Bakers Yeast vs EC 1118

[Bubbabobob]

So I make wine, occasionally all grain beer and have just been playing around with distillation. One of the things I found very difficult to accept was the use of bakers yeast for distilled products. In making wine I have spent ridiculous amounts of time and effort to have just the right strain, just the right nutrient, just the right temperature and so on with the hopes I could manipulate a little biochemistry to create some characteristic or other in the wine. I never really know if it has worked because things are so subtle and it takes a few years or more before wine is ready but generally I like what I make so I like to think the effort matters.

With an open mind I figured I would do a little experiment using bakers yeast and good old EC1118.

Here is how it went.

Made two batches of a version of fast ferment vodka one with EC1118 and one with the bakers yeast I had in my fridge. Did standard stripping runs in a pot still. Spirt runs in a pot still with a little thumper.

Data:

Wash #1
OG 1.080
30 L total volume
1 Packet of EC1118
Fermentation temperature 27C
FG 1.001
Fermentation time: 9 days
Estimated ABV 10.2%

Stripping run
7.2 L @ 38% ABV

Spirt Run
3.4 L came off the still
0.25 L Foreshot
1.7 L @ 77% ABV of cut product
0.7 L heads
0.8 L tail

Wash #2
OG 1.080
30 L of total volume
1 TBSP Bakers Yeast
Fermentation temperature 27C
FG 0.995
Fermentation time: 5 days
Estimated ABV 11.0%
Stripping run
8.0 L @ 38% ABV


Spirt Run
4.0 L came off the still
0.25 L Foreshot
1.7 L @ 77% of cut product
1.2 L heads
1.0 L tail

I had a number of people try each of the cut products diluted to 40% ABV in a blind triangle test (there ended up being 9 people all together). Only 2 people correctly picked out the duplicate sample, one picked the EC1118 batch and one picked the bakers yeast batch. The rest all guessed and got it wrong.

Looking at this from the output, both yeasts produced a drinkable generally clean product that will be fine for cocktails etc. The yields were pretty close to each other so no advantage there. The bakers yeast finished fast and did produce a bit more of a funky heads segment but that did not make the cut anyway.

In the end I will likely still stick with wine yeast as I usually have it around but for this type of product bakers yeast does work just as well.

Just sharing my approach and would love to hear what others have done on this front.

[Salt Must Flow]

I get Fleischmann's yeat for $5.00 for 2#. How much is EC1118 again?

[Bubbabobob]

its about $3 for a 5g packet

[still_stirrin]

its about $3 for a 5g packet

Ouch!

My local grocery has bakers yeast in the three pack of 7 gram packets (dry yeast) for about “ buck and a quarter”. The local homebrew store sells the Lalvin champagne yeast packets for around 3 bucks for a 7 gram packet.

The EC-1118 is good for fruit ferments and will work in cooler ambient conditions. But the bakers yeast works perfectly fine grain, molasses, and sugar washes. However, it prefers slightly warmer ambient conditions. A 7 gram packet will work in about a 5 gallon ferment although I usually use about 1-1/2 packets in each 5 gallon carboy.

But I do suggest rehydrating the dry yeast in warm water before pitching into the fermenter.
ss

[jonnys_spirit]

I make wine and consider ec1118 to be fairly generic for wine making. 100% prefer other wine yeasts depending on the grapes. Ec1118 is a yeast designed to be pitched into finished wine (med-high abv and acidic environmental conditions) primed for carbonation - aka champagne yeast. They supply it in winekits because using it decreases the potential for a stall due to its robustness - not because it makes better wine.

If you’re doing larger batches the price of premium yeasts can be largely mitigated by making a starter and step feeding for a day or two before pitching. Ie; one packet for a 50 gallon ferment can be started a day or two early and step fed up to a gallon or more in a 5g bucket to pitch into the larger mash when ready. So you don’t need 10 packs of $10 yeast you just need one. Or $3 yeast.

Being a wine snob I was also skeptical about using bakers yeast initially and use it often now however I also enjoy diversity in the process and when using different yeasts will use ale and lager yeasts at times for AG’s, wine yeasts for brandies, and other specialty yeasts depending on the ferment but could probably use bakers in almost all without issue.

Cheers!
-j

[TwoSheds]

I make wine and consider ec1118 to be fairly generic for wine making.

I'm glad it's not just me. I've used EC-1118 on cider, cyzer, and meads and always find the results lack complexity and flavor. So much so that I bought some to try with neutrals, but now just over-pitch baker's like most other folks.

[cranky]

My wife can tell if I've used bakers yeast, even in neutral and doesn't like the flavor. I use 1118 for a lot of things but seldom brandy. I know in brandy yeast makes a difference and feel it does in other ferments even if it is a subtle one that many people don't notice.

[bitter]

V1116 is better for brandy

[shadylane]

V1116 is better for brandy

K1-V1116 is a good yeast.
It can also kill other yeast and eat them for lunch.
That's an important quality since fruit is covered in wild yeast.