Comparing FIVE bread yeasts in homemade meads (any good?)

[@buffalojoe78]

I know y’all didn’t have it in the test but I used Fleischmans Active Dry in a Black Cherry “Merlot” that went to 14.9%. It was very juicy and I didn’t detect any funk associated with it. It cleared out a great deal too.

[@rossmarty9013]

This comment was a big relief because I just finished the first steps of a black cherry mead with red star platinum and was hoping that what these guys are saying could be persuaded by something in the strongly flavored black cherries. I dont have any equipment to test the abv or any nutrients to help out yeast in any way. Basically all I can add is sugar and make sure I shake the brew every day. Hopefully it works out

[@Brandyalla]

I've been brewing for about 8 months, and still use bread yeast. There are a few reasons; stubbornness is one, but mostly because it's _so much cheaper_ than "brewing" yeast. If I'd had bad results I'd have switched, though. I use Fleischman's regular, and out of 23 brews comprising mead, wine, and beer, I've only had one that didn't finish (it still tasted great, it was just a bit sweeter than I prefer) and one that didn't taste good (pineapple, which apparently requires more age than I, as an impatient new brewer, gave it). After watching this, I feel justified in not being ready to switch yet.

[@DointheMost]

I’m not sure what bread yeast cost at a grocery store right now. But my local homebrew shop sells wine yeast for a dollar a packet and I think I averaged about 1.50 a packet for these.

[@lunarwhirlwind]

I always found Fleischmans most dependable bread yeast wise, it tends to be a bit more acidic I noticed. It's not something I use all the time now but it treated me well in the early days

[@lunarwhirlwind]

Unfortunately, there's not always a home brew store available :(

[@DointheMost]

@@lunarwhirlwind totally fair

[@Brandyalla]

@@DointheMost The jar cost $7 when I bought it. It holds enough for at least a hundred gallon-sized batches

[@gregvaughntx]

I've heard it said that yeast strains are like breeds of dogs. Yes, a Chihuahua and a Great Dane are the same species, but if you look carefully, you'll notice a few differences too 😀

[@DointheMost]

Good analogy! 🍻

[@iondemon]

Well you certainly weren’t wrong about people in the comments talking about their specific bread yeast that wasn’t featured....

[@DointheMost]

🤣

[@julietardos5044]

Gefen!

[@Biedrik4]

Now you've got to make the best mead possible from One in a Mill.

[@DointheMost]

That one I had to buy in bulk, so I’ve got plenty left over to use ha ha

[@Catholic-Perennialist]

I brew with bread yeast exclusively. It's robust; I've never had an issue with it. I don't mind the flavor either.

[@micahlantz905]

Which one do you use?

[@Catholic-Perennialist]

Fleischmann's I think. That or red star. Never had a problem and it's dirt cheap.

[@jeffreytaylor6463]

I like the taste. Gives it a full flavor. A good option if you don't mind your mead being murky.

[@Catholic-Perennialist]

@@jeffreytaylor6463 Yes. Produces a hazy beer, so I just settled on only brewing hazies

[@kimberchessmore4913]

I’ll I can say is yes yeast have personality. The sage Alton Brown taught that in his yeast videos. Enjoyed the content. Thank you

[@rossk7927]

I love redstar platinum for baking, makes great bread from dinner rolls to ciabatta. I think all fast acting / high rising / for bread machine yeasts are going to be strains optimized for high CO2 output.

[@glenncombs3471]

I wish Fleischmans regular was included in this. I've had great results with it.

[@DointheMost]

I’d be curious what is the difference between regular old Fleischmanns and the rapid rise version. I can’t imagine that the yeast itself is super different, but I don’t know what is in the rapid rise to differentiate it.

[@rossk7927]

@@DointheMost I've heard the fast rise is optimized for higher CO2 production, presumably at the expense of flavor development.

[@glenncombs3471]

There seems to be a lot of info out there, but not much consensus. But, then, it's Google.

[@julietardos5044]

@@DointheMost Rapid rise or fast acting yeast has an extra ingredient in it (which might be harmful to human health, which is why I don't use it for baking ever) that makes the yeast start faster. I wonder if it's something like Go Ferm for breast yeast.

[@Grandpa_RLP]

I thought the same thing. I have always heard the rapid rise is not the right one to use.

[@rcairnut]

as a baker for most of my life, our house and the bakery where under the same roof, bread yeast flavors (like Fleishmann's Active Dry) are like coming home to me and I like the bready notes.

[@mattrenaud7573]

Saying you used "bread yeast" is just as general as saying you used "wine yeast". There are actually dozens of different bread yeasts and different ones do different things well. As a baker and a brewer, I have noticed that there is as large a difference in yeast breads made with different bread yeasts as there are in meads and wines made with different wine yeasts. Determining which bread yeast works best in wines would require a much more extensive investigation. In brewing I usually look for strong and relatively fast fermenters. I think the wines are much better with these yeasts. However, for baking I never use a fast acting yeast. Fast acting yeast in bread always yield an inferior loaf. The two sets of strains are selected for far different jobs.

[@ravendon]

Now you have a winner, you should do more comparison videos with other bread yeasts versus the One In A Mill, such as Fleischmann's Active Dry, the current reigning champion in the mead community.

[@Nestlethehobgoblin]

Honestly I've actually had better experiences brewing mead with bread yeast from Aldi of all places. I've made a couple variations of JAOM that turned out phenomenally.

[@DointheMost]

I suppose, if you’re going to make bread yeast mead, that recipe is the one to do it with!

[@Nestlethehobgoblin]

@@DointheMost For sure! I'm also not saying bread yeast is better by any means. I just dont have access to many honey varietals where I'm from and can't afford to order the nicer ones so the mead recipes I follow are kinda more simply structured So I don't lose money on a mediocre mead. So based on my dabbling with Meads bread yeast has been a positive experience.

[@Vykk_Draygo]

@@Nestlethehobgoblin In that case, better yeast would still be beneficial. Wine yeast is super cheap (especially compared to honey) and can elevate the resulting product. Even for my cheap, cheap honey bochets I still use a good yeast (I opt for Voss Kveik for the esters, but a wine yeast would work well and can be had for less). 🤷‍♂

[@Nestlethehobgoblin]

@@Vykk_Draygo I use wine yeast for my fruited wines and those are amazing. When I use wine yeast in meads they've just been... Fine? Idk I don't jive very much with them. My Bochet I made a year ago with EC1118 was another decent one but idk. My local brew store doesn't have QA23 which is what I wanna mess with next

[@Vykk_Draygo]

@@Nestlethehobgoblin I will agree that wine yeast shines stronger with fruit. EC-1118 being the exception, but I like the blank canvas it provides for hydromels.

[@melpomenean]

Worth noting, genetically, bread yeasts are usually something like a Hefeweizen or Wit yeast. I think a fun test would be to try making a split batch of hefeweizen or some sort of wheat beer with bread yeast and standard hef or wit yeast and see how they compare

[@DointheMost]

Might be a fun summertime experiment

[@garrettsavory]

This video convinced me to not use bread yeast in a mead, if given a choice between it and wine/ale yeast (my first mead I used an ale yeast, ever other mead has been with wine yeast). It would have been interesting if you brewed a mead with the honey you used and a good wine yeast for a comparison.

[@DointheMost]

I do have a normal traditional mead that I made with it, but it’s sitting on oak right now, so it wouldn’t be a great comparison.

[@nancyb7912]

I enjoyed watching this video. I ,too, started making mead with bread yeast with okay results, but that didn't stop me from moving on to other yeasts. One of my favorite Doin' the Most recipe is the Simple Red Wine Pyment with the Merlot wine kit, and I wanted to thank you for the recipe. I was wondering if you are still planning to do the riesling pyment video?

[@DointheMost]

I am! I just wanted to age one for a while to see how that goes. So I’ve had my most recent batch in secondary for about a year. Some tasters noticed a sharpness on it, so I wanted to see how that fades. I have a riesling kit still sitting in the brew room, waiting to make the final batch.

[@nancyb7912]

@@DointheMost Wahoo!👍🏼👐🏻😻👏🏻❤️

[@chadgarner9371]

I have used many different wine and mead specific yeasts and to this day the best mead I ever made was with bread yeast.

[@larryreaux1970]

I love your drink caddy. Interesting experiment, I hope it changes some minds.

[@DointheMost]

Anna’s mom gave it to me. I gifted one to Garrett too.

[@eddavanleemputten9232]

Interesting! I use baker’s yeast in only one recipe: JOAM. I’ve got a lot of people who really like JOAM and the yeast I use is probably unavailable in the USA: Bruggeman. It’s a Belgian yeast and originally, Bruggeman were beer brewers. I have no idea if it should be called ‘active’ or ’fast acting’. I just know that it’s what I had on hand the first time I made JOAM and the result is really good. I tried other types of baker’s yeast and Bruggeman yields the best result for my brewing environment. I still prefer wine/beer yeasts for other brews though. But for JOAM I’ll always use my baker.s yeast.

[@loraalfstad8132]

I use the Fleischmann active dry yeast I'm my meads and they don't finish until about 30 days at an average of 11.5 ABV. They are not dry and still carry a lot of the honey flavor.

[@julietardos5044]

About 6 months ago, I started an experimental chocolate-cherry wine using Gefen bread yeast, which I used because that's what I had. I made the cherry wine because that's my favorite beverage I make, so I make it a lot, so I have good a basis of comparison. I normally use cote des blanc. This wine went to 16% ABV, compared with 14% for the CDB. It had a bitterness to it, so I had to backsweeten more than with CDB, and I had to let it sit much longer than normal. I bottled in December, and I have been drinking it. Yes, the bitterness could be from the cacao, but I don't get that bitterness from the CDB. It's not bad. The bitterness has diminished, though it's not completely gone. In another 6 months, it will probably be significantly better. So conclusion: It works, but it won't be fantastic. You'll want to let it sit longer than you normally would, and backsweeten more and/or add more fruit/spices/what-have-you after fermentation has stopped. If you're looking for high ABV, it's a good choice. The only downside to this experiment is that I was supposed to report back to someone else who commented, and I don't see them any more in the comments. If you're reading, and that was you, say Hi. P.S. I've also used SAF active dry bread yeast, which also worked and without that bitterness of the Gefen. It was a while back, and I don't remember the details, and I don't wanna get my notes. If you don't have access to wine/mead/beer yeast, bread yeast is fine. It's like if you have a baby and don't have access to breastfeeding/human milk, you can use formula.

[@julietardos5044]

One time, I had a leftover cider yeast that I hated (Safcider), so I made pizza dough with it. It didn't rise well, but possibly because I had less time to let it rise than I normally did.

[@riukrobu]

Extremely interesting. I think this is one more evidence of how much yeast choice is determinant for the result. Even with yeasts that were not at all selected for their ability with alcoholic fermentation, you can see these giant differences in off flavors and acidity which are so central in a wine. So... extremely interesting indeed!

[@DointheMost]

Glad you enjoyed the experiment!

[@Vykk_Draygo]

I would say that wine in general is a good example of this. I would attribute most of what people call "terroir" to yeast (and other microbes).

[@riukrobu]

@@DointheMost I did indeed! (That's a mouthful!)

[@riukrobu]

@@Vykk_Draygo Absolutely correct! (IMO)

[@nolansykinsley3734]

The read star's foaming problem came from the xanthan gum it had. Even in extremely small amounts xanthan gum can cause liquids, and foams, to be much more viscous and it stabilizes foams, hence why it caused the blow over. 100% never use red star platinum, or any other yeast that has xanthan gum as an additive for brewing.

[@Dogstickfetch]

Some do the least, some like to boast, some use BREAD YEAST, you do the most, you do the MOOOOOOOOOOST.......... Most! (mOsT!)

[@DointheMost]

🕺

[@TigerPat_9180]

👍🥂

[@capnspicy5565]

The greatest enemy of knowledge is the illusion of knowledge. ~Dunning-Kruger~

[@tomknight2366]

Very interesting! I never went through a bread yeast brewing phase because I found "real brewing" ingredients very accessible where I am, but I've been fascinated by watching people debate this passionately. Between this and many other experiments it's clear that there are differences in yeast choice and people can do with that what they will!

[@DointheMost]

I’m glad to have done the experiment, but it definitely made me appreciative of really good wine and ale yeasts and what they can contribute to a brew.

[@DeepBlu206]

So glad you did this video, I've always wondered what would happen if I used bread yeast but was never brave enough to try....now I don't need to try! Kudos to you for experimenting with something you feel strongly about. Great video, cheers!

[@DointheMost]

At least the take away is that there is one bread yeast I am comfortable recommending if somebody is determined to use it! Just requires some balancing on the other end.

[@DeepBlu206]

@@DointheMost absolutely, really enjoy your channel. I have some meadowfoam honey arriving tomorrow that I am super excited to make mead with. I had it at The Mazer Cup here in Colorado a few years ago and fell in love with it. Have you ever made a traditional with it?

[@DointheMost]

@@DeepBlu206 I haven’t made a traditional with it, but I’ve used it for backsweetening several times, and absolutely love it!

[@gamecollector7930]

😱 you forgot some! The ones that make the best homemade bread. Red star “fresh yeast” and fleischmann's “fresh active yeast”. They’re “caked” yeast.

[@DointheMost]

Maybe another time! I knew there were plenty we left out.

[@aperson1181]

where do you ferment the juice, at what temp ?

[@aperson1181]

Trying something odd, but basically I'm trying to reduce sugar in a fruit juice. Don't plan on during beer or other alcohol, but to minimize or eliminate sugar. What can I use, probiotics such as Bifidobacterium lactis/bifidum (preferably) or the yeast, but I'm planning on billing water after yeast fermentation, don't want to consume active yeast. Thank you

[@daigledj]

While I've never used bread yeast now I'm curious how it would do against a mead yeast under the same conditions. Bread yeast vs wine yeast vs mead yeast showdown now that you know bread yeast can ferment a "full" strength mead.

[@chef_life247]

I really wanted try one with fresh yeast just to see what would happen.

[@Dogstickfetch]

Wait wait wait, you had one that was actually OK?!???! Borderline enjoyable? whoa

[@DointheMost]

But still a 4/10.

[@aperson1181]

Which yeast did you find produced less acidity?

[@ertuzun21]

i used 10grams for around a galon of mead and it tastes yeasty af now, anyone knows how to clear it from this yeasty taste other than re racking it many times.

[@stanleygrover1685]

Both of you do alot of back sweeting , I run my meads to dry. 0094. Everyone has their on taste buds.

[@TigerPat_9180]

Really Enjoyed Your Video , Thanks ! 🐯🤠

[@DointheMost]

🍻

[@roman9509]

Didn’t include the regular Fleischmann’s? Epic trolling manoeuvre

[@jonahpielow]

Considering that bread yeasts are cultivated specifically for gas production rather than alcohol I wonder if there is an inverse relationship between the volume of gases produced and the speed of fermentation at equal temperatures. More gas = less booze over equal periods of time and temp? If the yeast spend more of their metabolic energy producing gases then they might be subject to greater stress (like you suggested), and there could be greater contact time between funky dissolved gases, stressed yeast, and the brew itself. Did the slower yeasts also flocculate more slowly? I might hypothesize that a higher dissolved gas content could lead to greater yeast suspension higher in the liquid column until those gases dissipate allowing the yeast to drop out of suspension. That could mean that your yeast spend more time in the early stages of autolysis while still floating around, spreading those flavors throughout. Did the Red Star Platinum taste more like Garrett's "sur lie" experiment, or did it taste at all autolytic? I wonder how lower fermentation temperatures, frequent degassing, or brewing under pressure might affect those variables.

[@andruloni]

What would they do to produce co2 other than turn sugars into ethanol? I would think breeding fast fermentation and maybe some longer sugar chains processing would be the safe route

[@calientecarl6741]

which one is best for bread tho?

[@DointheMost]

I’ll be testing that too hah. I have so much yeast leftover.

[@Grandpa_RLP]

Funny thing is they suggest using the Fleishmann's active dry but NOT the rapid rise version. 🙂

[@GermanBrew]

The idea is really good. But I think the nutrients in this experience give you wrong results. I’m pretty sure everyone who can buy nutrients also choose a wine or mead yeast. Maybe you take the best two of this video and try them without nutrients. Maybe in a contest to your favorite yeast.

[@jameskeal8957]

In all, yeast is not created equal and they cannot read. I've made a wine with bread yeast. Wasn't great but wasn't all that bad. It did stall out and had to reyeast and that took a week to take off. But it did finish out the fermentation. I did like the change in your video as well the comments you provided on each yeast.

[@russellturner7205]

My biggest issue with this video is that both of you went into this already to trash this concept. Now with that said, yes there are better yeast to use.

[@Vykk_Draygo]

I used bread yeast once. My first brew, not even mead. Never again. 😬

[@DointheMost]

Lesson learned, I guess! Ha ha

[@KD9ZHF]

why did the tall guy sniff his armpit when testing the aroma of the Red Star Platinum? 😂

[@alfonso45901]

First!

[@TigerPat_9180]

👏🎉👍🥂

[@SA12String]

Yeast doesn't cause "breadiness". Grains cause bread flavors. Although I've never used Fleishmann's Instant Rapid Rise yeast, I do often use Fleishmann's Active Dry yeast, and was specifically warned against the instant yeasts as they could cause off tastes.

[@stanleygrover1685]

Good encase times get hard!!!!

[@austinsell-brandt2376]

I didn't even watch cause I saw RapidRise which doesn't do Regular Fleischmans any justice RapidRise is for Co2

[@TigerPat_9180]

So , what was Interesting to me was the one that finested the fastest, turned out to be the Best . When you Crank it up and get it Running , it's best to Run it out , not let it Choug along , and take a chance on Souring . With Fruit 🍓🍑 that's Important . With Watermelon 🍉, that is Essential . When you Liquidfy Watermelon 🍉 , you're still going to have Particles that float to the top . It's best to punch that Cap Down , not once a week , not once a day , but every 8 Hours . The Hours that work best for me are , 7 in the morning 🌄, 3 in the afternoon and 11 at night 🌉 . The People who I've given It to . Only Buy the Best , most Expensive , and can Afford it . They think my Watermelon 🍉 is Better than anything they can Buy . I don't even think 🤔 it's my best . I like my Fig Wine 🍷 made with Fresh Figs not Dried . Better than anything else . But that's just Me 😜. 🐯🤠

[@joshyazg2120]

Talk faster dude, this could easily be a 20 minute video. Although I guess inebriation was promised in the intro...

[@joshyazg2120]

3:02 true story