Nottingham attenuation

All of my beers made with nottingham have finished with 85-90% attenuation. I've used this yeast exclusively for the past ten beers after going AG. I've calibrated my thermometer in boiling water for the mash, but am still wondering if it is off since the attenuation seems really high. I've been mashing at about 152-155. My questions is: Is this a typical attenuation for this yeast based on the mash temps, or is it too high, suggesting a thermometer that is reading too low?

Here is the spec sheet on Notty:

http://www.homebrewit.com/Nottingham_facts.pdf

According to Danstar, it is "high" attenuating strain with the ability to reduce SG to 1.008.

It sounds like you are within specs.

Hopefully, others with ACTUAL experience will pipe in soon

I will be playing with this strain soon tho

jmo88 said:

Is this a typical attenuation for this yeast based on the mash temps, or is it too high, suggesting a thermometer that is reading too low?

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Yup Nottingham is among the best attenuaters as far as ale yeasts go 85-90% isn't anything out of the ordinary

I just racked Yoopers DFH 60 minute clone (extract) to secondary. I used Nottingham and it brought SG from 1.069 to 1.019. Beersmith says that is about a 70% attenuation.

Notty always goes very high for me as well. I use it in my RyePA for that dry crispness that I love. Yummy!

I use notty alot, and it has never come in below 70%, although 80-85 is the norm for me!

I love the taste of the yeast but was hoping for a little more body next time. Something closer to 1.012 for a mid gravity beer. I'm thinking either 158-160 mashes or add more crystal malts next time. How does everyone else work at getting a higher FG for notty, if that's what your looking for?

jmo88 said:

I love the taste of the yeast but was hoping for a little more body next time. Something closer to 1.012 for a mid gravity beer. I'm thinking either 158-160 mashes or add more crystal malts next time. How does everyone else work at getting a higher FG for notty, if that's what your looking for?

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The two things that you mentioned are where I would start. Higher mash temp, more non-fermentables.

I'm glad I found this thread. Am brewing a batch with Windsor. After a day of fermenting I added honey and maple syrup. I fear I will have too much honey flavor and was looking for a high attenuation yeast to eat up more of the honey. I think Nottingham will do the trick. Tanks.

I was wondering the same thing some time ago, and found that I had to mash at 156 or so to end up around 1.012 when using notty.

To the OP. I typically plan to mash around 155-156 when using Notty on my typical 1.050ish ales. I usually end up around 1.010 - 1.012. I found with Notty when I mash around 152 I get 1.008 beer, which is good sometimes, but not all the time.

I have been getting around 80% attenuation as well, and I have loved the stable results with notty. Always clean...but it goes like a bat out of hell! I have blown my ferm. lock in my last two batches and it is done with most of the main fermentation after three days. I am thinking I will switch to a tube for the primary so I don't have to wash my ceiling tiles after brewing. With notty I don't get to watch the ferm. lock bubble for a week, but I guess there is no chance for lesser organisms to funkify, considering it is bubbling away in 3 or 4 hours.

First time I brewed with Nottingham was Saturday, but I couldn't pitch until Sunday (long story) and the wort has warmed to 72°. I had planned to ferment at 68°. I pitched at 72° and directly pitched the yeast packs into the wort on Sunday around noon. By Tuesday evening, no airlock activity. Is this the normal speed I can expect with Nottingham? Going to wait to test the gravity until the second beer in the ferm chamber is done as well. It was still chugging along (different yeast).

TD


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This explains in part why I had to wait to pitch and why the wort warmed up to ambient. Didn't want to lift the second fermenter into freezer on my first double brew day before I had oxygenated and pitched yeast for first fermenter, and by the end, I was too tired to lift anything, so I waited until Sunday. Those are pretty heavy and not so easy to get a grip on, especially after a long brew day.


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At 72°, it should go incredibly fast but it probably won't taste great. Notty is really clean up to about 66-68. At that point, it starts kicking some funky esters that I don't care for.

I've been starting Notty at around 59 or 60, then finishing at about 66 when it slows down. I just did a cream ale with it at those temps (60 for 3 days, then raised to 66) and it was done by the time I opened the lid on day 5.

Good to know for the future. I should've loaded the fermenter into the fridge and fermented cooler I suppose. Time will tell.
I had the freezer set to 66° but pitched at 72° with non rehydrated yeast. Will try and report back. Was an Irish red ale.


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Raising this from the dead.

I'm fermenting my 2nd AG batch now and its an ESB recipe. Its been fernenting for 7 days and it when from OG 1.056 to 1.009 and there's still a little airlock activity. I was shooting for a %5.5 beer.

Can i expect the beer to be really dry? I will mash higher next time - i mashed at 67 but it was around 64-65 for close to 10min before it stabilized, i have a grainfather - if i don't like how it turns out!

I suppose thats the answer.