Bakers yeast

[dent]

Well it's in. I hope you guys appreciate my noble sacrifice.

 

[MHB]

Ok I read the whole thread and am still wondering why?
If I was making Alcohol (neutral spirit) I wouldn't use bread yeast I would use a neutral spirit yeast, for something like Scotch, a whisky yeast, for a Schnapps a dedicated fruit yeast, all of which are fairly available.
When I make beer the yeast is as much a part of the recipe as is the malt and the mashing regime, be buggered if I'm spending 4-5 hours putting together a cracking good APA and the ruining it with Champaign yeast, or baking yeast, or for that matter a good Belgian or even a great Hefeweizen yeast, they just aren’t right for the job.
The only thing I can think of is that some might think it’s cheaper than real beer yeast, but nothing you can save in the cost of ingredients can come close to paying for the time invested, so all I care about is how good the beer tastes.
Mark

 

[Bribie G]

Lowan, I wondered where I'd heard the name.

Lowan honey-O's breakfast cereal ... lived on that shyte when I used to do half marathons.

 

[dent]

Ok I read the whole thread and am still wondering why?

Oh yeah I'm inclined to agree. IF this yeast doesn't suck altogether and IF it actually has some kind of possibly desirable flavour profile maybe then it would be a good tool to have at hand. Maybe I'll strike gold and find it is awesome to put 200g of cheap dry yeast in to get a good pitching rate for a 12% RIS (probably not).

But mainly for me it is "Because it was there". And I had a few beers at the time.

 

[QldKev]

Ok I read the whole thread and am still wondering why?
If I was making Alcohol (neutral spirit) I wouldn't use bread yeast I would use a neutral spirit yeast, for something like Scotch, a whisky yeast, for a Schnapps a dedicated fruit yeast, all of which are fairly available.
When I make beer the yeast is as much a part of the recipe as is the malt and the mashing regime, be buggered if I'm spending 4-5 hours putting together a cracking good APA and the ruining it with Champaign yeast, or baking yeast, or for that matter a good Belgian or even a great Hefeweizen yeast, they just aren’t right for the job.
The only thing I can think of is that some might think it’s cheaper than real beer yeast, but nothing you can save in the cost of ingredients can come close to paying for the time invested, so all I care about is how good the beer tastes.
Mark

Posted as Kev, not as a mod...

You mentioned "If I was making Alcohol (neutral spirit) I wouldn't use bread yeast I would use a neutral spirit yeast, for something like Scotch, a whisky yeast, for a Schnapps a dedicated fruit yeast, all of which are fairly available." . Have you tried this with the Lowans yeast or is it just you don't like the theory?. We are talking about a specific beer test and the outcomes on the subject, it may prove positive, it may not. Would BIAB ever got of the ground based on theory? I'm aware that neutrals on another forum recommend Lowans for a TPW (neutral), we really should not discuss that subject here so lets consider it dropped and get back to brewing beer.

 

[MHB]

Well yes it would/did, I remember Thirsty and myself among others helping PistolPatch as much as we could, because it was an interesting idea that had merit and there was a god theoretical framework for it to work within!
I also understand the temptation to experiment but over the years I have had all sorts of concoctions made with everything imaginable (including baking yeast) brought into my shop for appraisal. It has reached the point where if you want my opinion on a beer, you bring it in cold and you have to drink it to - filters out the real shockers.

I asked why? Why would anyone want to do this to a beer, I think anyone who knows anything about brewing knows how important yeast is. there is an old saying among brewers "we make wort - yeast makes beer"

Still asking why, I don't understand the motivation, probably the worst thing about owning a home brew shop is that you tend to get far too few opportunities to brew so when I do I want good beer and for me part of making good beer is choosing a good and appropriate yeast - that's all
Mark

 

[QldKev]

"we make wort - yeast makes beer." I agree 100% with this saying

We do control yeast health when it comes to hydration, pitching rates, o2 levels, wort nutrient levels, temperatures, etc That's why I've become so interested in when an experienced brewer such as dent is happy to experiment. My first brew ever, brewed in summer was not the best and I don't blame the yeast strain, it was my handling of it. The first time they dropped US-05 into a beer and if it was a lager, did they experiement to prove what a great neutral ale yeast it would be?

It doesn't matter what yeast you have if the beer is full of infection or brewed on the back patio in summer you get poor results.

I understand it is pretty easy to pick the yeast from what the yeast manufacturers recommend for the style and make a great beer given the correct handling. It is a safe way to proceed and for those of us that don't want to risk loosing a few cubes on experiments, it is awesome to have the work done. But I do think there may be some yeasts that maybe the suppliers of the main beer yeasts don't want us touching as they don't own the market for them.

So to me if you have the time and happy to experiment to try, that is the motivation. In this case if dent's beer produces crap results I feel based on his brewing experience happy to accept the outcome.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

I tried a local beer in a village brewery in Lithuania called boiko.
I believe its made with a bread yeast. it was probably the pic of the beers which are traditional/farmhouse there.
I was so impressed that I gave the yeast to Pro culture for their yeast bank. Apparently the Boiko yeast is much smaller than your typical brewing yeasts.
Some times you just have to try something a bit different.
Nev

 

[dent]

OK preview fermenter tasting -

Seems like it has fermented out. I started it at 5 degrees, let it get to 15 degrees for active ferment, then ramped it to 20 a couple days ago.

Attenuation seems more than adequate. Actually was a bit dough-y on the nose first up (believe it or not) but on further examination yielded the usual bunch of early ferment stinks. On tasting wasn't bad at all; It is beer -- if someone handed me the same glass from the 4 or 5 day old fermenter telling me it was notto or whatever I wouldn't disbelieve them. I've certainly had worse crimes done to me by proper brewing yeasts over the years.

It is very early days. I'll give it another week at 20 to finish up, then I'll keg it and have another taste then.

Not dead yet!

 

[dent]

Results are in

 

[Not For Horses]

More importantly though, would you do it again?

 

[dent]

I don't think it is better than regular brewing yeast in any way apart from low cost and abundance. So, given that, I think it is a good thing to have as a backup on the shelf in case your regular yeast is unhealthy for whatever reason, or perhaps as a huge amount of yeast for a high ABV beer.

 

[Not For Horses]

So your next assignment is to find it's alcohol tolerance and report back

 

[manticle]

Next assignment is making bread with 1469.

 

[pk.sax]

Next assignment is making bread with 1469.

Are you a brew bread virgin?

 

[Spiesy]

I don't think it is better than regular brewing yeast in any way apart from low cost and abundance. So, given that, I think it is a good thing to have as a backup on the shelf in case your regular yeast is unhealthy for whatever reason, or perhaps as a huge amount of yeast for a high ABV beer.

If it's inferior to regular brewing yeast, why not keep regular brewing yeast as backup?

 

[dent]

Fair point, but I would tend to use it at some point, rather than have it sit there forever getting worse. At least with the bread yeast you can compensate for any decreased viability by putting a shitload in.

 

[QldKev]

So your next assignment is to find it's alcohol tolerance and report back

18% but the last couple % you are stressing the yeast a lot, so it will ferment slowly and tend to need the temperature raised a bit. I'd keep it under 14% if you want a good product.

With the outcome by dent, I'm planning an aussie pale to 4% with the yeast, but without filtering.