Dead yeast as nutrient

[Muss]

Has anyone ever thrown some yeast in the boil? I've heard dead yeast acts as a good nutrient.

 

[feedthebear]

I've used yeast nutrient in mead, which is yeast hulls, which is essentially dried dead yeast.

You don't really need it for beer. There are more than enough nutrients in the grain sugars for the yeast.

 

[delboy]

Over in the uk liqiud tinned kits are the norm for newbies, however they tend to be a bit sticky, possibly because the nutrients must be damaged by the process.
I've heard of a few people brewing these kits who used the crappy yeast that comes with the kit as nutrients for a better quality dry yeast sachet to great affect (no stuck ferments).

 

[Buford]

I've used yeast nutrient in starters, but not in the main fermenter.

 

[delboy]

Some of the nutrients out there are just forms of ammonium and phosphate, they obviously provide the yeast with nitrogen and phosphate which can be the bottlenecks in a fermention (there is loads of carbon in the from of sugars).
Downside is these compounds aren't very nice to taste so you have to be frugal when using them, but using something like other dead yeast would seem to circumvent the taste issue and satisfy those who prefer to have as few chemicals in their beer as possible.

 

[Muss]

Cheers

I have some extra kit yeast sitting around as I've always purchased better quality yeast. I might throw some in the boil next time.

 

[biggenius29]

What about the Brewers Yeast tabs you see in the nutrition isle of your local pharmacy? Would that work as a nutrient?

 

[Cap'n Jewbeard]

You are generally looking for something called yeast hulls or "ghosts" (I think that product is brand-named as Ghost-ex?). Generally, I'd wait and put it in once it's transferred from brew-pot to primary; boiling the hulls might damage something?

But generally, beer shouldn't need it. Wine sometimes. Mead... most definitely.