Yeast recommendation: alternative to Nottingham

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Troutmaskreplica

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Could I get some advice about an alternative to Nottingham dry ale yeast?

I've been making the same beer over and over again while I work out the kinks in my all grain system, each time changing only one or two variables to try and exercise some control over the process.

It's come to the point where I think I just don't like Nottingham ale yeast, but I can't be sure, because it's the only yeast I've used so far.

The brew I've been making is a pale ale: some 2 row as a base, some crystal for complexity, northern brewer as the bittering hop and cascade as flavoring/aroma hop.

I can't quite put my finger on why I don't like the result, but I think it has to do with the yeast.

Any suggestions as to a different yeast (or any other modifications I should try?)

Thx:mug:
 
you could try safale us-05. its similar, but different. still a very neutral yeast, but gives a little bit different qualities. what style beer are you going for? if you post the recipe it will be a bit easier to judge. with those ingredients its hard to tell if your making a PA, IPA, or something maltier.

also what temperature are you fermenting at? apparently notty is pretty bad above 70, but it can ferment really cold for an ale yeast, like down to the upper 50s and get a very crisp lager esque flavor
 
Yep- those ingredients scream for S05, fermented at 66-68 degrees.

I like nottingham, but to really taste good it needs to be fermented at 60-64 degrees. Above that it gets fruity, and above 70 degrees, it gets a bit foul.
 
i'm going for a pale ale. i think i'll give the safale a try.

any liquid yeast ideas, or should i stick to dry?

i suspect temps might be the issue with the nottingham. i keep the carboy in an ice bath, but i just can't seem to compete with the heatwaves we've been getting all summer.
 
Troutmaskreplica said:
i'm going for a pale ale. i think i'll give the safale a try.

any liquid yeast ideas, or should i stick to dry?

i suspect temps might be the issue with the nottingham. i keep the carboy in an ice bath, but i just can't seem to compete with the heatwaves we've been getting all summer.
Click to expand...

White Labs WLP 001 or Wyeast 1056. I can tell you from experience that the WLP 001 is very heat tolerant...I fermented it at 72 once and the beer came out excellent.
 
After reading this post, I am wondering about my Irish Red that I brewed 9/22 with Nottingham; If my chemistry and biology memory serves me well, the fermentation process is exothermic and therefore keeps the temp up.

Should I be concerned that everytime that I have checked it the temp is right @ 70 degrees? WIll this make it fruity?
I also noticed in another post that it is not uncommon for Nottingham ferment to slow right down after a couple of days (which mine did)
Am I better off getting the temp down for the remainder of the ferment period?

Does it matter at this point if the majority of ferment is done? As the fermentation slows, will the temperature start to drop as well.
Any input on this would be helpful.

On a side note, the temp was down this morning to high 60's (it was cool last night) and the rate of bubbling had slowed greatly since yesterday. Can a couple of degrees temp difference make for a drastic change in activity, or did the yeast just get the job done quickly?
 
Danstar has a new West Coast Dry Ale Yeast out as well; I'm with you as well.. there is something about Nottingham that I don't like in the Flavor Profile..; Many like US-05, but there is peach flavour I don't like.

For these two reasons I shy away from the two dry yeasts, and us Liquid... but, I would like to try the new Dry West Coast

http://www.danstaryeast.com/products/bry-97-american-west-coast-yeast
 
brewkinger said:
After reading this post, I am wondering about my Irish Red that I brewed 9/22 with Nottingham; If my chemistry and biology memory serves me well, the fermentation process is exothermic and therefore keeps the temp up.

Should I be concerned that everytime that I have checked it the temp is right @ 70 degrees? WIll this make it fruity?
I also noticed in another post that it is not uncommon for Nottingham ferment to slow right down after a couple of days (which mine did)
Am I better off getting the temp down for the remainder of the ferment period?

Does it matter at this point if the majority of ferment is done? As the fermentation slows, will the temperature start to drop as well.
Any input on this would be helpful.

On a side note, the temp was down this morning to high 60's (it was cool last night) and the rate of bubbling had slowed greatly since yesterday. Can a couple of degrees temp difference make for a drastic change in activity, or did the yeast just get the job done quickly?
Click to expand...

You have a stick-on thermometer so you can see that the fermenter is at 70 degrees?

70 degrees is a little on the high side for nottingham. I like it much better at 62 degrees. It gets fruity at 68-70, but it's still drinkable.

The majority of the esters are formed during the first 24-48 hours of fermentation. Cooling it now won't do anything for the flavor impact.
 
If you're interested in making your Pale Ale express sort of like an English bitter, try using 1318. (American Special Bitter?) Temperature control is pretty useful on that one though.
 
I don't love Notty either. Fermented cooler (close to 60) it's definitely better than if it gets towards 70, but for my money, US-05 is the best all-purpose neutral ale yeast. Of course much depends on your recipe, fermentation environment, and tastes, but US-05 is tremendously versatile, it's affordable, and it's widely available. Great staple to keep handy.
 
I'm going to be giving a new yeast strain a try next weekend. I'll be using WLP007 - Dry English Ale yeast. This one of two strains that Stone Brewing uses, which is fortunate because i'll be making an Arrogant Bastard IPA clone for a local club competition.

What I dislike about notty: It's not as attenuative as i'd like and can have some fruity esters at warmer temps. Lagering with Notty takes an extra two weeks minimum on high gravity wort.

What i've been studying about WLP007: It's a super high attenuator and should munch through the wort within 72 hours at proper pitching rates/temperatures. It's clean and can top out at 80% attenuation even at 10% ABV (great for high gravity beers). Bonus, it loves temps on the warmer side, at 65f-70f with little or no fruity esters.

Hopefully, it'll eliminate the residual sweetness i've been getting in my ales and kick up the ABV to a level where i'm used to.
 
I use wlp 007 and wlp 051 all the time. Wlp 007 is my fav. Notty not so much fruity at first gets better with time.
 
I'd look into some temperature control before writing off Nottingham altogether... I don't have any direct experience with it, but 70* just sitting in ambient air seems a little on the warm side to get a clean, non-estery ferment out of an ale yeast.

I'd also second US-05; as long as I've kept the temperatures down around 65 in my swamp cooler, I've gotten nice clean ferments, and the beers have always dropped clean after five weeks or so. Plus, no mucking around with starters.
 

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