bakers yeast and nutrients

[Danny Boy]

Hi. I've made banana rum, potato vodka and whisky with still spirits rum, vodka and whisky yeasts. These have given really good results but after reading several posts I decided to have a go at a banana rum using bakers yeast. I started the ferment in 2 25litre vessels using 4kilos of bananas, 4kilos of sugar and 2.5 tablespoons of yeast per vessel. I pitched yeast at 30 Celsius and both started working well. This was 8 days ago and its still bubbling away nicely. My question is should it be finished by now or does it take longer when you use bakers yeast versus still spirits yeasts. I know they have nutrients added to them. Should I have added nutrients myself to speed it up or was I right to leave it go as is?

[NZChris]

What was the OG? What is it now?

What temperature is it? How stable is the temperature?

What was the pH? What is the pH now?

[rad14701]

I know they have nutrients added to them.

Those other yeasts were either turbo yeasts or quazi-turbo yeasts... No regular yeast comes preloaded with nutrients, just turbos, hence, the delineation as a turbo yeast... Your pitching temperature of 30C/85F is actually a bit on the low side from most bakers yeasts... For example, Fleischmann's and Red Star usually state to proof/start them at 115F/46C... Keeping the wash temperature in the 75F/24C - 85F/30C range, and consistent, is also preferable... The lower the temperature drops the longer the ferment will take... Whether added nutrients would have helped is speculative but I wouldn't bother adding any at this point...

[BoomTown]

I use bakers yeast all the time. The bubbles you are seeing might simply be stored CO2 separating because you jarred the contents taking off the lid, it is after all, beer.When I suspect it might not be done, I use an empty plastic water bottle. I fill it half way with the mash, and squeeze most of the rest of the air out and put the cap on tightly.

Check in an hours o so later, and if it's still squeezed it's done. If the bottle it tightly and fully inflated, the yeast is still working.

The other way is with an SG test. If the Final SG is below 1.000, you're done.

[Danny Boy]

I think my fermentation stalled a day or so after I pitched the yeast. This was due to me leaving the vessel's in my bath while I went away for the week, the reason being I once had a mini volcano out of one of my fermentors, so I thought I'd err on the safe side and protect my carpets. What I didnt factor in was that with no heating on as I was away the temp must have dropped and ferment stalled. Took a hydrometer reading when I got home and it was 1060. Took a reading today and they both read 1030, so it has re started and is dropping slowly. I have put an oil heater in with them now and increased temp to25c to see if that speeds things up a bit. know that I shouldnt have left them alone but due to a berievment I had no option. Thanks for the help guys! I'm learning every day, maybe one day I'll know what I'm doing

[BoomTown]

I think my fermentation stalled a day or so after I pitched the yeast. This was due to me leaving the vessel's in my bath while I went away for the week, the reason being I once had a mini volcano out of one of my fermentors, so I thought I'd err on the safe side and protect my carpets. What I didnt factor in was that with no heating on as I was away the temp must have dropped and ferment stalled. Took a hydrometer reading when I got home and it was 1060. Took a reading today and they both read 1030, so it has re started and is dropping slowly. I have put an oil heater in with them now and increased temp to25c to see if that speeds things up a bit. know that I shouldnt have left them alone but due to a berievment I had no option. Thanks for the help guys! I'm learning every day, maybe one day I'll know what I'm doing

Time is a wonderful thing in the whiskey world. Time is on your side.

[splitpin65]

Wonder if anyone can help been trying to sort a recipe or two off the site but having trouble with measurements sorted most us to UK but keep seeing add 5 packets of baker's yeast how much is in a packet please ??
Thanks
Scott

[BoomTown]

Scott, use a soup spoon. 1/2 L in a 1 L jar of the mash, shake it up good to wet all the yeast, loosen the lid a bit, and wait 30 or 40 minutes and the add the whole thing back into the mash. Wait 4 or 5 days, and syphon off the beer. Simple as that.

[MitchyBourbon]

Wonder if anyone can help been trying to sort a recipe or two off the site but having trouble with measurements sorted most us to UK but keep seeing add 5 packets of baker's yeast how much is in a packet please ??
Thanks
Scott

Most grocery store yeast packets are 1/4 oz. (7 grams). Which is approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons.


Unless your yeast is pre-packaged with nutrients, it is always best to rehydrate your yeast before pitching. However, it is best to rehydrate with just plain water. In the first few minutes during rehydration yeast are unable to prevent sugar and other contaminants from being absorbed directly through the cell walls. Not real good for the yeast, it will kill half of your yeast. For rehydrating yeast just use a cup of plain 100 °F water per packet do not stir for 10 minutes. Pitch when the temps of yeast and mash are close to the same temp.

[335Guy]

However, it is best to rehydrate with just plain water. In the first few minutes during rehydration yeast are unable to prevent sugar and other contaminants from being absorbed directly through the cell walls. Not real good for the yeast, it will kill half of your yeast. For rehydrating yeast just use a cup of plain 100 °F water per packet do not stir for 10 minutes. Pitch when the temps of yeast and mash are close to the same temp.

Interesting... Didn't know that. Thanks, Mitchy!

[BoomTown]

Didn't know that Mitchy, will keep it in mind this week. Been very successful with my approach, but this may provide a better 'kick start' than my yeast bomb appproach...we'll see.

[MitchyBourbon]

You can still do the yeast bomb/starter after its been rehydrated. Just add a cup of wort. Starters should be half power anyway, around 1.040 sg.

[bearriver]

This recipe is just a bannana sugar head.

Jimbo wrote
I dont do sugar heads but well imagine making the yeast happy in them desolate ferments must be a real trick.

Rum should have at least one sugar based ingredient that is not white granulated sugar, such as molasses, panela, brown sugar...ect.

These types of sugar are part of what defines the characteristic flavors of rum, as well as providing all the necessary nutrition for the yeast. I'm a firm believer that the wash should have all the nutrients the yeast need from the natural ingredients used. Only using white sugar is pretty much the exact opposite of that.

Next time pick one of the many T&T rum recipes, and simply add bananas to it.

[splitpin65]

Wonder if anyone can help been trying to sort a recipe or two off the site but having trouble with measurements sorted most us to UK but keep seeing add 5 packets of baker's yeast how much is in a packet please ??
Thanks
Scott

Most grocery store yeast packets are 1/4 oz. (7 grams). Which is approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons.


Unless your yeast is pre-packaged with nutrients, it is always best to rehydrate your yeast before pitching. However, it is best to rehydrate with just plain water. In the first few minutes during rehydration yeast are unable to prevent sugar and other contaminants from being absorbed directly through the cell walls. Not real good for the yeast, it will kill half of your yeast. For rehydrating yeast just use a cup of plain 100 °F water per packet do not stir for 10 minutes. Pitch when the temps of yeast and mash are close to the same temp.

Thanks mate will defo be using this info

[splitpin65]

Wonder if anyone can help been trying to sort a recipe or two off the site but having trouble with measurements sorted most us to UK but keep seeing add 5 packets of baker's yeast how much is in a packet please ??
Thanks
Scott

Most grocery store yeast packets are 1/4 oz. (7 grams). Which is approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons.


Unless your yeast is pre-packaged with nutrients, it is always best to rehydrate your yeast before pitching. However, it is best to rehydrate with just plain water. In the first few minutes during rehydration yeast are unable to prevent sugar and other contaminants from being absorbed directly through the cell walls. Not real good for the yeast, it will kill half of your yeast. For rehydrating yeast just use a cup of plain 100 °F water per packet do not stir for 10 minutes. Pitch when the temps of yeast and mash are close to the same temp.

Thanks mate will defo be using this info

[cb_j]

i noticed with the still spirits rum and vodka stuff that they worked well at lower temperatures and rocketed at higher temps.
the bakers however, works well at high and slows down too much at lower temperatures.
if i had constant access to the still spirits rum packets, i'd use them all the time for my rum washes, but i dont, so i dont. (in this case, i don't mind spending the extra few dollars.)
i did notice the SS clouded earlier in a run than bakers, but i change ingredients to suit (between SS packets and bakers).

my situation differs from most.