Is yeast just yeast?

[Jonnybegood666]

I was going to have a go at making some homemade booze the other day. So i went to a supermarket and asked if they had any yeast so i could make some alcoholic beverages. They siad that they only had yeast for making bread.

Are there different types of yeast for different uses, or is yeast yeast?

[Steve_TPF]

There are a multitude of different yeast strains. Those used in brewing are selected because of their higher tolerance for alcohol, which is produced as a waste product as the yeast multiplies.

Spent a few minutes on google, but I couldn't find anything on the alcohol tolerance of baking yeast. So either give it a go any way, buy some brewing yeast, or do a little more research. It's an interesting question, but I don't have time to look myself right now.

Edit: Found a reference to baker's yeast on a brewing site, it claims baking yeast has a tolerance of around 12%. (Scroll down to the fifth post.)

12% is more than enough to make beer, but whether it tastes any good is another question.

[CyberWar]

Normally it does, if you pay attention and do not let your brewing overferment and take precautions so it does not get infected by unwanted organisms that spoil the taste.

Brewing yeasts are available in specialty brewer shops. They are a lot more expensive than baking yeast, but are better for making booze.

Another way is to use wild yeasts by just leaving the raw material in a warm place to brew itself, but this results in rather unpredictable taste, never yielding the same results. From personal experience in making apple cider, one barrel was nice and sour, while the other spoiled, either through overfermentation or infection, becoming excessively bitter.

Therefore, to ferment wine or beer, you should always use a brewer's syphon that allows excess gasses to pass out while preventing dirt and bacteria/fungi from entering the brewing tank.

[Jonnybegood666]

thanks for replys,
I'm going to give it a go and will let you no how i get on.

[Widigo]

I know this is not quite the answer you are looking for. But winemaking kits are cheap and come with everything. I am a bit of a fan of the whole process, taking more interest in it that my mother that actually claims it as a hobby, but you need not be a wine freak to make use of the starter kits.

If it's tolerance is 12% then I agree that it's worth giving a shot. Keep us updated on the results.

[Rose de Nose]

Yeast is not just yeast, yeast is man! Yeast has a soul. Love yeast. Respect yeast.

Yeast Researchers Get a Head Start



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