homebrew yeast vs nutritional 'brewers yeast'

[erykmynn]

Does anyone know if 'brewers yeast' actually comes from brewing?

I ask because a there are a lot of dog biscuit recipes that call for 'brewers yeast', but I know dogs and hops is a no-no!

So I was wondering if it really comes from brewing leftovers or not... and I'd assume that home brew yeast (not being re-used) is not a very good bet because of the hops (though I suppose a cider would leave a nice cake of dog-safe yeast).

 

[david_42]

A. Hops are not a problem with dogs.
B. Nutritional brewers yeast is the same yeast, but it is generally grown on molasses. It not a byproduct of brewing.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

A. Hops are not a problem with dogs.
B. Nutritional brewers yeast is the same yeast, but it is generally grown on molasses. It not a byproduct of brewing.

there are reported cases of Malignant Hyperthermia triggered in dogs (greyhounds seem most suceptible) as caused by dogs eating both raw and spent hops. I haven't found any case studies to explain the actual chemical pathways but, there are several reports online.

 

[erykmynn]

A. Hops are not a problem with dogs.

I see in another thread you have a greyhound. I have a greyhound mix. Would you be comfortable killing leftover beer yeast to put in treats?

B. Nutritional brewers yeast is the same yeast, but it is generally grown on molasses. It not a byproduct of brewing.

interesting. good to know. I wonder if growing some yeast would be cheaper than buying the nutritional supplement....

 

[mojotele]

I wonder if growing some yeast would be cheaper than buying the nutritional supplement....

I doubt it. The stuff is pretty cheap as it is. Manufacturers can likely produce it cheaper than you could yourself due to economies of scale.

 

[weirdboy]

I doubt it. The stuff is pretty cheap as it is. Manufacturers can likely produce it cheaper than you could yourself due to economies of scale.

Then again if you just take the trub leftover from primary and wash it (or otherwise separate the yeast), then bake it for a while at low temps, isn't that the same thing? That sounds free to me.

 

[mojotele]

Then again if you just take the trub leftover from primary and wash it (or otherwise separate the yeast), then bake it for a while at low temps, isn't that the same thing? That sounds free to me.

It's not free. It costs however much another pack/vial of yeast would cost if you could have reused it on another beer plus however much your time is worth and the energy spent to bake it (that part is probably grasping at straws, I know).

Then compare the yield to the amount you get in a typical package of the commercial stuff. I really don't think it would be worth it, but to each their own.

 

[weirdboy]

It's not free. It costs however much another pack/vial of yeast would cost if you could have reused it on another beer plus however much your time is worth and the energy spent to bake it (that part is probably grasping at straws, I know).

No it doesn't. Have you ever washed yeast and reused it? You end up with way more viable yeast than you need for the next batch. Maybe 4-5x as much. I always end up throwing away yeast after washing because there's just too much of it.

 

[DKershner]

Dogs + Hops is a sticky here: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/dangers-hops-your-pets-108935/

The general consensus is that there is no correlation between dogs, hops, and illness, but you can be as careful as you want to be.

You could use the yeast to make dog biscuits, or use the spent grain to make dog biscuits and actually have a free commodity. That's another post around here somewhere.

 

[mojotele]

No it doesn't. Have you ever washed yeast and reused it? You end up with way more viable yeast than you need for the next batch. Maybe 4-5x as much. I always end up throwing away yeast after washing because there's just too much of it.

Yes, I've washed and reused yeast. How much excess you end up with depends on how much you want to save, I suppose.

Anyway, it is my opinion that it isn't worth it. I have no real empirical evidence to back that up and, from the looks of it, no one has any empirical evidence to back up the opposing viewpoint either. I acknowledge that you could save money doing it, but my guess is that you won't save much or you won't save anything.

If someone wants to give it a go, though, they shouldn't let my opinion discourage them. Only an actual experiment can prove either of our theories, and it's always nice to find alternative uses to what would otherwise be waste materials.