How quick is Nottingham?

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heywolfie1015

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Out of the several brews I've done, I never used Nottingham until this past weekend when I did a Centennial Blonde with my brother and Dad. Rehydrated it, pitched at 80 (impatient), and I noticed airlock activity within 12 hours. Two days later, nothing. No airlock activity and apparently no positive pressure from the inside of the fermenter. (I pressed on lid and no bubbles.) This whole time, it's been between 63-68 in a swamp cooler.

OG was 1.042 and I'm hoping to get FG under 1.010. Is it possible that primary fermentation is already over? If so, wow, that is one fast acting yeast.
 
I've used Nottingham quite a bit. I've had fast fermentations, 48 hours or so, and some that went quite a bit longer. I would say your most "active" fermentation may be done, but it is still fermenting. I leave nearly all of my beers in the primary for an average of 3 weeks. Then I check with a hydrometer on 2 consecutive days.
 
I find Nottingham is pretty well done in 4-5 days. I leave it in primary for 14 days anyway. I keep the temp at around 66F-68F with my temp controler.
 
i would say with that OG and temps you are almost at terminal gravity. i have a beer that i made Friday night used notty OG 1.055 it was at 1.009 today temp controlled at 65

Only way to be sure though is take a reading.
 
at 57 degrees it goes pretty slow but very steady, took over a week for a 1.051 beer.

I kept my current beer at it. Started on April 3rd at 56-58 and its still bubbling at once ever minute on the 13th. But I also started a little higher in gravity.

ps. I hate typing on a 9 year old laptop.
 
I would leave it alone for a week or 2 then check...even if its done in 2 days it will need some time to clean up....Also the high ferment temp (initially) will make it go faster but also add conditioning time...give it some time. You can check but either way you are going to lid it back up and give it time anyway...
 
I know this thread is a little old but my question is this: fermentation isn't done just when the yeast cake falls? I have an ale going started last tuesday I didn't see any yeast cake till today at the bottom is this normal? I intend to leave it alone for another two weeks
 
Active fermentation may be done but there are some byproducts that happen during active fermentation that the yeast will clean up if given more time. These byproducts give the beer "interesting" flavors but not necessarily the flavors you want. Be patient and let the yeast do its thing.
 
Active fermentation may be done but there are some byproducts that happen during active fermentation that the yeast will clean up if given more time. These byproducts give the beer "interesting" flavors but not necessarily the flavors you want. Be patient and let the yeast do its thing.

I know this thread is a little old but my question is this: fermentation isn't done just when the yeast cake falls? I have an ale going started last tuesday I didn't see any yeast cake till today at the bottom is this normal? I intend to leave it alone for another two weeks

What RM-MN said. There are 3 phases to the ferment: 1)Adaptive - yeast adapt to the wort environment, absorb available oxygen, build/adapt cell walls to access the fermentables in the wort. This is the "lag time" when you see nothing happening. 2)Attentuation - yeast explode/convert sugars/krausen forms. This is when you see airlock activity or press on the lid and get "blurps" from the airlock. 3)Conditioning - lots of yeast cells go dormant/krausen falls/yeast cake forms. . .but many yeast cells are still active. Slow conversion of remaining fermentables can occur but mostly early bi-products get consumed. Diacetyl & acetaldehyde are reduced as well.

If you judge completion by krausen, yeast cake, or even FG you'll miss the best part of the ferment - the cleanup phase. Those "active" signs just signal the end of the second phase of fermentation. The third phase turns your beer into better beer. Hope that's of some use to you. :)
 
Here's a good place for this. Nottingham less than 24 hours after pitching:

I pitched last night before bed, and this morning there was a thin krausen. It's gone nuts; was at 72 degrees which is OK by my standards but I thought I better cool it down anyway in case it explodes :D

ILhqOl.jpg
 
Thanks everyone for the info. Maybe I'll get a better bottle for Xmas so I can see the yeast phases
 

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