Yeast Warning

[Almanac]

Last week I went to my local Tesco to buy some yeast and they only had Allinsons "Easy Bake" yeast in a green tin. I shrugged my shoulders and bought a few tins assuming it would work the same as their normal yeast.

After pitching a few washes yesterday I happened to read the label to see what the difference is between the two Allinsons products. I was slightly shocked to see the list of ingredients on the "Easy Bake" tin included Flour Improver and Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). this prompted me the re-check the pH of the wash I had just pitched. From a pH of 5.6 immediately before pitching it had dropped to 4.9 in just one hour which could only be due to the Ascorbic Acid included in the yeast.

My water is always around pH 7 and I always use a little Citric Acid to bring it down to 5.4/5.6 and did the same this time unaware that the yeast I was going to pitch included Acid which would have done the job for me anyway.

This could potentially stall a wash if you weren't aware of the acid content.

[Mash]

Good shout. Off to read my labels now!

[Anavrin]

I've used this yeast before, I made a lentle wash but used 6kg of Demerara sugar, can't remember if I had any trouble with it fermenting, but maybe the dark sugar and lentils buffered the PH drop, I stripped it on my air still over a few days, that was hard work!

I've scince made two more washes using 3kg of Demerara sugar and 5 jars of mollasses in each, all the strips have been combined with the above and run, it's now on oak to make a rum.

Hopefully it'll turn out ok.

Can't say I've tried the green one scince though.