Is my instant yeast still good?
Hello,
I'm a new baker, just started 2 weeks ago. I have 2 different brand of instant yeast:
Yeast A: bought in sealed pack of 7gr, the remaining is kept in freezer. It has light sourish/pungent smell, almost fruity. Expiry date is May 2022.
Yeast B: bought from a wholesale store. In the store, the yeast is kept on a large, clear airtight glass jar. I got a small amount in a small clear jar, stored at room temperature (range 25-29 deg C). Smells bready, not as sourish as Yeast A.
I used Yeast A on the early bakes. I like the smell of Yeast B, so I've been baking with it for 6 batches or so. Both yeasts gave good rise during bulk fermentation and proofing, but it has poor oven spring and usually less texture. It might be due to multiple factors (kneading, room temperature, oven temperature), but I also had suspicion on the yeast.
I tested both yeasts using the same measurement: 50ml watear at 40 deg C, 5gr sugar, 1gr yeast.
Yeast B has very, very minimum bubble despite of good rise during proofing.
Yeast A, both from the newly opened sachet or the leftover from freezer, yield similar froth. It's far different from what I saw on the internet where the instant yeast can double in volume.
Is the result from the yeast test normal, given the quantity of water/sugar/yeast? Can different brand of instant yeast contribute to different result, e.g. due to different quality of the yeast?
I've had a 2 lb bag of Red Star IDY in my freezer for over 10 years and it's still very strong. i think if you're getting double volume for bulk fermentation, there's nothing wrong with it. but there are difference in yeast brands and types. some are for sweeter dough. might have more to do with timing, heat, hydration and other factors for oven spring.
10 years! That's impressive. Did you test the yeast before using?
I heard about different yeast like SAF red and gold for different bread. Since I bake in small batch, I like to get a little amount from wholesale, but the test for their yeast didnt seem to perform well though the bread rise durin fermentation and proofing.
i bake regularly enough that i don't need to test it. if there's a problem, i would notice. I scoop out about half a cup at a time to a air tight container so i dont open the bag very often. i think i like SAF red the best, but i got what was available at the time. and right now, no many places here even have yeast on the shelves. good luck.