Bread yeats and Ginger Beer

aj47 · 03-15-2006, 02:19 PM

First of all I'm a complete beginner so exuse my lack of knowledge and abundance of questions on the subject.

Anyway as i'm new to this, I thought I would start off with what looks like a relativley easy ginger beer recipie that I found.
Somewhere in my house I found a big demijohn and a plastic curly tube thing, (think its called an airlock??) is this all I need?
Every recipie I've looked at seems to use either champagne yeast or brewers yeast. Is this purley for taste or otherwise. i.e. would I be able to get away with using bread yeast even if it is horrible.

And finally is it really neccessary to stearalize my containers with chemicals or would boiling water do the trick.

Help would be much appreciated. thanks

BootYtRappeR · 03-15-2006, 02:28 PM

Welcome to the board!
If this is your first brew, you may want to read up a little here.

as for bakers yeast...I would highly discourage using it. I never have and I'm sure most of the brewers here haven't either. But, you could try and let us know how it turns out

sonvolt · 03-15-2006, 02:36 PM

Don't use Baker's Yeast. I think that I read somewhere that in the early days of homebrewing, folks used bread yeast with some fairly bad results. Primarily, this practice was the result of a lack of brewer's yeast supply - folks simply couldn't get it. With the abundance of strains, availability, and affordability, why would you not get an appropriate yeast for your project????

Get some good yeast . . . as it is essential to the flavor of what you are making. If there is no LHBS near you, get it from an online source. If you can't do this, I'm sure that someone on the list would mail you a yeast packet that would work better than baker's yeast.

Now, take that baker's yeast and make some pizza dough so that you'll have a good meal with which to enjoy your first bottle of homebrewed ginger beer.

aj47 · 03-15-2006, 03:13 PM

the bread yeast idea was just for convinience as I couldn't find anywhere near me that sold any brewers yeast, but ive ordered some of the internet anyway.

One more question... Once I have bottled it, is it really neccessary to keep it air tight. I have an air lock but I cannot find any info on how to use it etc, most recipies just say you need to cork it or bottle it keeping it complelty air tight?

Lou · 03-15-2006, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aj47

One more question... Once I have bottled it, is it really neccessary to keep it air tight. I have an air lock but I cannot find any info on how to use it etc, most recipies just say you need to cork it or bottle it keeping it complelty air tight?

the airlock is for fermentation. primary fermentation does not take place in bottles. what recipe are you referring to?

**Walker** · 03-15-2006, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aj47

would I be able to get away with using bread yeast even if it is horrible.

ummm.... why would you want to brew something that tasted horrible?

I might be jumping to conclusions in my head, but.... are you under 21 and just looking for a way to get drunk, regardless of how nasty the alcoholic beverage tastes?

I would be hypocritical if I said you shouldn't drink under 21 (in fact, I think the drinking age law is REDICULOUS). I think I drank in larger volume before I was 21 than after I was 21, so...

Party on, but do yourself a favor and get some actual brewer's yeast.

-walker

aj47 · 03-15-2006, 03:44 PM

No I was just wondering if the yeast was primarily for taste or if the differnet strains had a different effect on the fermentation process.

And yes I am under 21, I am 19 but I live in the U.K so I have been able to drink legally for over a year now.

Even though I don't drink it, 99p White lightning is for getting drunk