Bakers yeast

[Luc]

Most 'serious' winemakers will flame me for this, but so be it !!!!

A long time discussion is going on wether to use bakers yeast in winemaking or not.

Personally I have used bakers yeast several times during winemaking. Examples are my famous apple-peach wine, my christmas wine (mandarine) and my camping wine (made on a camp-site during ,my last holliday).

Why am I not hesitating to use bakers yeast ???

Well several years ago i did an experiment.

I took storebought juice, added sugar and divided the juice in two equal parts.

One part was started with bakers yeast the other with real wineyeast.
The two carboys were set side-by-side so I was sure temperature fluctuations could not influence the one without also influencing the other.

Fermentation was followed minute.

And the results were astonishing.

There were indeed differences during fermentation and differences in the end-result. But it amed me decide that you indeed can use bakers yeast as a replacement for wine yeast. Without any problems or difficulty. And with GOOD results.

You can read the complete report here:
http://wijnmaker.blogspot.com/2010/10/bakkersgist-baking-yeast.html

Luc

 

[Minnesotamaker]

I have an uncle who's made wine for years and years. All he ever uses is bakers yeast. I don't think he's ever had a problem. His wine tastes fine too, just a too sweet and strong for my tastes; he starts with a very high sugar level and lets it ferment until the yeast die of alcohol poisoning and there's still lots of sugar left. Back in history, baker's yeast may have been the only option for some country wine makers. It worked for them.

 

[Luc]

Luc

 

[winemanden]

Luc, when I first made wine, back in 1957, the only yeast available to most winemakers was Baker's yeast. I made good wines that way. It was years later when Homebrew shops began to open that wine yeasts became available. Indeed I'm sure that CJJ Berry's Amateur Winemaker magazine helped popularise the use of Wine yeasts in the UK.
I'm sure you're right when you say not to toss the Baker's yeast. As a bread baker as well as a winemaker I always have some in the fridge. If you have fruit waiting to be made into wine and no Wine yeast available, far better to use Baker's yeast than let your fruit spoil.
One thing I am sure of; most people who taste your wine, unless they are fellow winemakers, don't give a toss what yeast you use.

Keep on experimenting Luc, it's the way to go.

Regards, Winemanden.

 

[ellijaywinemaker]

My grandfather and my uncle never used wine yeast they always used bakers yeast there wine is always the best. The only thing is bakers yeast will only give around 8 to 10 % alc before they are killed. So if you are looking for a wine that is a little low on alc the way I like it. So keep on keeping on not a problem with bakers yeast. If you really like the old school way of making wine. Then make freash bread and use the bread as the yeast.

 

[jet]

I might look at it as an emergency substitution, kind of like using cocoa and oil in place of baking chocolate, but that would be it. Juice is just too valuable to risk over the price of a sachet of yeast.

 

[Wade E]

Ive used bread yeast many times in the past and do like the results but am usually looking for a little higher abv then what the bread yeast will deliver and dont want to risk an overly sweet wine. I dont recommend this yeast to people onll because there are just too many people that dont know the limitations of yeast like this with the outcome being overly sweet wine and stuck fermentations due to a yeast that is just a little to uncertain.

 

[winemanden]

You can't use fresh bread as has been suggested, The heat from the oven kills the yeast when it's being baked.
Actually, the way I was taught to make wine was by spreading fresh baker's yeast on a slice of toast and floating it on top of the must. As for bakers yeast not making more than 10% that's nonsense, feed the yeast and it's possible to get 15%.

As Luc points out, people perpetuate myths. The only way to find out is try. It needn't be expensive and you may not like the results but at least you'll know.

I'll bet granpops and uncle don't think their wine is only 8-10%.

Regards, Winemanden.

 

[Wade E]

Its not limited to 8-10% but is very rare to make it to 13% most of the time.

 

[JohnT]

I have no doubt that you CAN get good results from baker's yeast, however, you need to ask if the baker's yeast is vunerable to yeast breakdown or "stuck" fermentations. Wine yeasts, I believe, have been bread and selected because they are not prone to the many problems that CAN occur.

What I am saying is that, although you may get good results with backer's yeast, you have more of a chance of a successful, problem free, fermentation when using a good quality wine yeast. For $0.99 a packet, why risk failure?

 

[winemanden]

Quite right John, it is cheap enough, and I only use wine yeast myself, but the bread yeast is there in the fridge if I need it. It's perfectly possible to make good dry wines with bread yeast. IMO 12-13% is high enough for dry fruit table wines.
If you read these forums, there are quite a few posts about sticking fermentations. Most are caused by a too high SG and most of them are using wine yeasts. It's not always what you do but how you do it that causes problems.
Regards, Winemanden

 

[Wade E]

Another reason for using wine yeast is that I like to use a yeast that flocculates better.

 

[closetwine]

My uncle uses bread yeast and the reason I don't is that it seems IMO to impart a "bread" or "yeasty" flavor to the end product. And it's just to overpowering for me.

 

[winemanden]

You pay your money you take your pick. I now only use wine yeast, but in an emergency, if you couldn't get to the homebrew shop, what would you do?
Wade is right, bakers yeast doesn't settle as good.

Don't forget though, wine yeasts are bred to make wine. According to the purists, the only fruit you can use to make wine is the grape. If you use any other fruit, all you're making is an alcoholic fruit drink not wine.
That's not my view by the way.

Are there any yeasts out there that were specifically designed to use with non grape fruit?

Regards, Winemanden.

 

[mmadmikes1]

Brewers Yeast , just a guess. OK a smart @$$ remark

 

[Minnesotamaker]

...........Are there any yeasts out there that were specifically designed to use with non grape fruit?

Regards, Winemanden.

Here is a chart that provides yeast recommendations:
http://www.winemakersdepot.com/Yeast-Wine-Reference-Chart-W27.aspx

 

[Minnesotamaker]

I'm thinking of making a pumpernickel rye wine and I'm having a brain hemorrhage trying to decide what yeast to use.
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[new_vinter]

hi all......... my question is how do u figure out the percentage of alcohol in ur wine as u said 8-10 or 15%

regards
novice in wine making

 

[jswordy]

hi all......... my question is how do u figure out the percentage of alcohol in ur wine as u said 8-10 or 15%

regards
novice in wine making

Lots of ways, some extremely precise and expensive and others cheap and ballpark. One of the easiest that will get you in the ballpark is to have a triple scale hydrometer on hand. You take your starting specific gravity, then your ending specific gravity.

The starting specific gravity (SSG) will equate to a potential alcohol percentage on that scale on the hydrometer. Save the SSG and the alcohol percentage numbers. When you take your ending SG, that also equates to a potential alcohol number on the hydrometer.

Subtract your starting potential alcohol from your ending potential alcohol and you are in the ballpark. If SPA was 1 and EPA is 13, you have made wine that is about 11% alcohol.

Use your SSG and ESG numbers to calculate sugar addition at the beginning of your recipe and also adjust it next time, and also to calculate how much you have sweetened after the wine is stabilized (if you do that). Record those numbers and your recipe becomes more precise every time you make it. They offer you greater predictability in your winemaking.