TWO questions about nutrients.

[bernardsmith]

First question: Does anyone KNOW ( and that means have hard published evidence) whether nutritional yeast can be used effectively as the nutritional source for yeast in mead making. How different is nutritional yeast from say Fermaid O or K or Wyeast wine nutrients? and
Second question: How likely is it that if I experiment with nutritional yeast this will leave a salty /umami-like taste in a mead? Thanks

 

[Maylar]

All I can find is that it's deactivated Saccharomyces cerevisiae, so theoretically it should be a nutrition source. And it tastes like cheese, so....

 

[SanPancho]

Cant say in mead but it used in beer. In the kettle. It didnt smell like cheese. Seems to be less common that nutrient these days.

 

[bernardsmith]

Thank you both -

SanPancho - Do you know how much nutritional yeast was used in beer making?

I am planning to prepare a single batch and then divide this batch in two and add Wyeast nutrient to one and nutritional yeast to the second and then allow both to ferment out and do some blind taste tests... If it seems to be OK then I am in clover as the nutritional yeast is not expensive compared to Fermaid O or Wyeast Wine Nutrition and if it doesn't work then I will be out half an experimental batch

 

[Maylar]

OK, but isn't boiled (dead) bread yeast also an acceptable nutrient? It seems you expect (or hope) nutritional yeast be better for some reason?

 

[bernardsmith]

Different - not necessarily better . Different for two reasons - one good and one not so good: The good reason because I think it was made from brewers yeast and I assume that it was given some sustenance for some time in order to grow the colony that was then desiccated - so perhaps fed on a diet of malt sugars (1.040) ?
The not so good reason is that nutritional yeast has a strong umami taste. (never tried sprinkling bakers yeast on my popcorn or adding it to flavor seitan (wheat gluten).. and I am concerned that this umami flavor will be highlit in any mead I make.. Not sure that I see that as a positive flavor profile (it may be ... but I am not so sure..)

 

[SanPancho]

no, i dont know the numbers unfortunately. if you are wary of using bakers yeast or "nutritional" yeast there is also brewers yeast, which is sold alot to pregnant women for some reason.

or you can just go to the local hombrew shop and ask them if they'll give you a deal on any old/damaged packs of dry yeast.

as for the taste, i couldnt say. ive never done it. it might be safer just to use beer or wine nutrients until you can get a solid answer.

 

[bernardsmith]

no, i dont know the numbers unfortunately. if you are wary of using bakers yeast or "nutritional" yeast there is also brewers yeast, which is sold alot to pregnant women for some reason.

or you can just go to the local hombrew shop and ask them if they'll give you a deal on any old/damaged packs of dry yeast.

as for the taste, i couldnt say. ive never done it. it might be safer just to use beer or wine nutrients until you can get a solid answer.

Ah.. But this is not because I don't have lab cultured nutrient. I simply wanted to know if nutritional yeast will provide the honey with adequate nutrition and if it did whether there would be off flavors. Seeing that no one has a good answer (based on published & peer reviewed findings) I think my only option is to "suck it and see", as the saying goes. I need to do the experiment myself.

 

[bushpilot]

Ah.. But this is not because I don't have lab cultured nutrient. I simply wanted to know if nutritional yeast will provide the honey with adequate nutrition and if it did whether there would be off flavors. Seeing that no one has a good answer (based on published & peer reviewed findings) I think my only option is to "suck it and see", as the saying goes. I need to do the experiment myself.

I know it has been a few years, but I also know you are still around, @bernardsmith . How did the experiment turn out?

 

[Dan O]

I know it has been a few years, but I also know you are still around, @bernardsmith . How did the experiment turn out?

I'm also curious how the experiment turned out