Yeast converter
Swap one yeast for another. Published conversions disagree by up to 50%, so we show where each number comes from.
Equivalent amounts
| Yeast | Grams | Teaspoons | Packages |
|---|
Why sources disagree
| Source | Active dry vs instant | Fresh vs dry |
|---|---|---|
| Red Star (Lesaffre) | 1 : 1 | ⅔ oz fresh per ¼ oz packet (×2.7) |
| USDA FoodData Central (FDC 175042, 175043) | — | Fresh yeast is 69% water, active dry 5% → ×3.1 by dry matter |
| Common bakers’ rule | Active dry ×1.25 | ×3 |
| Some online calculators | Active dry ×1.5 | ×3 |
Modern active dry yeast is far more reliable than it used to be, and the manufacturer says it can replace instant one-for-one; the difference is that active dry is usually dissolved in warm water first. The 25% rule is a cushion for older packets or slow, cool doughs. For fresh yeast we use ×3, between Red Star’s ×2.7 and the ×3.1 you get from USDA’s moisture figures — the spread is smaller than the difference between two warm and cool kitchens.
A US packet is ¼ oz (7 g), about 2¼ teaspoons. USDA lists active dry yeast at 4 g per teaspoon, but packets are measured loosely, so we use the 2¼ tsp printed on the packet (about 3.1 g per tsp). Fresh yeast packs unevenly — weigh it.
Common amounts
| Instant | Active dry (1:1) | Active dry (+25%) | Fresh (×3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 g — about ⅓ tsp | 1 g | 1.3 g | 3 g |
| 3 g — about 1 tsp | 3 g | 3.8 g | 9 g |
| 7 g — 1 packet (2¼ tsp) | 7 g | 8.8 g | 21 g |
| 11 g — 1 SAF sachet (11 g) | 11 g | 13.8 g | 33 g |
| 14 g — 2 packets | 14 g | 17.5 g | 42 g |
Yeast amounts are starting points; temperature and time matter more than the exact conversion. Need to go from yeast to sourdough? Use the yeast ↔ sourdough converter.