Nottingham

I put together an IPA with 8lbs of light malt extract, some specialty grains and a bit of dextrine. I inoculated with rehydrated Danstar Nottinghams yeast, 11g in 120ml sterile mineral water and it got going pretty well. I usually have no problem keeping the temp down to around 66 to 68 but using my regular methods I'm having trouble keeping this one down to its lowest, 72. The pitch was at 75 and I immediately set up my normal cooling setup. (The temp is a stick on thermometer, not ambient.)

Is this just a real go getter and normally this hard to keep cool? I've never had this problem with other go getters such as S-05.

At this point I'm just going to let it run at this temp (its well beyond 3/4 done I would imagine) but I'm not that keen on some of the esters I've gotten in my early days with temps in the low 70's.

I use Nottingham most of the time and it brings up the temperature an easy 4-5 degrees. I try to pitch at the lowest temp recommended and set it in a bath of about 60 degrees. It keeps the temperature of the beer in the low to mid 60's. After a week I let it slowly come up to ambient room temperature (average 68-70) in this neck of the woods. It's easier up here since my tap water runs below 60 (even a little lower this time of year).

bosco

DrVertebrae said:

I usually have no problem keeping the temp down to around 66 to 68 but using my regular methods I'm having trouble keeping this one down to its lowest, 72. The pitch was at 75 and I immediately set up my normal cooling setup. (The temp is a stick on thermometer, not ambient.)

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You need to get the temp down below ferment temp before pitching. When using Notty I cool the wort to 56-57 before pitching then let it warm up to 60-61 by morning and hold it there.

I think you are right about the pitching temp even though in most instructions given for yeast is to pitch at a somewhat higher temp and then bring it down. In fact, on the packet I think it calls for a pitching temp of 75 to 80. And like I said, I usually have no problem bringing down the temp into the 60's before I see any activity but not with this little bugger. The next time I use it I will definitely pitch at a lower temp.