[neilrobinson]

   I was wondering if anyone had any experience with using beer yeast to make bread? I am wanting to make some bread using the spent grain from my brew session. I want to make some bread that will accompany my beer, and what better way than to use the grain from the beer. I thought that since they both use yeast, I might be able to use the beer yeast in the bread, since the yeast imparts it own taste on the final product. It is an experiment that I plan on doing but wanted to see if anyone has experience with it.

[ajk]

One time we ran out of bread yeast and used Danstar Windsor to make cinnamon rolls.  Tasted fine.  I thought they were a hint estery, but that was probably just my imagination.

[enso]

It will likely work, just not the best yeast for the job.  I enjoy both brewing and baking.  Bread yeast and beer yeast are the same Saccharomyces cerevisiae, however, just like there are different strains for brewing, bread yeast is a different strain with its own characteristics that make it more appropriate for baking.  One thing I believe, and I may be mistaken, is that bread yeast actually makes less alcohol in its fermentation.  There is more of an emphasis on the co2 production.  It is also less alcohol tolerant.

That being said, I am all for experimentation.  Just know that your results may not be what you expect.  Another great way to marry beer and bread that I have done and know works from experience is to use some homebrew in the making of the dough.  Nothing like a really tasty stout pumpernickle, or even a schwarzbier pumpernickel.

[alikocho]

It should work, but I don't know how your bread will rise, or how long it will take.

You could also add some beer in place of some of the water.

[neilrobinson]

    Thanks guys. I probably am going to experiment with the beer yeast. I figure what do I have to lose. I will probably make two loaves of bread, one with beer yeast and on with bread yeast. Then I can just pick the best one.
     I have made bread before using beer in place of water. However, I wanted to try and use the ingredients from my beer with actually using the beer. I decided this for two reasons, 1. I wanted to find some use for the spent grain, which can be used as an additive to the bread like whole wheat bread, and 2. I wanted to play mad scientist or baker in this case, and construct a beer and bread together.

[jfin]

I haven't used beer yeast but using spent grains in your bread is great

[Jeff Renner]

I've done this on and off over the years, with mixed success.  Recently I had really good luck, though, with Wyeast 3278 Lambic.  It is a mixed culture that includes several "wild" yeast, two Brett. spp., a sherry flor, and a lactobacillus, as I recall.  I skimmed the thick frothy yeast head (barm) from the active fermentation on the third day and added probably three tablespoons of the thick, pasty yeast (consistency of soft-serve ice dream) to 4-1/2 cups of water, added 1/8 cup of dry malt extract stirred dry into 4 cups of flour (this avoids malt extract lumps), and beat it with an electric mixer for a minute or so.  I had bubbles in 20 minutes.

After an hour, I added 1-1/2 tablespoon of salt and enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough (but not too stiff), probably another 6-1/2 cups, and a few tablespoons of olive oil, and kneaded it well.  (It helps that I am a commercial baker and have a 20 qt. Hobart mixer, but I was just doing a home-scale batch).

I let it rise until at least doubled, punched down, doubled again, divided in two and shaped into two oblong loaves, then let them rise upside down in a floured basket, then when doubled, inverted them onto baker's parchment, slashed the tops, and slid them into the oven.  I have a pizza oven, but a pizza stone will work well for free-form loaves like this.

The bread rose about as well as with bread yeast, and had good texture and had a bit of fruity aroma.  It was quite good.

Ale barm was the traditional way of leavening bread before commercial bread yeast was available, as well as using a starter or old dough.

[tubercle]

  One thing I believe, and I may be mistaken, is that bread yeast actually makes less alcohol in its fermentation.  There is more of an emphasis on the co2 production.  It is also less alcohol tolerant.

 I've used bread yeast to make wine, mainly because everybody said not to, and found it will take fruit wines completely dry. I was targeting ~13.5%. Did have a slight, very slight, yeasty taste. Not enough to keep me from doing it again.

 I have also heard of "moonshiners" using bread yeast up to 17% on their corn mash. Don't know anything about this though.

So I'm told.

[Dave King]

I use milled 60L X-stal malt in my Sour Dough Bread (3/4 cup for 2 small loaves), comes out nice, in flavor and texture.  BTW, I developed my own wild yeast, by feeding unbleached bread flour and water.  It took about a week of feeding, but I've now kept it for about 2 years, making bread every week or 2.  The full instructions are ; http://www.io.com/~sjohn/sour.htm.  If you're interested in my full, crazy recipe, let me know.   

[euge]

Nice link. As the link suggests it's simple to make a starter just out of plain water and flour. And the rise time is a bit slower unless you got the yeasties population up in arms. One would have to be baking frequently of course. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sourdough

A Tbs of yeast cake will work like gangbusters in a recipe. It's pretty much the same yeast! Careful of the spent grain amount. The husks can be a bit fibrous. Sharp even.

I like the complexity in flavor bread develops from an extended active culture.

[Jeff Renner]

I developed my own wild yeast, by feeding unbleached bread flour and water.  It took about a week of feeding, but I've now kept it for about 2 years, making bread every week or 2.

It sounds like you've developed your own levain or sour dough starter.  You and others may be interested in the handout for the seminar I gave on sourdough at the 2003 NHC in Chicago.

http://aabg.org/2010/01/21/sourdough-starter-instructions/

[denny]

Thanks for posting that Jeff!  I've been into baking bread for about 5 years and about 6 months ago started doing sourdough.  I've had mixed success.  When I have a bit of time, I'll start a thread in the food section and be interested in your comments.