What is Brewer's Yeast?

Brewer's yeast is a type of fungus formally known as Saccharomyces cervisiae. Along with other Saccharomyces species, brewer's yeast is used to brew beer and bake some breads, and can also be used as a nutritional supplement in an inactive form. Like other yeasts, brewer's yeast will ferment carbohydrates when it comes into contact with them, forming a froth of carbon dioxide which can ferment grains into beer and cause bread to rise. When used as a dietary supplement, brewer's yeast can provide the body with a number of essential vitamins and minerals including vitamin B. While brewer's yeast can be used to bake bread, most bakers use baker's yeast specifically, a sweet and less bitter culture of Sacchraomyces. Yeast is a living organism which forms colonies of single, simple cells classified as fungi. It grows readily as long as conditions are warm and moist, and while it eats food, it emits carbon dioxide and alcohol as byproducts, a process called fermentation. The properties of ...  more