Brewer's Yeast

mcs · Post by **mcs** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 11:57 am

I went to a health food store and bought a pound of Brewer's yeast for $5CAD. It wasn't in a fridge or anything, just in a twist-tied bag. I tried making mash with it, the same way as I do with baker's yeast, but it didn't work. Did I buy nutritional yeast that can't ferment, or did I just proof it wrong or something?

Swag · Post by **Swag** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:19 pm

What kind of a wash were you making?

mcs · Post by **mcs** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:25 pm

My own recipe, Hudson Water:
20L Water
8kg brown sugar
20 citrus fruits
yeast

Uncle Remus · Post by **Uncle Remus** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 1:43 pm

A wash like that should take off like jack the bear. I've never used brewers yeast, maybe it's no good, too old or something. Did you make a starter with it first? I usually hydrate the yeast and then make a starter culture for a few hours or sometimes even overnight before adding it to the wash.

mcs · Post by **mcs** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 2:02 pm

I'm guessing a starter is the same thing as proofing.
With baker's yeast I take a 50ml of water and a few grams of sugar and heat it to around 110F, then add the yeast and let it stand for 10-20 minutes. I tried the same with the brewer's yeast and instead of foaming up, it bubbled for about a minute and then died. After that I just poured a few teaspoons in the actual mash and nothing happened.

possum · Post by **possum** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 3:23 pm

Some health food stores sell dead yeast for a nutritional supliment. Makes your nose wet and coat shiny....I bet that is what you have.

KatoFong · Post by **KatoFong** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 4:08 pm

What possum said. If they're selling it at a nutritional store, odds are pretty good it's old and dead. And very nutritious.

junkyard dawg · Post by **junkyard dawg** » Fri Jun 02, 2006 10:56 pm

Yep, thats the bodies of our yeast buddies. Full of vitamins... You can buy the bakers yeast in the grocery. Probably around the flour and baking stuff. Fleischmans and Red Star are common brands around here.

DixieBanjo · Post by **DixieBanjo** » Sat Jun 17, 2006 3:15 am

The only thing brewers yeast from the grocery store or health food store is good at is getting you healthy.It wont ferment anything.But it does have a pretty good nutty flavor.Try it on grits.

nokianinja · Post by **nokianinja** » Sun May 13, 2007 1:36 pm

Listen to them, they speak the truth.
I just figured that out now. Fucking health-food stores. Why say "brewer's" if you can't brew anything with it?!

All that wash... wasted...

Monster Mash · Post by **Monster Mash** » Sun May 13, 2007 2:17 pm

In addition, I would keep the mash temp below 100F when you pitch the yeast.

ColonialRumRebel · Post by **ColonialRumRebel** » Sun May 13, 2007 7:02 pm

Heya! Been reading this board for a couple of months now but first post here... **leap**

So, we pretty much killed the idea fo using this stuff as a viable yeast but would it be useful as an adjunct for your own farmed yeast? I have read that most of the commercial Turbo mixes contain dead yeast hulls for their living brothers to feed on for a quick start to fermentation. Or is it just a waste of time/money?

I am listening oh wise ones....

CRR

triggernum5 · Post by **triggernum5** » Mon May 14, 2007 12:55 pm

What you bought was probably dried yeast from a beer bed.. Never intended to be active again, probably pasteurized.. Did it smell like beer? I'd avoid all bulk-barn yeast whether its supposed to be active or not since you can get a nice vaccum-packed bag of bakers yeast for ~$4 cdn.. Bulk yeast is unlikely to have anything cool contaminant wise worth cultivating, it might have some bad, and its not stored for virility.. Probably paying less per live cell getting something reliable..

wineo · Post by **wineo** » Mon May 14, 2007 1:16 pm

Yes,you can still use it for a nutrent supplement.Just put it in the boil.I sometimes put a pack of good yeast in the boil for yeast hulls.The hot water kills it,but the dead hulls remain.
wineo

hornedrhodent · Post by **hornedrhodent** » Tue May 15, 2007 11:41 pm

The dead yeast I've seen was in the form of a powder - I've bought live yeast from a health food store which supplied baking stuff in the form of a thick paste/solid like tofu. Freeze dried live yeast is usually in the form of little balls rather than a fine powder.