In Japan, koji has been used to make sake for hundreds of years and what might be the surprising thing is that it is actually a kind of mold. The scientific name for the mold is Aspergillus Oryzae and it creates a few different enzymes as it reproduces and these are what cause the starches in the rice to turn into sugars that feed the yeast cells that produce both alcohol and carbon dioxide. Without the addition of the koji, the Japanese alcoholic beverage of sake cannot exist. There are other beverages in Asia that have been known to use koji, but the ways they are brewed are very different.
Sake is produced differently than a beverage such as wine, so it might be useful to explain just how different the production methods are. Wine is created from fermented grapes that already have sugar (or glucose) in them and sugar is what yeast has to eat. Even though there are other kinds of sugars in existence, the yeast cannot metabolize them and so when wine is made, the yeast is put into a liquid that already has sugar in it.
Sake is brewed somewhat similar to beer, but it is not malted. It is made from steamed rice that has had its husk removed and the rice is milled in order to remove the outer covering. It is not uncommon for a rice to be washed down to 50 percent or even less of its former weight in order to get to the innermost part of the rice, which does not contain all of the proteins, amino acids, and fats that can give the sake an unwanted flavor or smell.
Aspergillus oryzae has a very powerful affect on the final product and its cultivation is taken very seriously. It is produced in a different room in the brewery that is known as the koji-muro. When it is ready, it is added to more steamed rice. Later on in the batch, it is put into a large tank where the rice, yeast, water, and koji will continue to ferment. One account says that a brewer presented a bottle of sake with an apology, saying that they had rebuilt their koji-muro the year before and that the cedar wood used in the walls was not as ready as they had thought. The cedar could be tasted and smelled in the sake.
Koji is what gives the rice its unique flavors depending upon what kind of rice it is cultivated on, the pH level of the water, the mineral content of it, and many other things are what make koji one of the most important ingredients of sake.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
water damage restoration companies and
Dallas Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors.
Friday, October 12, 2007
A General Facts Guide About Mold
Whether you are indoors or outdoors, mold is always there. No matter where you are, there is no such thing as an environment on the planet earth that is considered to be mold-free. Wherever there are the three things that mold need to survive, there will be mold, even though you might not be able to see it. Mold is only visible to the human eye when colonies of it start to grow. Just what does mold need to grow?
Mold needs nutrients. In an outdoor environment, this would be organic matter such as dead plants or animals. This is a necessary natural event that has to take place to get rid of the some of the debris that builds up on the forest floor. In the indoor environment, molds often feed on building materials. These can include cardboard, paper on both the sides of drywall, soap, fabrics, and other kinds of dust.
Moisture is also required by mold in order to survive. In order to begin decaying organic matter and digesting it, it needs moisture. Mold often grows inside the home during the summer when moisture becomes trapped inside the house and in the house in the winter when certain areas become drafty and condensation builds up in areas.
Something else mold needs to survive is very simple and we all have a lot of it, whether we realize it or not. Mold needs time to grow. It can start to form a colony as soon as 24 hours up to ten days after it gets enough of the nutrients and moisture that it needs to survive. The longer you allow something such as a wet towel or wet piece of clothing to lie on the floor in the back of your closet, the more time you are giving mold to start growing on it.
One last thing that molds tend to need in order to continue growing is heat. Not all molds need a significant amount of heat in order to grow, but many do. Molds have been known to survive at extreme temperatures and remain dormant, but not actually continue growing. They can be exposed to temperatures around 2 degrees Celsius and still only become dormant instead of dying like some other organisms would do.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.waterbasementct.info and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
Mold needs nutrients. In an outdoor environment, this would be organic matter such as dead plants or animals. This is a necessary natural event that has to take place to get rid of the some of the debris that builds up on the forest floor. In the indoor environment, molds often feed on building materials. These can include cardboard, paper on both the sides of drywall, soap, fabrics, and other kinds of dust.
Moisture is also required by mold in order to survive. In order to begin decaying organic matter and digesting it, it needs moisture. Mold often grows inside the home during the summer when moisture becomes trapped inside the house and in the house in the winter when certain areas become drafty and condensation builds up in areas.
Something else mold needs to survive is very simple and we all have a lot of it, whether we realize it or not. Mold needs time to grow. It can start to form a colony as soon as 24 hours up to ten days after it gets enough of the nutrients and moisture that it needs to survive. The longer you allow something such as a wet towel or wet piece of clothing to lie on the floor in the back of your closet, the more time you are giving mold to start growing on it.
One last thing that molds tend to need in order to continue growing is heat. Not all molds need a significant amount of heat in order to grow, but many do. Molds have been known to survive at extreme temperatures and remain dormant, but not actually continue growing. They can be exposed to temperatures around 2 degrees Celsius and still only become dormant instead of dying like some other organisms would do.
Jim Corkern is a writer and respected contributor to the Water damage restoration and mold remediation Industry. Visit his sites for more information.
http://www.waterbasementct.info and
http://www.moldrestorationusa.com
Facts About Toxic Black Mold That You Need To Know
One of the most dangerous molds that a person can have growing in their home or place of business is the one that we have all come to associate with the term “toxic black mold”. This is Stachybotrys chartarum and it is sometimes simply called “stachy” for short. The media has made it famous in the past few years and it has been largely responsible for the resurgence of the awareness of the dangers of mold. The health consequences of this mold living in your home are fairly dangerous and can even end in death in some extreme cases.
This mold is fond of growing on such things as wood that has been water damaged or in some cases, on paper or cardboard that has been piled up and allowed to be wet. It does not grow on plastic or on non-porous surfaces such as tile in the bathroom or the kitchen or on concrete or counter tops. Any wood or cellulose-based items that have been wetted and let to dry naturally will eventually become contaminated with mold and will probably end up spreading to the rest of your household. This particular kind of mold needs almost non-stop moisture or humidity to continue to live. It is typically a greenish-black color, slimy, and wet when it is found in the home and it needs such things as cotton, wood, or paper to grow for very long. Even though the wet spores of this mold do not get into the air very easily, if it is let to try, these spores will enter the air in your home as soon as the air is stirred by a fan or an air conditioner and this can be very hazardous.
This is one of the most dangerous kinds of mold that you can come into contact with. It has been known to kill a person’s brain cells and cause sicknesses that can have a similar effect as Alzheimer’s Disease. Symptoms of this include dizziness or disorientation of any kind, such as blanking out or forgetting what you were doing while you were in the middle of doing it or memory loss. If you are not old enough to be at risk to have Alzheimer’s Disease, it is advised that you see your doctor as soon as possible. If you are concerned that mold may exist, conduct some do-it-yourself mold tests in your home in order to rule out or identify mold as the cause.
Some common symptoms of mold exposure have been known to be pneumonia, headaches, bloody noses, or any other kind of respiratory issue. Mold also aggravates pre-existing conditions such as asthma or emphysema. Exposure for long periods of time can cause kidney failure, liver failure, or bleeding of the lungs in babies.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Florida water damage restoration companies and
Miami Water Damage Restoration. contractors
This mold is fond of growing on such things as wood that has been water damaged or in some cases, on paper or cardboard that has been piled up and allowed to be wet. It does not grow on plastic or on non-porous surfaces such as tile in the bathroom or the kitchen or on concrete or counter tops. Any wood or cellulose-based items that have been wetted and let to dry naturally will eventually become contaminated with mold and will probably end up spreading to the rest of your household. This particular kind of mold needs almost non-stop moisture or humidity to continue to live. It is typically a greenish-black color, slimy, and wet when it is found in the home and it needs such things as cotton, wood, or paper to grow for very long. Even though the wet spores of this mold do not get into the air very easily, if it is let to try, these spores will enter the air in your home as soon as the air is stirred by a fan or an air conditioner and this can be very hazardous.
This is one of the most dangerous kinds of mold that you can come into contact with. It has been known to kill a person’s brain cells and cause sicknesses that can have a similar effect as Alzheimer’s Disease. Symptoms of this include dizziness or disorientation of any kind, such as blanking out or forgetting what you were doing while you were in the middle of doing it or memory loss. If you are not old enough to be at risk to have Alzheimer’s Disease, it is advised that you see your doctor as soon as possible. If you are concerned that mold may exist, conduct some do-it-yourself mold tests in your home in order to rule out or identify mold as the cause.
Some common symptoms of mold exposure have been known to be pneumonia, headaches, bloody noses, or any other kind of respiratory issue. Mold also aggravates pre-existing conditions such as asthma or emphysema. Exposure for long periods of time can cause kidney failure, liver failure, or bleeding of the lungs in babies.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Florida water damage restoration companies and
Miami Water Damage Restoration. contractors
Water Damaged Vehicle Facts that You Need To Know About
If you are looking to buy any kind of vehicle, whether it is a car, truck, or a piece of farm equipment like a tractor, one of the things that a lot of people do not think about checking into is whether or not it has been flooded before. Even if a vehicle has been flooded, a record of the flood may not be obtainable from a vehicle history report. If the owner of the car did not report the flooding of the vehicle to the insurance company, then it will not appear on a vehicle history report, such as one obtainable from Carfax.com. There are, however, other ways to check to see if the vehicle you are considering buying is water damaged. It is not as difficult as it might seem to detect whether a vehicle has been water damaged or not, although if you do not know what to look for, you can be duped in a New York minute. How can you tell if a car has been water damaged? Here are a few tips.
The first thing that you should do is check and see if there are any signs of rust in the trunk, dashboard, glove compartment, and under the seats. Check also for silt and mud. These are dead giveaways that the car has been flooded.
Also take a good look at the upholstery in the car. If it does not appear to match the interior or if it fits loosely, then it might be a replacement for the original material that was in the car.
Open the car door and put your head inside and inhale deeply. There should not be a musty odor in the vehicle and you should also not smell any air fresheners. Air fresheners are usually used by car dealers and individuals who have something to hide.
Test all the electronic components of the vehicle and make sure that they work. The turn signals, heater, windshield wipers, and etcetera should be checked several times to insure that they work correctly and are reliable.
Check underneath the dashboard and move some of the wires back and forth. Bend them. If they have been wet before they will be brittle and will probably crack as you flex them.
Last, but not least, have a mechanic that you trust do an inspection of the car. Always do this before you purchase any used vehicle to make sure that there is nothing wrong with the car that the owner did not tell you about.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Orlando water Damage companies.
The first thing that you should do is check and see if there are any signs of rust in the trunk, dashboard, glove compartment, and under the seats. Check also for silt and mud. These are dead giveaways that the car has been flooded.
Also take a good look at the upholstery in the car. If it does not appear to match the interior or if it fits loosely, then it might be a replacement for the original material that was in the car.
Open the car door and put your head inside and inhale deeply. There should not be a musty odor in the vehicle and you should also not smell any air fresheners. Air fresheners are usually used by car dealers and individuals who have something to hide.
Test all the electronic components of the vehicle and make sure that they work. The turn signals, heater, windshield wipers, and etcetera should be checked several times to insure that they work correctly and are reliable.
Check underneath the dashboard and move some of the wires back and forth. Bend them. If they have been wet before they will be brittle and will probably crack as you flex them.
Last, but not least, have a mechanic that you trust do an inspection of the car. Always do this before you purchase any used vehicle to make sure that there is nothing wrong with the car that the owner did not tell you about.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Miami Residential Water Damage Restoration Contractors and
Orlando water Damage companies.
Taking Care of a Fireplace
Lots of people have fireplaces in their homes, but keeping them clean and smoke free takes some maintenance and effort on the part of the homeowner. The fireplace will not maintain itself, even though there are some fireplace cleaning logs on the market these days. These will not completely replace a professional cleaning, though, so you should have one of these done at least every year or two.
You should also have the proper tools stored next to your fireplace and these are available in many different materials and types. Cast iron is a good and durable material, but fireplace tools are also available in brass, pewter, nickel, and etcetera. There is a large selection on the market and you will surely be able to find what you are looking for.
A fireplace blower can help build up the fire and add more heat to it. You have probably seen one of these before and it can be a real help when first starting to build a fire.
Fireplace tongs can be used to move around logs that are obviously too hot to pick up with your hands and this is necessary, since the logs will not always be exactly where you need them to be to get the most heat and longevity out of the fire.
A fireplace poker can be used to stir around coals and spread them so that the heat is more evenly distributed. This helps larger logs catch on fire faster than they normally would.
A shovel is used to clean out the ashes that are left after a fire is out and a small broom is necessary to keep the area immediately outside the fireplace cleaned up.
If you are having problems building a fire that does not spill smoke back into the room, you need to make sure that nothing is blocking the chimney on top of the house. Leaves, bird nests, and sticks can clog it up during the spring, summer, and fall and make it completely unusable.
Using the correct wood is also important; logs that are freshly cut and have a lot of moisture still in them will smoke instead of catch fire. Use logs that are dried out and try to store them in a place where they will not get wet.
Start the fire slowly by building it up with paper and small sticks at first to get the chimney warm. Warming up the chimney is important so that the air inside it becomes warm instead of cold. Cold air pushes the warm air and smoke down and back into the house.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
mold removal in Atlanta Georgia and
Water Damage Restoration companies.
You should also have the proper tools stored next to your fireplace and these are available in many different materials and types. Cast iron is a good and durable material, but fireplace tools are also available in brass, pewter, nickel, and etcetera. There is a large selection on the market and you will surely be able to find what you are looking for.
A fireplace blower can help build up the fire and add more heat to it. You have probably seen one of these before and it can be a real help when first starting to build a fire.
Fireplace tongs can be used to move around logs that are obviously too hot to pick up with your hands and this is necessary, since the logs will not always be exactly where you need them to be to get the most heat and longevity out of the fire.
A fireplace poker can be used to stir around coals and spread them so that the heat is more evenly distributed. This helps larger logs catch on fire faster than they normally would.
A shovel is used to clean out the ashes that are left after a fire is out and a small broom is necessary to keep the area immediately outside the fireplace cleaned up.
If you are having problems building a fire that does not spill smoke back into the room, you need to make sure that nothing is blocking the chimney on top of the house. Leaves, bird nests, and sticks can clog it up during the spring, summer, and fall and make it completely unusable.
Using the correct wood is also important; logs that are freshly cut and have a lot of moisture still in them will smoke instead of catch fire. Use logs that are dried out and try to store them in a place where they will not get wet.
Start the fire slowly by building it up with paper and small sticks at first to get the chimney warm. Warming up the chimney is important so that the air inside it becomes warm instead of cold. Cold air pushes the warm air and smoke down and back into the house.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
mold removal in Atlanta Georgia and
Water Damage Restoration companies.
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