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How Long Does Yeast Last?
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Grandpas Grub
Posts: 14,226
The post Saturday about the WS Kitchenaid special got me thinking I wanted to make some bread.
Decided to make some bread on the egg. I took some Saf-Yeast Instant Yeast out of the fridge, whipped up a batch of bread and the dough didn't rise very well.
I had a foil pack 1lb pkg of Saf-Yeast Instant Yeast. When we bought it we bought a case of the packages, I am guessing 10 or 12 packages. (A food storage thing).
Anyway I tossed that package and went down and got another. Thinking all of my storage yeast was bad I opened up a new package, got some warm water, sugar and yeast.
The bubbles start and all looks well. I knew I had the packages for a while so I got to looking to see if there was any dating.
Rather than fire up the egg, I am going to cook it in the oven just to see if there is any odd taste.
To my huge surpise Feb. 1980. In 2 months it will have been 30 years and it is still active.
I wonder if the yeast can be active but in some other way be bad. Any ideas?
GG
Comments
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I keep mine in the freezer and ignore the date, works fine. -RP
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Here's a good primer on yeasts:
http://www.foodsubs.com/LeavenYeast.html
I keep mine in an airtight jar in the freezer. I buy instant yeast in 1 pound bulk packages. I generally go through them in under a year and have never had any issues with slow rises. -
Was it cold in your house?
-
In the open foil package in the fridge had poor results.
6 remaining packages are still vacuumed foil packs in the basement + / - 70° for all those years.
Looks like the dough is rising just fine so far. Another hour or so and I will begin to start cooking.
Maybe I will run over and get some fresh packets and do a comparison.
GG -
Thanks Rod, for the link.
Kent -
The open pack was only in the fridge. This newly opened package is now in the freezer and about 1/4 is in the fridge for use.
Do you take the yeast directly out of the freezer, measure, use then put the package back in the freezer? Do you let the yeast get to room temperature before use?
Kent -
Its an instant yeast and I use it right out of the freezer. -RP
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I meant is your house warm enough to make the bread rise..
This time of the year I use my oven set at 80 and put the dough in there.. -
I was a bit concerned too. The house is at 69°-70° and raising just fine, maybe a bit slower - I didn't time this batch.
Kent -
Thanks, I will use out of the freezer from now on.
Kent -
We buy yeast [active dry] in 2 pound packages. The packs are sort of cubic-looking, and vacu-sealed.
We right away empty the yeast into "old" Miracle whip containers, and stash 'em in the freezer. No need to date this stuff, or anything.
Just scoop out what you need, as you need it, and add it cold to the warm water mixture, to bloom.
No fail -- Less'n yer water's too hot! I aim for 105F, after adding sugar or honey to the water.
We never notice a difference between the tailings of an old batch of year, and the beginnings of a new batch. These yeastie-beasties just go to sleep in the freezer, awaiting it time to wake and... erm... get sexy and burp.
~ B -
65-75 ambient in house is a bit low for a good raise. 70-75 will be slow.
The oven trick does the job for me since we barely turn on the heat in this house during the winter. -
A lot of ovens don't allow for low temp settings, and anything over 115* is too high.
I set mine in the oven that is turned off and just turn the oven light on. Heat from the bulb is enough to raise the temps in there a few degrees and get the dough rising nicely. -
That works too.. The whole idea is to get the environment around the dough in the 80's.
Keep the yeastie-beastie happily multiplying and burping as Broc says. -
LOL, thanks. Mine have been somewhat asleep for almost 30 years. Wonder if they will make up for lost time.
I have some pictures I will put up in a little while.
I hope you are doing well.
Kent -
My oven goes down to 150°. One batch I set the oven at 150° when cooked the bread began to fall. Silky smooth texture but small.
The second batch formed nice and worked well but it did take a long time.
Kent -
:laugh: Dang, Kent, 30 years sounds like an eternity!!
But 1980 was just the other day -
You are correct. Looking from this end of it, it is no time at all.
Merry Christmas Kiddo.
Kent
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