December 23, 2020 - 6:15am
Why is Yeast Water NOT Acidic
Why is a Yeast Water (YW) not acidic (no sour taste)? I am under the assumption that YW have LAB and yeast, just like a typical SD starter.
Is it because the typical sourdough starter is feed with flour and the YW derives it’s sugars from fruit and/or other sources of sugar(s)?
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The water itself (in taste) or the bread made from it, is your question?
YW - LAB?. not particularly!
I assume that YW contain both yeast and LAB microbes. If that is correct why doesn’t the YW produce sour tasting breads?
I wonder if the LAB are not producing acid byproducts.
I think the reason is that YW and sd starters get their sugars from different sources. Correct or incorrect?
We've discussed this before the pH of YW is too low (most fruits are in the pH 3-4 range) to support LAB.
Also water dilutes everything and fruit sugars are preferential to yeasts.
Mike, wished I did remember our discussion.
I think you just said that the fruit PH is much lower than flour. Makes a lot of sense. Never considered that.
With that in mind, because the PH of fruit is much lower than flour, does YW contain LAB that are not producing acids or are LAB not present in YW.
Why do you think YW contains LABs?
Ilya, I think yeast and LAB cells coexist in nature and they comes to rest on fruit and most every other thing. Take for example, an apple. Wouldn’t spores of yeast and LAB rest upon the outer skin of the fruit, especially if was was not treated with chemicals?
If this is incorrect, please straighten me out.
That's a very simplified model - if the LABs are on fruit it doesn't mean they grow in the water, see Michael's comment above. Conditions in YW are not good for LABs.
Thanks for the help Ilya. See my reply to Mike.
Because "not acidic" and "no sour taste" are two very different things.