I recall reading somewhere that yeast are capable of feeding on dead yeast cells. So that got me thinking... If one was to rehydrate a packet of yeast into sugary solution, let it sit for 24 hours to activate & reproduce. Than boil to kill it, this would result in basic yeast nutrient correct? Has anyone tried it? could that be used in a situation where there is limited access to brewing supplies?
Idea for yeast nutrient altetnative, would this work?
- Thread starter BeerHog
- Start date
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Valid ideal. Wrong execution. If you do some research you will see where others have used dried bread yeast as nutrient. It is boiled to kill the yeast, so it will not activate. In preparing the dried yeast the manufacturer loaded it with materials (minerals , vitamins, sterols-whatever) necessary to provide a healthy ferment. These nutrients will feed other yeast. You do not want to activate the yeast as they will start using their own storehouse of nutrients. By killing them you make this available to your other yeast. Most reference I have seen to this involved yeast part way through a ferment and this was an emergency procedure. I don’t know how effective it might be as an initial nutrient procedure . Much better to use the internet and get some fermaid O.
The biggest problem is knowing how much to use,whereas your bought nutrients are known quantities of everything the fermentation needs.
That is why I only use dead yeast to feed a fermentation when it's too late to add anything involving DAP (I haven't started using Fermaid O yet, though I do finally own some now), and I have a fermentation demanding more feedings.
I wouldn't bother with the sugar and activation. First off, only bread yeast is really happy about being dumped directly into sugar, the wine yeasts we typically ferment with prefer to be rehydrated in water or GoFerm and then gradually introduced to the sugar solution they will eventually be in. Just buy bread yeast in bulk, and rehydrate in plenty of water for 10 or 15 min and then microwave it until the kitchen stinks (make sure you don't nuke it till it dries out, if it looks like it's drying out, cool it off a bit (so you don't crack your container with thermal shock) then add more water before proceedig. I usually do a teaspoon at a time in maybe a quarter cup of water for a gallon batch, I start with a tablespoon in half a cup if I'm doing a gallon batch, I start with maybe 20 or 30 sec on the microwave till it boils then 10 second increments till I'm sure the yeast are not only dead but also lysed (spilling their guts for easier consumption). Adding more water to your initial container before you start nuking it might make it take longer in the microwave and maybe more prone ot boilover (depending on your container) but will be more easily controlled and less splattery than with less water. It stinks like hell and the microwave takes a few hours to stop smelling like nuked yeast, and you want to make sure you cool it down before adding it to any must so you don't annoy your must.
I'm not claiming this is the right way (as there is no one correct way to do much of anything, really), or even A right way, but it's how I do it and might be a decent starting point for you if for whatever reason, you do not want to partake of the advantages that something like Fermaid K or Fermaid O can offer.
You also might be able to find "yeast hulls" or "yeast ghosts" at your local brewing supply store, which essentially is a dried commercially prepared version of what you could make in your microwave with bread yeast.
That is why I only use dead yeast to feed a fermentation when it's too late to add anything involving DAP (I haven't started using Fermaid O yet, though I do finally own some now), and I have a fermentation demanding more feedings.
I wouldn't bother with the sugar and activation. First off, only bread yeast is really happy about being dumped directly into sugar, the wine yeasts we typically ferment with prefer to be rehydrated in water or GoFerm and then gradually introduced to the sugar solution they will eventually be in. Just buy bread yeast in bulk, and rehydrate in plenty of water for 10 or 15 min and then microwave it until the kitchen stinks (make sure you don't nuke it till it dries out, if it looks like it's drying out, cool it off a bit (so you don't crack your container with thermal shock) then add more water before proceedig. I usually do a teaspoon at a time in maybe a quarter cup of water for a gallon batch, I start with a tablespoon in half a cup if I'm doing a gallon batch, I start with maybe 20 or 30 sec on the microwave till it boils then 10 second increments till I'm sure the yeast are not only dead but also lysed (spilling their guts for easier consumption). Adding more water to your initial container before you start nuking it might make it take longer in the microwave and maybe more prone ot boilover (depending on your container) but will be more easily controlled and less splattery than with less water. It stinks like hell and the microwave takes a few hours to stop smelling like nuked yeast, and you want to make sure you cool it down before adding it to any must so you don't annoy your must.
I'm not claiming this is the right way (as there is no one correct way to do much of anything, really), or even A right way, but it's how I do it and might be a decent starting point for you if for whatever reason, you do not want to partake of the advantages that something like Fermaid K or Fermaid O can offer.
You also might be able to find "yeast hulls" or "yeast ghosts" at your local brewing supply store, which essentially is a dried commercially prepared version of what you could make in your microwave with bread yeast.
LOL it's on the list, but I need to fill a couple hundred bottles before I start anything new. Be assured I will do some testing with the Fermaid O and the goferm vs my usual rehydration protocol and nutrient schedule!
