausages and fish).
And....Chicken Feed!
Healthy chicks enjoying fermented feed. Photo by Vicki Servi
For more information on fermentation see:
Real
Food Fermentation by Alex Lewin
This book has great photos and a good basic
overview of fermentation of many types of food items for people!
Lots
of great information on healthy preparation of foods including
lacto-fermentation and sprouting.
This site has many articles and videos showing a
variety of fermenting processes.
Also sells various LAB starter cultures suitable
for various types of fermentation.
Very
interesting book worth reading for a broad spectrum of nutrition topics including
fermentation and sprouting.
- Sue
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