German Yeast
Ingredients
Directions
Wash the yeast
Filter the yeast through muslin or a silk sieve into cold water.
Add ice in summer.
Stir well until foamy.
Let it settle until the water is clear.
Gently draw off the clear water without disturbing the yeast.
Pump in fresh water. Stir.
Repeat until the water is tasteless and clear.
Add the chemicals
Add ½ ounce of carbonate of ammonia and 1 ounce of bicarbonate of soda dissolved in 1 pint of water for every 12 gallons of yeast. Mix well.
Let it sit for 12 to 14 hours.
Press and bag
Pump in water again. Stir.
Draw off once more.
Place the yeast in a linen bag. Tie it.
Press gently between two boards to remove moisture.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Brewery or distillery yeast
- Provides the living cells that make the dough rise and give it flavour.
- Carbonate of ammonia
- Acts as a leavening agent, releasing gas to lighten the yeast mass.
- Bicarbonate of soda
- Neutralises acidity and helps the yeast stay soft and workable.
The step that matters
Repeat washing until the water is clear and tasteless. Residual bitter compounds and off-flavours from the brewing liquid carry into the finished yeast if they are not rinsed away. Each wash removes dissolved material, so skipping rinses leaves the yeast tasting of the original brew.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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