[Sca-cooks] Random food-related questions....

[Sue Clemenger]

I didn't figure I could keep it for long.  If nothing else, the kitchen's at
the cold end of the house, which means that in winter, it's actually almost
unpleasant to spend time back there unless I'm baking something in the oven.
I was more wondering about quantities--suppose I'll just have to experiment.
Oh, darn.  And my friend's a she, actually, and she owns a winery, and makes
batches of beer/ales on a regular basis, so I don't have to worry about
keeping the yeast-beasties alive.  Dunno if the stuff is from the top or the
bottom--I suspect the bottom, given that it's pretty thick.  Right now, it's
in a couple of Ball canning jars.  I'll probably remove the tops and cover
them loosely with several layers of cheesecloth.
I'd like to try a couple of different recipes--a bread, certainly, but I was
also thinking of something like some of those small cakes that have barm in
them for leavening....
Thanks for the feeding/care advice.  I hadn't actually thought of bacterial
issues.
--Maire

----- Original Message -----
From: "grizly" <grizly at mindspring.com>
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Sent: Tuesday, November 14, 2006 12:39 PM
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Random food-related questions....


>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> > > > > Use it fast or feed it (water and malt extract)..  If you don't,
it
> will
> die.  There is also a possibility that it will be infected by mold if you
> try to hold it.  It is not a starter and will not keep like a starter.  It
> is a yeast solution equivalent to dry active yeast proofed in some water.
>
> Is it actual barm (the scum off the top of the ale pot) or is it the dregs
> (the stuff on the bottom of the pot)?  If it is the latter, you may want
to
> wash (dilute) and strain it.  Use a cup of it to a couple of cups of flour
> to make a sponge, let it set for about 24 hours, then use it to make your
> bread.< < < < < <
>
> If you leave it alone without feeding it, and it escapes infection, you
will
> have autolysis to deal with.  that is the death and degredation of the
yeast
> cells.  You will get a very distinctive off-yeasty taste when this starts
to
> occur.  We work with this in brewing a lot when making "aged" beverages.
> You have to siphon the desired beverage of the yeast silt at the bottom
> occasionally to prevent that yeast bite from autolysis.
>
> If you want to keep it alive, boil some (quarter cup?) malt extract or
plain
> sugar in a cup of water.  Cool it down and add to the yeast.  That will
keep
> the reproducing and eating for a couple of weeks.  You'll get CO2 release,
> so don't seal the jar tight . . . put an unpowdered latex glove over the
jar
> with a tiny pinhole in one or two of the fingers (or a balloon if it will
> fit).  You'll want to pour off the liquid every three or so weeks to keep
> the dead from breaking up in it.
>
> You might get a few weeks out of it, but the chance of a bacteria or mold
> grows with every time you open it to feed it.  He didn't give you an
> ingredient so much as a hobby :o)
>
> niccolo