What is the best yeast to buy for moonshine? How to choose the right yeast for your mash. Raisin yeast

The most important component of mash is yeast. It is thanks to them that the fermentation process (biochemical reaction) occurs, as a result of which sugar is processed into alcohol. Also, the quality of the finished product (moonshine) and its yield in volume terms depend on them. In addition to baker's yeast, there are special ones that are intended for the production of alcohol. Below we will consider the advantages and disadvantages of specialized yeast intended for the production of alcoholic beverages, and you will decide for yourself which yeast for mash is best suited for you.

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Alcoholic yeast

Such yeast is intended for the production of alcohol on an industrial scale. Also, they are quite well suited for making mash by home craftsmen. The following indicators stand out as their main advantages:

Resistance to high percentage of alcohol in mash. The strength of mash wort can reach 18 degrees and at the same time, the yeast will do its job properly. Thanks to this, the yield of the finished product naturally increases.
The fermentation process occurs much faster than when using conventional baker's yeast. So, with the right temperature conditions, the sugar mash is ready in three or four days, and the grain version of the mash will be prepared even faster. Typically, fruit-based mash takes the longest to prepare, but if you use alcoholic yeast in the product, the process will be reduced to seven days.
There is no increased foaming, so the container can be filled almost completely, leaving a small gap.
They are stored for quite a long time and do not require special conditions.
They do not have a yeasty smell, which affects the final result.

Like any product, alcoholic yeast also has disadvantages:

Such yeast is sold only in specialized stores, which is why its availability to the majority of the population is limited. As an alternative, you can use the services of online stores.
The price for alcohol yeast is much higher than for bakery yeast, so even a fairly high percentage of the yield of an alcohol-containing drink does not cover the costs.

Turbo yeast for mash

Turbo yeast is an alcohol product with improved properties. It is believed that this is the most suitable option for making mash. This is due to the following advantages:

Increased resistance to alcohol. Thanks to their use, it is possible to obtain a mash with a twenty percent alcohol content.
Fast fermentation. If the technological process is followed, the mash will be ready for further distillation after two days.
There is no need to add fertilizer, since all the required substances are already included in the product.
No fermentation required. The yeast is simply poured into the mash.
Low foaming makes it possible to use the container with maximum efficiency.
Various versions of turbo yeast can work effectively both at low temperatures (up to +10 degrees) and at high temperatures (up to +33 degrees).
The mash is obtained with a minimum amount of harmful fusel oils, this is explained by the speed of fermentation.
Turbo yeast does not change the taste of the finished drink and therefore can be successfully used for grain or fruit and vegetable mash.

By analyzing the advantages of such yeast, we can answer the question “Which yeast is better for mash?” Turbo yeast is an ideal option for homemade mash, unless, of course, you take into account some negative aspects:

Significantly high cost, which makes the final product quite expensive.
Sold only in specialized stores.
During the ripening process of the mash, a large volume of carbon dioxide is released and if you use a glove instead of a shutter, it can simply be torn off, which will increase the preparation period of the product.

Wine yeast for moonshine

Grapes are a breeding ground for wild strains of wine yeast. In areas where viticulture is practiced, they are used to make traditional chacha. The industry is offered dry grape yeast, which can also be successfully added to homemade mash. Their advantages are the following indicators:

They are a purified product, unlike strains taken from berries.
With their help, you can get a mash with an alcohol content of 17 percent.
Braga, like the resulting alcohol-containing drink, does not have the characteristic odor of yeast.
Enhances the taste of grape mash.
They are the most suitable option for making chacha or cognac drink. The grain mash they produce is also of excellent quality.
They are stored for a long time.

The disadvantage of wine yeast is the slow processing of sugar, which is why their use for preparing sugar mash is not recommended.

You can make a wild version of wine yeast yourself using one of the recipes:

Two glasses of hops are poured into four glasses of water, the container is placed on the fire until the volume is halved. Then add two tablespoons of sugar and six tablespoons of flour. Everything is mixed and left in a warm place to ferment for three days.
One and a half glasses of ground malt, half a glass of flour, a quarter glass of sugar and two and a half glasses of water are thoroughly mixed. The mixture is boiled for 60 minutes and sent to ferment in a warm place for two days.
Mix unwashed raspberries and rose hips, one hundred grams of sugar and a glass of water. The resulting composition is placed in a warm place for three days.

Homemade wine yeast can be poured into mash wort in a ratio of 100 milliliters of yeast per liter of water.

When choosing the best yeast option for mash, you should rely on your taste preferences and ease of preparing the drink.

Yeasts are single-celled microorganisms and today over 1.5 thousand of their varieties are known in nature. But not all of them are used by us; only some races (this concept is comparable to plant varieties bred through selection) are suitable for making bread and drinks.

There are yeasts for (alcohol), baking, beer, wine, as well as “wild” yeasts that live on the skins of fruits and berries.

Thus, without yeast we would not be able to get bread in the form we love, wine, etc. Yeast is a living organism that actively multiplies in a nutrient medium and suitable conditions; during its life, it releases carbon dioxide, which “raises” bread and forms foam on liquids.

They also process sugars into... But when distilling mash specially prepared for this, we get the product for which fermentation was organized.

Yeast strains are pure cultures, “processed” by humans in sterile laboratory conditions so that they are best suited for their intended purposes. In addition, different types are used for different purposes:

Bakery- view Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Best suited for baking. In addition to raising dough, this species actively processes sugars into alcohol. During the baking process of bread, alcohol evaporates; moreover, it does not have time to “ferment” in large quantities in the dough in an hour or two.
Wine– species Hanseniaspora uvarum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Saccharomyces beticus. The last type is sherry, which is used to create wine with a strength of up to 24° and some types of beer. Usually the yeast dies when the strength of the drink reaches 12°.
Beer houses. There are types for bottom and top fermentation. They are most suitable for fermenting malt and usually do not bring the wort to a high degree, “stopping” at 4-5° (see:).
Turbo yeast designed for quick preparation of baked goods or mash for moonshine. Their peculiarity is the presence of a large number of “feedings”, which contribute to the rapid proliferation of yeast fungi.
Alcohol. The basis is baked goods, but enriched with special salts to feed microorganisms. As a result, they work faster, multiplying and converting the sugars in the wort into alcohol. At the same time, their resistance increases and they die not at 12° mash strength, like baking mash, but at 17-20°. And the quality of raw alcohol is much higher than that prepared in bakeries.

What yeast is best for moonshine?

Brewer's yeast is completely unsuitable for moonshine brewing. Other types can be used. But take into account the specifics.

Wild. A good choice if you are preparing grape or fruit distillate (chacha, plum brandy, etc.).
Wine strains also suitable for high-quality moonshine. But they are rarely used due to their high cost.
Bakery. In the old days (read: Soviet and perestroika), baker's yeast was most often used. The mash was placed on them, resulting in moonshine, the quality of which largely depended on the skill of the distiller and the apparatus. Why they don’t suit us today:

unsatisfactory possibilities regarding the strength of the mash (10-12°). What is natural: the stronger the mash, the more finished product we will get;
long fermentation period (1-2 weeks);

Reference. The longer fermentation lasts, the more fusel oils and other impurities harmful to the body are formed in the mash. Most likely they will be in moonshine.

the presence of an unpleasant yeasty taste and aroma in the finished product.

Turbo. Regarding turbo yeast, according to user reviews, the mash can be ready in a day or two, but the quality of the final product cannot be called luxury. Oddly enough - precisely due to the acceleration of the process. The alcohol ferments, but the organoleptics don’t keep up, that is, in the moonshine you can barely feel that peculiar spirit and taste that should be depending on the raw materials used. Therefore, it is most advisable to use alcohol turbo yeast if you need moonshine in a couple of days. Although, on the other hand, many strive to minimize the “moonshine” smell.
Alcoholic raw or dry yeast. If you have time to create cool homemade strong alcohol, it is better to use alcohol yeast. Moreover, if you follow the technology, you will need no more than a week. But there will be significantly less aldehydes, fusel oils and methanol in the finished mash than from bakery mash.

Popular manufacturers

The least “overhead” for the buyer with quite decent quality:

"Intoxicated"— dry, modestly positioning themselves “For making drinks.” Produced in Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Inexpensive, but popular due to their good alcohol yield and fast fermentation.
Belarusian. Here opinions differ. Mostly they praise the raw ones and are not satisfied with the dry ones.
Pakmaya Cristal – dry. They work quickly and produce good quality mash.

In addition, in Russia today they produce many types of pressed alcoholic yeast, which will not hurt your pocket, but will allow you to get decent moonshine with a good yield.

High quality, but also at a more significant price, is represented on the domestic market by dry yeast from the brands “Turbo”, Alcotec, STILL SPIRITS, BRAGMAN. Many people like Chinese Angel, with which you can quickly get ready-made mash from sugar and grain raw materials.

Remember that alcohol yeast has a number of benefits:

The mash is ready for distillation in less than a week.
Significantly less foam is formed, which saves the mash from running away, and the moonshine from splashing.
High activity of fungi that die only when the alcohol concentration in the mash is 16-17%, which means a high yield of moonshine.
Less contamination of harmful impurities.
Alcoholic yeast does not require additional mineral nutrition; it is already contained in its composition.

How to make yeast for moonshine with your own hands?

There are many home distillers who consider store-bought alcoholic yeast to be “suspiciously chemical” and therefore prefer to prepare this invariable component of the mash themselves. And I must say that this is not such a difficult process.

Probably, the question of how to prepare yeast for moonshine yourself is of interest to many, and we will try to give as comprehensive an answer as possible.

Yeast prepared with your own hands at home can be used in exactly the same way as store-bought yeast, and it will cost you almost nothing.

They become alcoholic (that is, most suitable for making strong homemade alcohol). due to excellent nutritional environment, which increases the ability of yeast fungi to survive in a concentrated alcohol environment. As a rule, those created with one’s own hands work up to 16-17° in the mash.

Attention. It is best to test the capabilities of self-made alcoholic yeast using a small amount of mash.

First try the hydromodule 1:4 (1 kg of sugar and 4 liters of water), then 1:5. Alcohols should handle it.

Rye alcoholic yeast

This recipe is taken from an old book on making homemade vodka.

Important. This yeast turns out to be strong, so it should be used with caution so that the mash does not foam.

Do not exceed the liquid level: the container should be filled with mash no more than a third of its volume. You will need:

an enamel or stainless steel pan with a capacity of 8-10 liters;
hops – 700 g fresh or 400 g dried. You can either buy it or assemble it yourself;

Reference. The best time to collect cones is the end of August - the beginning of September, when they are already ripe, but do not fall apart. Dry in the shade in a draft. Store in canvas bags.

rye malt in the amount of 4 cups. To prepare it, you need to wash and germinate 4 cups of rye. Then grind and use. Or buy ready-made;
wheat flour - 4 cups;
liquid baker's yeast - 1 cup. If there are none, then you need to dilute 200 g of pressed ones in a glass of water;
water – 6 liters.

The first stage is boiling hops for 3 hours in six liters of water. After boiling, the heat is sharply reduced so that it boils, but does not jump out of the pan. When cooking is finished, allow to cool under the lid. Then filter.

Carefully. Control the water temperature, it should not be higher than 28-30°C. Otherwise the yeast will lose activity.

Add flour, malt, yeast to the decoction that has cooled to a lukewarm “steamy” state and stir until completely dissolved without lumps. Leave this solution for a day in a warm room, covered with a lid. Then pour into bottles or jars and seal.

On prescription - such alcoholic yeast is stored on ice. But we will not resort to such radical methods, but will put them in the refrigerator and use them as needed.

Yeast on beer for moonshine

This recipe is designed for preparing “beer starter” for mash. You can use it right away. You will need 1 glass of warm water, flour and dark beer, as well as a tablespoon of sugar.

First, mix warm water with flour and leave for 6 hours. Then add sugar and beer, leave in a warm place until a foamy head forms. After this, you can either immediately put in the mash, or take the mixture to the cellar, where it can be stored for quite a long time.

On rye bread

Rye bread is an excellent base for creating homemade alcoholic yeast. First, grind 0.5 kg of rye bread (with your hands or a knife). Stir it with 2 glasses of warm water and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Leave in a warm place for 24 hours. Strain and squeeze the bread thoroughly.

Based on this infusion we make a dough. Helping with a whisk, mix in enough flour to obtain the consistency of sour cream. After two to three hours, you can put on the mash. And put the leftovers in the refrigerator, covering the jar with a lid.

Note. To make sure that the wort is ready for distillation, observe for external signs of fermentation and also taste it.

There should not be the slightest sweetness in the ripened mash: it is bitter, with a noticeable aftertaste of alcohol.

Yeast is an essential component for fermentation. Therefore, choose them carefully or prepare them yourself from quality ingredients. If you carefully follow the technology, homemade alcohol will fully replace purchased alcohol, and your homemade alcohol will not only replace store-bought alcohol, but will also surpass it in quality and pleasant taste.

Making moonshine at home is a complex and exciting process. The taste and smell of the resulting drink depends on how high-quality the raw materials are chosen. No one wants to spoil their tasting experience with unpleasant odors or yeast flavors. Therefore, you need to pay great attention to the quality of the selected products.

To make a good mash, you need to choose the right yeast. This affects how much alcohol and over what period of time will be obtained after fermentation, as well as how pure the moonshine will be. Therefore, many people taking their first steps in moonshine brewing are wondering: what yeast is best to use for mash? If in Soviet times there was no special choice, they used ordinary bakeries, but today stores offer a large selection of this product.

Why is yeast needed?

Yeast itself is a mushroom, which, when reproducing, process sugar and release carbon dioxide and ethanol. This is the fermentation process. Of course, these organisms need a suitable environment, a certain temperature. They can exist in a liquid that contains ethyl alcohol, but only to a certain concentration. There are many types of yeast, but not all of them are suitable for making moonshine.

In order for yeast to begin to multiply and ferment, a number of conditions must be met. They can carry out their useful activities only in the temperature range from 22 to 28 degrees Celsius. On top of that, for better fermentation, jars of mash should be placed in a dark place. If, for example, you mix water and sugar, and then add yeast, cover the container with a glove or a water seal, after a while the liquid will become lighter. When opening the can there will be a smell of alcohol. This will be the desired result of fermentation.

These mushrooms are very sensitive to water quality. You cannot use tap water here. Spring water is best, or at least bottled water sold in supermarkets.

Variety of varieties

Strains that are used for moonshine can be sold in pressed and dry form. The former are more used for baking. They have a limited lifespan, so before using them for mash, you should carefully inquire about the expiration date on the packaging.

Dry yeast is a fungal spore, which are just waiting to be placed in a favorable environment for reproduction. Many people think that they are not suitable for making mash, but this is far from the case. Supermarkets offer a large selection of these products.

Yeast itself comes in different types:

Bakery.
Wine;
Beer houses;
Turbo yeast;
Alcohol.

Not all of them are suitable for mash, they give different ethanol yields, and so on. Therefore, it is better to study the issue thoroughly, and then decide which yeast is best for moonshine.

You can purchase this product in supermarkets and specialty stores. There are websites that sell yeast specifically for making mash and moonshine. The quality of the resulting moonshine depends on this product no less than on the moonshine still. Many people do not take this point into account, and then are very surprised that the drink smells strongly of fusel and is impossible to drink.

Bakery strains

These strains are the most common. Previously, they were the only ones used to make mash. But it is worth noting that this is not the best option. Making mash with baker's yeast takes a long time - up to two weeks. The result is a drink with a strength not exceeding 10 degrees. At the same time, a large amount of fusel oils accumulates in the liquid. As a result, moonshine from such mash is of low quality; it needs to be distilled a lot to get rid of impurities and unpleasant odors.

At the same time, the baking variety has its advantages:

They are sold in all grocery stores;
They are very inexpensive;
Can be stored for a long time in the refrigerator;
Easy to use.

Baker's yeast is sold in dry and compressed form. After opening the package and using the latter, they must be placed in the freezer so that they do not spoil. To prepare mash, take 100 grams of product per 1 kg of sugar.

This type is also good because it can be immediately added to the wort, and the fermentation itself begins quite quickly. Wherein This product also has disadvantages:

With them, the mash turns out to be weak, 9-11 degrees.
Moonshine has a characteristic smell that not everyone likes.
If the product is stored incorrectly, it will quickly deteriorate.
Needs feeding.
They produce abundant foam, since these mushrooms produce large amounts of carbon dioxide.

Dry yeast can be used to make mash. They are quite suitable for moonshine; they are sold in small bags and must be diluted in water before use. Famous brands include Saf Moment, Saf Levure and Pakmaya yeast.

Among their advantages are:

Cheapness and availability;
Ease of use;
Long shelf life.

The proportions of dry yeast mash are as follows: for 1 kilogram of sugar, take from 16 to 20 grams of product. Before adding it must be diluted in water.

The mash on this product arrives slowly, there is a high probability of foam formation. Here you will need a defoamer, which can be purchased at the store. Otherwise, you will have to regularly wash the floor around the place where the jar of mash stands.

The yeast smell, although slight, is still present. The yield is also not very strong: the mushrooms die at an ethanol concentration of 14 percent.

Wine yeast

This product is suitable for to make moonshine, but with some restrictions. Wine yeast lives in the wild on grape berries and is used in Italy and the Caucasus to prepare strong alcoholic drinks: grappa and chacha. In fact, they are ideal for fermenting grape marc that remains after wine production. Grape moonshine is made from this mash, which has an excellent taste and aroma.

This product is well suited for the production of mash from berries or fruits. But it is not recommended to use it for sugar mash.

Dry wine yeast is sold in stores.. They have great advantages:

With their help you can get a drink with a strength of 17 degrees.
They do not have the characteristic yeasty smell in either mash or moonshine.
They are very unpretentious in storage.
There are no foreign organisms in them; it is a dry, clean product.
They add a special taste to drinks, especially those made from grapes.

You can make your own wild yeast at home, and there are many different recipes for it. But the quality of purchased ones is also quite acceptable.

Brewer's yeast

This product is not suitable for mash and moonshine.. In itself, it is indispensable when making beer. It will also be useful as a dietary supplement. Brewer's yeast was invented in Germany in the 19th century.

This strain is not suitable for moonshine for two very important reasons. Firstly, during fermentation they produce a very large foam output, which is completely unacceptable. Secondly, as a result, too little ethyl alcohol is formed in the liquid. However, there are craftsmen who use brewer's yeast to prepare mash and moonshine. You can also make this product yourself at home.

Turbo yeast

This product occupies an intermediate position between bakery and alcohol products. The attitude towards him is ambiguous. Some praise him, others, on the contrary, criticize him.

Manufacturers promise record results; the fermentation process, according to them, takes no more than two days. The output should be a mash with a strength of about 20 degrees. Of course, this is a good result. In addition, turbo yeast has other advantages:

Some experts are critical of such statements. This composition is used in the food industry. There is a high probability that the result will be a strong, but tasteless mash. Therefore, to obtain good moonshine, it is worth feeding the crop.

Turbo yeast is not cheap, this is also a drawback. An ordinary pack of Turbo-24 should be enough for 40 liters of mash, but it is not a fact that the costs will be recouped. You can purchase them on the websites of winemakers or in specialized stores.

Alcohol strains

Alcoholic yeast is considered the best option for making mash and moonshine. They themselves were created specifically for the creation of alcoholic beverages. They are suitable for sugar mash. If moonshine is made from grains, then these strains will also be the best option. This is due to the following reasons:

High fermentation speed. 4 days is enough;
Strains begin to die at an ethanol concentration of 18 degrees, therefore, the result will be a mash with exactly this strength.
There is no smell left from this product, so it turns out to be a very high-quality drink;
They do not produce foam. The container with mash can be filled almost completely. Defoamers will not be needed.
They are easy to store, easy to use, do not contain unnecessary impurities, and so on.

Alcoholic yeast is sold in dry form. To prepare mash, strains are required in a ratio of 2.5 grams per 10 liters of wort.

You can buy the product in specialized stores and on the Internet.

How to properly prepare sourdough

To create the most comfortable conditions for the mushrooms, they need to be fed. This will increase colony survival and fermentation rate. The culture will need vitamins, microelements, ammonia and phosphorus salts. Fertilizers can be used as fertilizing; garden owners usually have them. We are talking about adding superphosphate, urea, ammophosphate, and so on to the liquid.

There are also traditional methods of feeding. For better yeast growth, you can add to the mash:

Raisin;
Boiled peas;
Nettle leaves;
Rye bread;
Rye flour, brewed with boiling water;
Ground malt.

Feeding for the colony can also be bought in stores. They are specially produced industrially for moonshine brewing. They already have all the necessary nutrients. Often winemakers use a preparation from the shells of brewer's yeast, which have already been used and dried.

Terms of use

It’s not enough to buy the right strains, you need approach the preparation of the mash correctly. There are a number of rules that will help create high-quality strong alcohol with good characteristics.

It is impossible to say for sure which yeast is best for mash. You can experiment with different types of them, but this is the lot of experienced moonshiners. For beginners, alcohol-based ones are most suitable. Thanks to them, you can create high-quality moonshine with a minimum of disadvantages.

Attention, TODAY only!

Any alcoholic yeast, including baker’s yeast, is based on single-celled microorganisms, the so-called “marsupial fungi” (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), intended for the fermentation of sugars in a specially prepared carbohydrate-sugar syrup or fruit and berry wort.

A feature of alcoholic yeast from all other types is its high fermentation energy and resistance to metabolic products and exchange products of foreign microorganisms present in the base used for our future drink.

Basically, several types of yeast are used to prepare homemade alcoholic beverages:

alcoholic and turbo yeast;
pressed bakery products;
dry bakery products;
homemade.

Let's look at their features and properties in more detail. We will also try to rank the best yeast for moonshine.

In the video you can watch comparisons of various yeasts for mash:

Alcohol and turbo for moonshine

Alcohol yeast is used for the production of strong alcoholic beverages: moonshine, alcohol, whiskey, rum. The proportion of alcohol in the resulting mash:

13-15% for regular alcoholic yeast up to 21% for alcoholic turbo yeast. The strength depends on the amount of sugar added to the mash.

Using specialized alcoholic yeast instead of conventional baking yeast allows you to shorten the fermentation period to 4-7 days and reduce the release of foam. With turbo yeast, the mash ripening period ranges from 2 to 10 days, the duration depends only on the desire to obtain a stronger product. They do not require fermentation (activation) unlike ordinary alcoholic ones. The latter must first be dissolved in sugar syrup and kept in a warm, dark place for 30-60 minutes until signs of fermentation appear.

During the fermentation of alcoholic yeast, the number of harmful microorganisms and bacteria decreases; they are especially resistant to decay and metabolic products among all other types of yeast. This has a positive effect on the purity and taste of the resulting drink, allowing it to be stored longer and maintain its original quality. Also, alcohol yeast allows you to obtain a final product with a minimum content of fusel oils and harmful impurities.

The temperature limits for the normal functioning of alcoholic yeast are 25-30°C, despite the fact that they live and reproduce within a fairly wide temperature range. However, at very high or low temperatures, yeast activity slows down or stops. The minimum temperature for yeast development is -5°C, the maximum is 38°C, at 50°C the yeast dies.

The vital activity of alcoholic yeast is also significantly affected by the acidity of the fermentation medium. The viability of yeast is maintained within the pH range of the growing medium from 2 to 8, the optimal pH being 4.8-5.

We also must not forget about saturating the nutrient medium for alcoholic yeast with vitamins and microelements, the most important of which is biotin, since, in addition to it, yeast can synthesize almost all vitamins and microelements on their own.

The ideal growing medium is a malt-based medium because... it contains all the necessary minerals. Any malt is suitable, but rye is considered preferable.

Pressed bakery products

Pressed yeast is used in everyday life as a leavening agent for biologically based dough, as well as for the production of classic mash, which is subsequently distilled into strong alcoholic drinks (moonshine) by distillation. Not everyone can consume such mash “as is” to their taste due to its specific pungent smell and taste.

Pressed yeast has a grayish or pinkish tint, a dense consistency and a pleasant, slightly yeasty smell. In cooking, they are used as a leavening agent for dough, to increase its volume. It is filled with bubbles of carbon dioxide, which are released during the processing of sugar contained in flour by bacteria, simultaneously forming alcohol molecules. When cooked at high temperatures, alcohol and carbon dioxide evaporate, creating a fluffy dough with a pleasant smell.

The mash produced using pressed yeast is less strong than with alcoholic yeast, around 8-10% alcohol mass fraction.
The fermentation process takes on average from 7 to 14 days. The taste of the finished mash is specific, slightly bitter, which signals the complete processing of sugar and the end of the fermentation process.
If there is a sweetish aftertaste, this means that not all the sugar has been processed by microorganisms and the fermentation process is not completely completed.
A comfortable temperature for life is 20-30°C; at temperatures below 18°C, the fermentation process stops, and when the temperature rises above 40°C, yeast bacteria die.
The optimal acidity of the medium for the fermentation process using compressed baker's yeast is pH 5.1-5.2.
The fermentation process occurs with abundant foaming and the release of carbon dioxide. Pressed yeast does not require preliminary fermentation (activation).

The main nutrient medium for compressed bread yeast is sugar or molasses. Professionals also recommend adding raisins, dried fruits, potatoes or a crust of bread. This increases the nutritional and mineral value for the vital activity of yeast bacteria and has a positive effect on the taste of the finished product.

Video on the topic:

Dry bakery products

The main difference between dry baker's yeast and compressed yeast is only that they are pre-crushed and dried using a special technology, due to which their shelf life increases to two years, and they occupy a much smaller volume. Their use in everyday life is the same as that of ordinary pressed ones.

At the moment, there are two main types of dry yeast, which differ not only in appearance, but also in the way they are used:

The temperature and acidity indicators of the environment for the successful development of yeast cultures of dry and instant yeast practically do not differ from the same indicators for pressed yeast. But with all this, dry yeast cultures are considered purer due to the peculiarities of their production and storage. As a result, the strength of the final product is higher than when using compressed yeast.

Homemade

There are many recipes and methods for preparing yeast, such as:

rye;
corn;
barley;
potato;
from bran;
from hops;
wild (berry);
etc.

Based on the names of the products and cultures used, it can be understood that there are no standards or strict conditions for the life and development of microorganisms here, but fundamentally they do not contradict generally accepted principles. Everything depends only on the selected raw material, which affects the fermentation qualities and composition of the nutrient medium.

A distinctive feature of homemade yeast is its environmental friendliness, economic benefit and truly unique “homemade” taste of the resulting drink or baked goods.

Wine yeast is also ideal for mash, read about it in a separate article!

So which ones are better to buy?

There is no clear opinion on this question. It all depends on the size of your wallet and your preferences for a particular product. Some people prefer natural products and the environmental friendliness of the drink, so they prefer homemade yeast. Some people are used to cooking “the old fashioned way” with pressed bread yeast or instant yeast. Some people, out of a desire to get results faster and with a guarantee, choose alcoholic or turbo yeast.

Alcoholic and turbo yeast:

Pressed yeast:

no foam, no need to use a water seal;
reduced content of fusel oils and harmful impurities;
obtaining a stronger final product;
shortened fermentation times;
minus - quite high price compared to others.

Dry (instant) yeast:

easy to buy, affordable price;
short fermentation time;
ease of production of the nutrient medium;
small amount of harmful impurities;
disadvantages - increased foaming, specific odor, weaker final product.

Homemade yeast:

easy to use, low consumption;
easily dissolve, do not require preliminary dilution;
absence of unpleasant odors;
yield a fairly strong final product;
minus – longer fermentation time.

economical, can be prepared from what is on hand;
environmentally friendly product;
a huge field for creativity, its own unique taste of the drink;
minus – low strength of the final product.

Only one thing can be said for sure: alcoholic and turbo yeasts are specially produced to guarantee a high-quality, high-strength product in a short time. Therefore, the choice of many professionals when producing homemade alcoholic beverages falls on this type of yeast culture.

Video review from a popular moonshiner.

Hi all! Today we will talk about yeast. Lately I have often been asked the question - What yeast is best to use for mash? I decided to devote a separate post to this problem, since I have some experience.

Let me first tell you what types of yeast there are and give their strengths and weaknesses in my opinion. And then I’ll share my opinion on what is better to use.

Are there differences in yeast?

If you pick up two packs of yeast - bakery yeast for 50 rubles per 100 grams (for example, Voronezh or Saf-Levur) and special whiskey yeast for 700 rubles (Safspirit, etc.) and look at the composition, you will see both the inscription “yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae”. The question immediately arises: if both packs contain the same thing, then where does such a colossal difference in price come from and why overpay tenfold? Not everything is so simple, there are differences and now I will tell you about them.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the name of a species of yeast that feeds on sugar. This type is also called Baker's yeast.

The species is divided into strains for different specializations. In our case, we are interested in strains for the production of alcohol - wine, whiskey, calvados, etc.

Thus, for both bread baking and the preparation of alcoholic beverages, really one type of yeast is used, but with different strains, which can give different results. Moreover, the manufacturer may not indicate the specific name of the strain.

It’s worth noting here that you and I will never be able to determine which strain of yeast is in the bag. It could be a truly specialized whiskey shop, or it could be a regular bakery shop. All that remains is to rely on the conscience of the manufacturer.

Below I will go over the main classifications of yeast found in stores.

Wine, spirit and turbo

They are used both in industry and in home distillation. Specially sharpened to produce alcohol and maximum organoleptic properties when preparing mash from aromatic raw materials. In most cases they have increased resistance to alcohol.

There are different specializations - for making wine, whiskey, rum, Calvados, etc. Specialization lies in the fact that a specific strain of yeast is bred for specific raw materials - wine for fruit fermentation, whiskey for grain mash and so on. As a result, mash and moonshine acquire a brighter taste and aroma of the raw materials. In some cases, the yield of alcohol also increases.

There is also turbo yeast. They have increased alcohol tolerance and contain a set of nutrients, which allows you to very quickly (up to 2-3 days) ferment mash with a high alcohol content (low hydraulic module). The most famous names are “Turbo 24”, “Turbo 48”, “Turbo-X”.

You can buy all this at specialized stores for winemakers and moonshiners.

Advantages

There are really good strains that allow you to achieve high organoleptic qualities of mash and moonshine.
Some give a very high percentage of alcohol content in the mash - up to 18-20%;
Turbo yeast ferments quickly. Up to 1 day, according to some manufacturers. I have never fermented in a day, but in 3-4 days it is quite possible;
Sugar mash does not require turbo yeast special feeding. All the necessary nutrients are already present in the package;
They produce fewer harmful substances compared to other types of yeast. This is again according to some sellers. Although I readily believe it, because... There is fertilizing and the mash ferments faster.
Low consumption - 1-3 grams per 1 kg of raw materials (see instructions for specific types).

Flaws

Price. There are budget options, and there are also very expensive ones. True, this disadvantage is smoothed out by low consumption - 1-3 grams per 1 kg of raw materials.
You need to go buy it to a specialized store or order online.

Pressed bakery products

Regular baker's yeast, sold in stores or on the market. A classic in moonshine.

Advantages

Easily available and cheap;
Ferment to 9-12% alcohol;
They work a little faster than dry ones;
You can add it directly to the wort without fermentation.

Flaws

Very short shelf life. Just 1 day at room temperature and up to 14 in the refrigerator. Always pay attention to the expiration date before purchasing;
Not stable. May not start due to improper storage or illness;
Highly desirable feeding.

Dry bakery products

Also regular yeast, which you can buy anywhere. Some of the most popular are Saf-Levur, Saf-Moment, Voronezh, Pakmaya.

Advantages

The most affordable, sold everywhere;
Cheap;
Give a stable result;
Long shelf life.

Flaws

Must be activated before use. How to do this is usually written on the packaging. As a rule, just pour warm water (35-38 oC) and let stand for 10-15 minutes. The process is not complicated, so I consider this drawback to be quite insignificant.
Highly desirable feeding.

Which ones to choose?

If you are a beginner and making your own, then put it on dry. They are more accessible and stable. And only then try pressed and various alcoholic ones. Compare and draw your own conclusions. In our business, the main thing is practice, and everyone has different tastes.

Update from December 29, 2019:

At the moment, I have determined the following list for myself:

Sugar mash- any dry yeast that is available at your local store. As a rule, this is Saf-Levure. Required with mineral fertilizer. Now I rarely make sugar mash, only under NDRF for infusions.
Fruit mashes (including from jam) - wine, or Zymasil, or Vitilevure Multiflor. Vitilevur Multiflor is a good product, it contains two strains at once and gives excellent results. But they are expensive, so I often use Zimasil, which also showed good results.
Flour mash- usually Zymasil. If you don’t have them on hand, then use regular dry bakery ones. From flour mash I make NDRF for use in white form.
Grain mashes — Zymasil or whiskey SafSpirit Malt (M1). Whiskey yeast is excellent, but too expensive. Therefore, only in special cases.

What yeast do you use? Share your experience in the comments. And subscribe to blog news; I will actively develop the topic of moonshine in the near future.

All the best and see you soon.

Best regards, Pavel Dorofeev.