View Full Version : cooking yeast Verses brewers yeast?
roger lee
03-30-2008, 03:54 PM
I have some cooking yeast for bread making. Can I use this for pollen patties or must I only use brewers yeast?
Chef Isaac
03-30-2008, 05:15 PM
No. they are two different styles of yeast.
BjornBee
03-30-2008, 05:49 PM
Brewers yeast is the "spent" yeast used in beer making, etc. Its actually of no use as yeast any longer. Companies buy this highly nutritious by-product (sludge) from the large brewers and its used primarily for cat and dog food industry. Some niche markets such as the bee industry has found it for it's purpose also.
Nutritional outlines of what makes a good supplement is known for bees. Not all brewers yeast (and pollen supplements on the market) are good for bees. Know what your buying.
BigDaddyDS
03-30-2008, 09:52 PM
From what I've read, it should also be pointed out that Brewer's Yeast is processed, and isn't the exact same as you'd get from a beer brewer.
As I understand it, spent yeast (trub) that you'd get from a home brewer is VERY high in sodium levels, and will wind up killing your bees. Brewer's Yeast has been "washed" to lower sodium levels, but still retain it's B-vitamins and protein levels.
If someone could verify this, however, I'd be appreciative.
DS
Shapleigh's Bees
03-31-2008, 07:17 AM
As a home brewer, I don't know where the sodium would come from. You make a big vat of sugar water (the sugar being grain based for beer, or fruit based for wine, honey for mead) and add yeast. Flavors in beer come from unfermented sugar, roasted barley, and flower pedals, and there is very little of this in the batch. I'm sure there is some sodium, but I don't think it's out of line with stuff bees find in nature.
The yeast can change the molecules of the sugar around, but it can't add elements that aren't in the bottle. Sugars are carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, as is ethanol.
Any clearing up of this would be greatly appreciated.
I agree w/ Shapleigh. There should not bee any sodium in the trub unless added! yeast eats the sugars and emits the alchohol right? Grain, hops and corn sugars(the basic ingredients to homebrew) are not comonly high in sodium. High Sodium would kill the yeast I would think? Thanks for the good idea on what to do with the trub! UNLESS I am totally off my rocker. I am courious if there is any scientific validity to his words.