Abstract
From persimmon fruits, about 40 yeast strains were isolated and tested for their ability of alcohol fermentation were tested. Among them, two strains, RCY14 and RCY15, showing the highest alcohol fermentibility were selected for further investigations. They were identified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces kluyveri based on their morphological, cultural and physiological properties. Their optimum condition for the alcohol fermentation in YPD-15% glucose was pH 6.0, 30$circ$C and 120 rpm of shaking speed. The alcohol yields of S. cerevisiae RCY14 and S. kluyveri RCY15 in a persimmon juice were 94.54 and 96.81%, respectively. Although the alcohol yields of both strains were not very high in YPD-15% glucose, they were much higher in a persimmon juice as compared to those of S. cerevisiae Balyon-1, S. cerevisiae 701 and S. cerevisiaein W3 which are being used in the industrial alcohol fermentation.