"baloonon" wrote in message
...
"Dave West" wrote

Many thanks. Would you be able to explain to a complete novice why the
dried baking yeast is not advisable? I've made a couple of batches
now using 125gm sugar per litre, one lot using baking yeast and one
using a wine yeast.

For the life of me, i cannot tell the difference between the end
results of the two; either in terms of taste, length of fermentation
or anything else.

The baking yeast is a fraction of the cost, so in terms of making this
simple low alcohol brew (6.0 ABV approx) brew; would you still suggest
I really need to spend the extra on the wine yeast? Thanks.

Home brewing forums are filled with comments that it's horrible,
terrible, no good, very bad idea, but more research says it's just not
the best idea.

Baking yeast has been used to make good quality beer. Here's a video on
basicbrewing.com about using bread yeast to make beer (and beer yeast to
make bread).

http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.ph...007---trading-
places-beer-and-bread-yeast

They said the beer was good stuff.

There are reasons not to use baking yeast though. The temperature ranges
for brewing aren't clear, so there's sort of a roll of the dice as to
making weird tasting stuff. It's also unclear whether the sanitation is
as good for bread yeast as brewing yeast, so there's the possibility of a
higher risk of spoiled brew. It also sounds like baking yeast tends not
to settle as well as brewing yeast, and suspended yeast can give a bunch
of unpleasant flavors.

It's possible to reuse yeast several times, so it may be cost-efficient
to buy a cheap packet of brewing yeast and then re-fermenting with the
sediment left after a batch ferments. Google the words -- repitch yeast
slurry -- and you can get more information on good practices.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Many thanks. All your information is like gold-dust to me as a beginner.

Somthing else i have been wondering about is that i've seen that raisins can
be used as a yeast nutrient. I've heard someone mention its a good idea to
chop them small and boil and cool before adding to the brew? Is boiling
really a good idea or might it destroy something essential in the raisins?
Thanks.

Dave West wrote:
"Dick Adams" wrote:
Dave West wrote:

...
I'm using Allison's dried baking yeast which I know is not as alcohol
tolerant as wine yeast.

Bad choice!

I understand that 100 gm of granulated sugar to one litre of water
gives about 5% of alcohol by volume roughly. I would like to increase
the alcohol content slightly, so just as a rough guide;

Grams ABV SG
----- ----- -----
100 5.17 1.037
150 7.69 1.056
200 10.12 1.075
250 12.46 1.094
300 14.72 1.113
350 16.91 1.132

what would likely be the most sugar I could add per litre at the
onset of the process, without the fermentation process choking up?

It's called 'Sugar Shock' and it depends on the yeast you're using.

Many thanks. Would you be able to explain to a complete novice why thed
dried baking yeast is not advisable? I've made a couple of batches
now using 125gm sugar per litre, one lot using baking yeast and one
using a wine yeast.

For the life of me, i cannot tell the difference between the end results
of the two; either in terms of taste, length of fermentation or anything
else.

The baking yeast is a fraction of the cost, so in terms of making this
simple low alcohol brew (6.0 ABV approx) brew; would you still suggest I
really need to spend the extra on the wine yeast? Thanks.

Several years ago I posted a recipe for Cheateu Trailer Park and, without
searching for it, I am certain the recipe used bakers yeast. Why bakers
yeast? Because I didn't care how it tasted, how sweet or how dry its
finish was, and whether or not it had fruity, earthy, or no esters. So
if you don't care about those issues, go ahead and use bakers yeast.

Dick

"Dick Adams" wrote in message
...
Dave West wrote:
"Dick Adams" wrote:
Dave West wrote:

...
I'm using Allison's dried baking yeast which I know is not as alcohol
tolerant as wine yeast.

Bad choice!

I understand that 100 gm of granulated sugar to one litre of water
gives about 5% of alcohol by volume roughly. I would like to increase
the alcohol content slightly, so just as a rough guide;

Grams ABV SG
----- ----- -----
100 5.17 1.037
150 7.69 1.056
200 10.12 1.075
250 12.46 1.094
300 14.72 1.113
350 16.91 1.132

what would likely be the most sugar I could add per litre at the
onset of the process, without the fermentation process choking up?

It's called 'Sugar Shock' and it depends on the yeast you're using.

Many thanks. Would you be able to explain to a complete novice why thed
dried baking yeast is not advisable? I've made a couple of batches
now using 125gm sugar per litre, one lot using baking yeast and one
using a wine yeast.

For the life of me, i cannot tell the difference between the end results
of the two; either in terms of taste, length of fermentation or anything
else.

The baking yeast is a fraction of the cost, so in terms of making this
simple low alcohol brew (6.0 ABV approx) brew; would you still suggest I
really need to spend the extra on the wine yeast? Thanks.

Several years ago I posted a recipe for Cheateu Trailer Park and, without
searching for it, I am certain the recipe used bakers yeast. Why bakers
yeast? Because I didn't care how it tasted, how sweet or how dry its
finish was, and whether or not it had fruity, earthy, or no esters. So
if you don't care about those issues, go ahead and use bakers yeast.
Dick
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Because I didn't care how it tasted, how sweet or how dry its
finish was, and whether or not it had fruity, earthy, or no esters. So
if you don't care about those issues, go ahead and use bakers yeast.
Dick

Dick you dont want to turn me into an obsessive do you? It's well known the
*arbitrary* nature of the conscious brain can overide sensory perception, so
you no longer really know what you are tasting.

Dave West wrote:
"Dick Adams" wrote in message
Dave West wrote:

For the life of me, i cannot tell the difference between the end results
of the two; either in terms of taste, length of fermentation or anything
else.

The baking yeast is a fraction of the cost, so in terms of making this
simple low alcohol brew (6.0 ABV approx) brew; would you still suggest I
really need to spend the extra on the wine yeast? Thanks.

Several years ago I posted a recipe for Chateau Trailer Park and, without
searching for it, I am certain the recipe used bakers yeast. Why bakers
yeast? Because I didn't care how it tasted, how sweet or how dry its
finish was, and whether or not it had fruity, earthy, or no esters. So
if you don't care about those issues, go ahead and use bakers yeast.

Dick you dont want to turn me into an obsessive do you? ...

Why not?

CORRECTION:
I used Bakers Yeast for the 2 liter batch and Strand's Turbo Yeast for
the 5 gallon batch.

On 2/28/2013 4:40 PM, baloonon wrote:
It's also unclear whether the sanitation is as good for bread yeast
as brewing yeast, so there's the possibility of a higher risk of
spoiled brew. It also sounds like baking yeast tends not to settle
as well as brewing yeast, and suspended yeast can give a bunch of
unpleasant flavors.

That settlement point is interesting. I've heard a lot of people
complain about bread yeast in beer that the aftertaste is a bit like a
burp after having some really yeasty bread. It sounds like it can be
done, carefully, but doesn't sound like something worth the trouble.

Maybe finings and a crash cooling would help, but if you're too cheap...

It's possible to reuse yeast several times, so it may be
cost-efficient to buy a cheap packet of brewing yeast and then
re-fermenting with the sediment left after a batch ferments. Google
the words -- repitch yeast slurry-- and you can get more
information on good practices.

....to get a proper yeast, I doubt you want to drop the money on finings
or a freezer. :-p