The short answer is yes but in reality; it’s not going to make anything nice and yeast for making mead is cheap. If you’re going through all the effort to make a mead, the extra euro for a good quality yeast isn’t going to break the bank. If your looking for a blog post on where to buy homebrewing yeast in Ireland, then check out this post.
Why is Bread Yeast Is a Bad Choice for Mead
1. Poor Alcohol Tolerance
Mead commonly finishes between 10–14% ABV.
Bread yeast struggles well before this, leading to:
- Sweet, unfinished mead
- Stalled fermentation
2. Harsh Flavours
Bread yeast produces:
- Strong yeasty notes
- Harsh alcohols
- Bready or solvent-like flavours
These flavours clash badly with honey.
3. Inconsistent Results
Even if one batch seems fine, the next can:
- Stall completely
- Taste rough
- Take forever to clear
What Yeast Should You Use for Mead Instead?
Mead yeast is selected specifically to:
- Ferment fructose cleanly
- Handle higher alcohol
- Preserve honey character
A reliable option is wine or champagne-style yeast, which:
- Ferments clean
- Handles high ABV
- Is beginner-friendly
These yeasts are made for fruit and honey sugars, not flour. You can check out our full range of WHC labs yeast here.
Bread Yeast vs Proper Mead Yeast
|
Feature |
Bread Yeast |
Mead / Wine / Champagne Yeast |
|
Designed for |
Bread and dough fermentation |
Mead, wine, cider and fruit ferments |
|
Alcohol tolerance |
Low (approx. 6–8% ABV) |
High (approx. 12–18% ABV) |
|
Typical mead finish |
Sweet and unfinished |
Fully fermented and balanced |
|
Risk of stalled fermentation |
High |
Low |
|
Flavour impact |
Bready, harsh, solvent-like |
Clean, smooth, honey-forward |
|
Preserves honey character |
No |
Yes |
|
Consistency between batches |
Unpredictable |
Reliable and repeatable |
|
Clearing time |
Slow or may never clear properly |
Clears well with time |
|
Beginner-friendly |
No |
Yes |
|
Overall suitability for mead |
Poor choice |
Best choice |
Final Answer: Can You Use Bread Yeast to Make Mead?
Yes but you shouldn’t.
Compared to bread yeast, proper mead yeast gives:
- Cleaner flavour
- Better attenuation
- Faster, healthier fermentation
- Mead that actually tastes like honey
It’s the difference between “that’s bloody lovely” and “what the fuck is this?”
Check Out our Mead, Wine, Champagne and Cider yeast here