Is This Fermentation Misunderstood?

[RottingBob]

Check out this very interesting article in New Scientist this month:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2 ... sYSo.gmail

Is it possible all they've done is produce a strong culture of some bacteria eating yeast?

[Christopher Weeks]

My guess would be that chemical antibiotic compounds formed. I think that a yeast, like you're hypothesizing, is large enough that they would have an easy time finding it.

[RottingBob]

I know very little about the subject, you're right I'm sure. But I do notice a distinct lack of bacteria in my ferments - of all kinds - even when I know I've made a mistake and undoubtedly let in bacteria - nothing has (yet) come of it. It doesn't survive in there. The yeast chomp it! That's my theory anyway.