What would happen if I used bakers yeast to ferment cider?
Off flavors/ But how off and why? Are different yeasts really that different, aren't the starting ingredients (sp?) way more important?
baker yeast for cider?
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l_townbrewer
- Little Beer
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The good news is that baker's yeast is Saccharomyces cerevisiae. So it is in the same family as most brewer's yeast.
Unfortunately, what I did find is that the strains that are cultured for baking are chosen for their ability to produce more CO2 with only a little alcohol being produced. This will help the bread rise but will allow the little bit of alcohol to burn off while baking.
As for the importance of yeast I personally feel that it is the most important ingredient in dictating the character of a beer.
But I've never done this before so it could be an experiment worth trying, to do part of the batch with baker's yeast and the rest with something like champagne yeast to see how they compare.
Cheers, Dustin
Unfortunately, what I did find is that the strains that are cultured for baking are chosen for their ability to produce more CO2 with only a little alcohol being produced. This will help the bread rise but will allow the little bit of alcohol to burn off while baking.
As for the importance of yeast I personally feel that it is the most important ingredient in dictating the character of a beer.
But I've never done this before so it could be an experiment worth trying, to do part of the batch with baker's yeast and the rest with something like champagne yeast to see how they compare.
Cheers, Dustin
great idea
Good idea: side by side taste test
Does anyone have any camp. yeast?
Does anyone have any camp. yeast?
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Greenblood
- Brewmaster
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- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 2:22 pm
- Location: Lawrence
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Greenblood
- Brewmaster
- Posts: 944
- Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2006 2:22 pm
- Location: Lawrence
If you are going to take the time to run two yeasts side by side, I would encourage you to take it a step further and break the batch into 4 adding 71B-1122, and RC-212. I have used both of these yeasts in mead, and 71B-1122 has been my favorite for melomels (fruit meads) as it really allows the fruit flavors to come through. I expect that both 71B-1122 and RC-212 would be well suited for cider making.
Cheers!
John Monaghan
"If your feelings were grapes I would crush them. And then, after fermentation, drink them down. And quite possibly later, throw them up again."
John Monaghan
"If your feelings were grapes I would crush them. And then, after fermentation, drink them down. And quite possibly later, throw them up again."
71B-1122 is what my friends recently pitched when they made their cider -- and for exactly the reasons you mentioned, John. They hoped it would enhance the fruity aspect of the juice. I'll tell you how it turned out as soon as I try some.
I actually pitched a different yeast, because the juice I got (a few days after they did the pressing) had already began fermenting with wild yeast, so we wanted to use a more aggressive yeast strain that would dominate and subdue the wild strain that had found its way in (which is almost impossible to avoid with apples). Otherwise I would have totally used the 71-B-1111.
I believe the yeast I pitched was DV-10 (but that's just from memory, I could be mistaken). I know almost nothing about this yeast, except what my meadmaking friend told me about it (and he KNOWS his wine yeasts). Anyway, I was kind of enjoying the chance to do a side-by-side comparison anyway, so I'll let you all know how that turned out once they're both ready.
Fun stuff, huh?
Matt
I actually pitched a different yeast, because the juice I got (a few days after they did the pressing) had already began fermenting with wild yeast, so we wanted to use a more aggressive yeast strain that would dominate and subdue the wild strain that had found its way in (which is almost impossible to avoid with apples). Otherwise I would have totally used the 71-B-1111.
I believe the yeast I pitched was DV-10 (but that's just from memory, I could be mistaken). I know almost nothing about this yeast, except what my meadmaking friend told me about it (and he KNOWS his wine yeasts). Anyway, I was kind of enjoying the chance to do a side-by-side comparison anyway, so I'll let you all know how that turned out once they're both ready.
Fun stuff, huh?
Matt
Matt Bechtold
Anvil Chorus Brewing
Anvil Chorus Brewing
Oh, and as a P.S. -- it's possibly just me, but I wouldn't for the life of me use bakers yeast.
For all the same reasons already expressed (low alcohol production, a lack of GOOD yeast characteristics -- which are so very important in any brewing), but mostly because it would just be a waste of good juice.
Sure there are some things you just can't learn without doing it the hard way, but that's one I'll take on faith. Then again, maybe you have more time and money then I do, in which case, go for it and let me know how it goes!
Matt
For all the same reasons already expressed (low alcohol production, a lack of GOOD yeast characteristics -- which are so very important in any brewing), but mostly because it would just be a waste of good juice.
Sure there are some things you just can't learn without doing it the hard way, but that's one I'll take on faith. Then again, maybe you have more time and money then I do, in which case, go for it and let me know how it goes!
Matt
Matt Bechtold
Anvil Chorus Brewing
Anvil Chorus Brewing