Brewers yeast for bread?

This may be an odd question, but has anyone ever used the yeast after fermentation for making bread? I have a friend that makes his own yeast starters bread and we're talked about using different types of beer yeast. I am getting ready to transfer a beer from primary to secondary and was this thinking of collecting and washing the yeast from primary to try In bread. Any suggestions or past experience? Thank you.

Hmm...I've used bread yeast on wort often enough. I suspect that it should work, though you might have to give it extra time to rise. Bread yeast is selected for its quick action more than anything else. Otherwise, they're remarkably similar critters.

I have used Nottingham and it tasted awesome! Like Mal said, it takes a lot longer to rise, but it made me a damn fine loaf.

It is fine...again expect it top take longer to rise....make a starter/sponge for the bread and it will work faster. I have used between 1/2 and 3/4 cup.... still messing around with the right amount to use. It gives a nice sort of sour dough flavor.

This all is awesome!! I have two beers in primary right now and I'll wash both those yeasts for him to try in bread.

Now for the odd question. Has anyone taken a wild bread yeast starter and tried to ferment beer with it? He has a yeast starter that he keeps using for his bread now that was created with with wild local yeast.... Sparked some thoughts. Anyone ever done that before???

Thanks again.

Jester said:

This all is awesome!! I have two beers in primary right now and I'll wash both those yeasts for him to try in bread.

Now for the odd question. Has anyone taken a wild bread yeast starter and tried to ferment beer with it? He has a yeast starter that he keeps using for his bread now that was created with with wild local yeast.... Sparked some thoughts. Anyone ever done that before???

Thanks again.

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Take along some of the mashed grain as well, it is great in a multigrain bread.
Sorry, bread yeast will not ferment beer, it will make hooch and would have you become a real popular guy at your local prision!! You could take a Gal of wort and try and open ferment where he developed the bread yeast and see if there ie anything in the air that will ferment the beer...and be drinkable.

badhabit said:

Take along some of the mashed grain as well, it is great in a multigrain bread.
Sorry, bread yeast will not ferment beer, it will make hooch and would have you become a real popular guy at your local prision!! You could take a Gal of wort and try and open ferment where he developed the bread yeast and see if there ie anything in the air that will ferment the beer...and be drinkable.

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He is not using traditional store bought bread yeast, he collected wild yeast from the air for his bread. Isn't this the same way alcohol was historically created?

I use nottingham and coopers dry yeast packets as the yeast in my pizza dough all the time and it makes the best pizza dough I have ever made. I recently read some articles that many of the pizza makers in italy use vitners yeast in the pizza dough. It gives it that special flavor that bread yeast just can't duplicate. I proof my dough in 70-75 degree temps and the ale yeast really gives nice esters that you can smell from aways a way. It gives the dough nice depth of flavor.

Sourdough bread cultures have a mix of yeast and lactobacillus. I've got yeast left over from my last berlinerweisse that I'm going to make bread with. No idea if the mix is suitable, but we'll find out Sunday! Pics will follow in a separate thread.

passedpawn said:

Sourdough bread cultures have a mix of yeast and lactobacillus. I've got yeast left over from my last berlinerweisse that I'm going to make bread with. No idea if the mix is suitable, but we'll find out Sunday! Pics will follow in a separate thread.

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Awesome!!!! Please add a link to your thread once you post your update. I definitely want to see how it comes out!!

I would suggest going easy on the mashed grains and perhaps washing the yeast if harvesting from a hoppy beer. I made an experimental loaf with CA ale yeast from an IPA yeast cake and a lot of spent grains and the they imparted way too much bitterness. It was easily identifiable as an IPA loaf! No one liked it but me...

cram said:

I would suggest going easy on the mashed grains and perhaps washing the yeast if harvesting from a hoppy beer. I made an experimental loaf with CA ale yeast from an IPA yeast cake and a lot of spent grains and the they imparted way too much bitterness. It was easily identifiable as an IPA loaf! No one liked it but me...

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Ha! Thats fantastic.

Basic Brewing vid experiented with it.
http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=september-28-2007---trading-places-beer-and-bread-yeast

Jester said:

Awesome!!!! Please add a link to your thread once you post your update. I definitely want to see how it comes out!!

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Nothing much to lose here. A bit of flour. The trub has very little hops (berlinerweisse) so it's a good fit. I'll make sure to drop a link here.

I thought of the idea when someone posted a link to a sourdough site in a previous thread of mine. From that site:

Commercial yeast produces something that looks like sourdough but is completely bland and tasteless. Absolutely nothing tastes or smells anything like authentic sourdough. When you bake it with wild yeast and lactobacilli, it will taste and smell like sourdough should. There is no other way.​

Jester said:

He is not using traditional store bought bread yeast, he collected wild yeast from the air for his bread. Isn't this the same way alcohol was historically created?

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That is the way it was done. Still is to a very limited degree in some places. Kolsch was all open fermented in Germany. There is obviously Kolsch yeast available and the breweries in Germany use it but it is my understanding that at least one still open ferments. Want to check that out if I get to Germany next year....I hope.
All air will have some spores in it....wild yeast, but not all will make good beer. Sounds like your friend has found/cultured some that is good for bread, just like any traditional sourdough. Problem is that not every place has the air that is found in San Fransisco, nor is all air good for beer development. You would just have to try and see what happens.