Yeast & Mold Testing

Yeast are single-celled fungi. People have cultivated yeast for millenia for use in making breads, baking and alcoholic beverages. Testing yeast to see if it is still active is simple and fast. Mold is also a microscopic fungus. Mold can infest a house and lead to allergies or sickness.

Testing Yeast

• Testing to see if yeast is active is simple and quick. Just add one-half teaspoon of sugar to the yeast, stirring it into a half cup of water to dissolve it. If it foams and bubbles within about ten minutes, than you know that the yeast is alive and can be used for baking. The bubbles are carbon dioxide, which is released as a byproduct from the yeast assimilating sugar and starches.

Testing for Mold by Inspection

• Molds are tiny microscopic spores. If they are present in a home or building, seen or unseen, they can find their way into the air. Presence of mold in the air can contribute to a wide range of respiratory problems, rashes, and over the long-term, can contribute to other immune responses, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

  Testing for mold is possible by visible inspection. You may be able to see or smell mold anywhere in the house. Peeling back wallpaper or inspecting behind walls may also reveal mold.

Professional Mold Testing

• Professional mold testing can include both a physical inspection, as well as thermal infrared camera testing, which can detect moisture and water loss, which is often the cause of mold growth in the home. Samples can also be tested in laboratories to determine what type of mold is growing, if necessary.