Bread Yeast As Yeast Nutrient For Apple Cider

[Simon Gellie]

Hi Guys,

I am just about to do my first apple cider and I don't have any yeast nutrient. I have read in a few posts that you can boil up some yeast to kill it, then add it to the fermenter as yeast nutrient.

Has anyone used this method?
Would bread yeast be a suitable source of yeast nutrients? or do you need to use beer, champagne or wine yeast?
Will proper yeast nutrients give me a better result?
If bread yeast is suitable, how much should I use?
I actually boiled up a tablespoon of bread yeast and it actually smelt quite "bready". Will this contribute some unwanted flavours to my cider?

Many thanks

Simon

 

[Wolfy]

I don't see why it wont work, yeast is yeast, and there is no reason why bread yeast cannot act as nutrients for your cider yeast (it's all much the same stuff after all).
However, the recommended usage-rate for 'yeast nutrient' is about 0.9g per 23L batch of beer, so a tablespoon might be excessive.
'Yeast nutrient' is often made from yeast hulls (dead yeast) but they usually also include other additions such as additional nutrients, DAP and other things, so it is probable a 'proper' yeast nutrient would work better.

 

[hazard]

Hi Guys,

I am just about to do my first apple cider and I don't have any yeast nutrient. I have read in a few posts that you can boil up some yeast to kill it, then add it to the fermenter as yeast nutrient.

Has anyone used this method?
Would bread yeast be a suitable source of yeast nutrients? or do you need to use beer, champagne or wine yeast?
Will proper yeast nutrients give me a better result?
If bread yeast is suitable, how much should I use?
I actually boiled up a tablespoon of bread yeast and it actually smelt quite "bready". Will this contribute some unwanted flavours to my cider?

Many thanks

Simon

Make sure you boil it well!!! I had the same idea when I made a cider recently, and I used Lowan's Bakers yeast as a nutrient - about $3 for a big tin at Woolies, cheaper than a packet of yeast and many time larger! Unfortunatley the cider has a a really wierd taste and smell - not unpleasant like an infection, but ... bready?? What I think has happened is that I didn't kill all the baker's yeast and that they have multiplied in the fermenter and added their own contribution to the flavour. So the concept is sound, but kill all those little buggers before you throw them in.

 

[Simon Gellie]

Thanks for your replies Wolfy and Hazard,

The Lowan yeast is the one I've got. If it works well it is a much cheaper option at around $3 for a 280g tin as opposed to a small sachet of yeast nutrient for around $6.

I'll weigh out 1g (my digital scales won't do 0.9g) of the Lowan yeast and make sure I boil it well to kill all the yeast. I've got 21.5L of juice, so I asume that will be close enough.

I'll let you know how it turns out.


Hey Hazard, I notice you are from Eltham also. I live in the Eltham Woods estate (behind the BP sevice station on Main Rd). Which part of Eltham do you live in?

Cheers
Simon

 

[KudaPucat]

Make sure you boil it well!!! I had the same idea when I made a cider recently, and I used Lowan's Bakers yeast as a nutrient - about $3 for a big tin at Woolies, cheaper than a packet of yeast and many time larger! Unfortunatley the cider has a a really wierd taste and smell - not unpleasant like an infection, but ... bready?? What I think has happened is that I didn't kill all the baker's yeast and that they have multiplied in the fermenter and added their own contribution to the flavour. So the concept is sound, but kill all those little buggers before you throw them in.

Yeast seem to love apple juice. I'd be surprised if you needed any at all.
Are you getting any sulphur odours or other signs of hungry stressed yeast?
The idea with the yeast is sound, but beware, boiling yeast, like at high temps can release funky odours, and autolysis type tastes that need to be aged out.
get it very hot, but I wouldn't boil it. Hot: 1.5 - 2 times it's tolerance for a long time (10 minutes).
I've used it before, but none of my brews are set to drink yet, so can't tell if it made them funky