Bread Machine Yeast?

[Supernaut1985]

Newbie here fixin' to make my 3rd ever beer kit. Black Rock: Nut Brown Ale. Trouble is the yeast that came with it is old and probably not worth using. Living out of the city I can't just go to my local Superstore for beer making yeast.

My question may possibly get a chuckle (or a belly laugh) out of experienced brewers but: Can I use bread machine yeast to make beer? Its all I have here. If not I have to wait till I can get some beer making yeast. I understand there are many different strains of yeast. If I can use that, how much would I use? Thank you.

 

[MrManifesto]

i'm afraid you need some real life beer yeast. order from northern brewer or my friends down at brooklyn homebrew to get yer yeast in order. patience is the name of the game with brewing!

 

[billtzk]

What kind of yeast came with the kit? If it's a dry yeast, it's probably fine. Dry yeast is usually good for a long time past the "use by" date. If it's liquid yeast, Wyeast or White Labs, it may be OK depending on how old it is. So, what is it, and just how old is it?

Oh, and the bread yeast will work. People have been brewing with bread yeast for centuries. It just may produce unusual flavors. Consider it an experiment if you decide to try it. Also google some threads on here. Others on this board have tried it.

 

[billtzk]

Check out this video too:

http://www.basicbrewing.com/index.php?page=september-28-2007---trading-places-beer-and-bread-yeast

 

[Supernaut1985]

What kind of yeast came with the kit? If it's a dry yeast, it's probably fine. Dry yeast is usually good for a long time past the "use by" date. If it's liquid yeast, Wyeast or White Labs, it may be OK depending on how old it is. So, what is it, and just how old is it?

Oh, and the bread yeast will work. People have been brewing with bread yeast for centuries. It just may produce unusual flavors. Consider it an experiment if you decide to try it. Also google some threads on here. Others on this board have tried it.

The kit comes with a dry yeast in a little package that has some pin holes and is leaking a little. There is no date on the yeast package but the kit itself has an expiry date of April 4, 2010. I spoke to an elderly fella at a home brew store and he told me the kit is still probably fine to use but recommended new yeast as cheap insurance. He said he has brewed kits 3 years after the expiry date.

This is a great forum by the way. I learned quite a bit just poking around at the threads here, and was amazed at what depths guys get into home brewing.

 

[billtzk]

Supernaut, I'd just use that yeast. I bet it's fine.

 

[Accidic]

Just don't let it sit on the yeast once done for too long. Honestly tho, personally the one I've had more trouble with that was old was liquid extract.

If you're worried about the yeast tho you could do two small starters with the yeast (you could use malta, it's cheap as sin and easy to find in even a podunk supermarket (latin food area) 1:1 malta to water ratio). Do the first one, let it sit very still after it's fermented a couple days (I've refrigerated for an hour alternatively to aid it). Pour just the liquid off into a second starter and when done pitch however you're accustomed to. I like to chill and decant if using malta as it can be rough unless your target brew is strong. Either way, that should eliminate the dead yeast and at least some of any mutant yeast but of course it isn't ideal and it eliminates one of the greater benefits of dry yeast (generally making starters with dry yeast is not recommended).

 

[jfr1111]

Come on, just get a new packet of dry yeast : I live in the boonies too and I still manage. I'm sure the suggestions from the fine folks in this thread are all well intentionned, but dry yeast from a packet full of pinholes that is also leaking "a little bit" will not be fine.

 

[TopherM]

I spoke to an elderly fella at a home brew store and he told me the kit is still probably fine to use but recommended new yeast as cheap insurance.

I guess you talked on the phone? Don't tell me you went to the home brew store to ask about the expired yeast and didn't spend $3.00 to buy some new yeast!! LOL....

 

[biestie]

I'd be almost as concerned with the expiry date on the kit as I would with the yeast itself. It'll still make beer but yeast aren't the only ingredient with a shelf life.

 

[Supernaut1985]

Thanks for the advice all. Yes I spoke to the brewer on the phone. I had a chance to get into town with some errands to attend to and picked up a new pack of yeast in my travels. The brew has been in the fermentation bucket for 15 hours as I type. Hopefully the expiry date on the car doesn't matter. The wort did not smell at all unusual.

 

[Accidic]

Shrug, I'm not within 2.5+ hrs or 150mi of a homebrew shop, Supposedly there is one opening up soon but as I'm a bit of a cynic I'm not going to choose to be elated until I see it. As such I keep a bag of various dried yeasts in the fridge at all times and wash to prolong. I'm also not above using wild yeasts but that takes a bit more work...