[buckstar555]

Hi guys,Im new to brewing? I was wondering for homebrew can I use dried yeast? I have a tin (small) Alinstons which tin says its ok to use for making bread and brewing? But I thought I would ask you lads.Thanks in advance.

[Stripey_cat]

You can brew alcohol using baker's yeast.  The result isn't as good as if you use a proper yeast for the sort of brewing you want to do, though: baker's yeast doesn't tolerate so much alcohol (so a weaker brew will result), and can give "off" (something-not-quite-right) flavours.  You'd be much better off getting some beer or wine yeasts (the multipurpose sorts are OK, but for really nice results you want a specialised strain for the type of drink you want to make, eg Champagne yeasts for dry sparkling wine).

[SG6]

Wouldn't have thought that it really as a duel purpose as the requirements are somewhat different. A bread yeast has to be quick in order to get the dough to rise. A brewing yeast tends to be slower.

Then there is the flavor/aroma a bread yeast will give a bread like taste and smell. Not great for a wine. No idea what a wine yeaast in bread dough will do, suspect no great taste or smell from the yeast.

Then the alcohol level. Bread yeast will be weak as it is more intolerent of the alcohol level. So a "standard" recipe would need to be altered to reduce the sugar since not so much will be converted.

If the container has a picture of a loaf of bread on it then make bread from it.
If it a wine/brewing yeast then brew with it.
Otherwise throw it and be safe, then buy some wine yeast from Wilkinsons.