Is WLP002 really that fast??

Hey everyone. So I brewed up a spiced brown ale the other day. 6 days ago actually. Its an extract based recipe. I made a starter of WLP002, and pitched it at about 74 deg F, then brought the temp down into the mid 60's as White Labs website states thats the best ferm temps for this yeast.

Well, I had a LOT of activity within an hour or two of pitching. I had to use a blowoff tube as the krausen was pouring out of my tube. It was a 6 gal fermenter and was a crazy fermentation. I pitched the yeast around 1PM on Friday, and by Sunday morning there was pretty much no activity. Krausen was gone and very few if any bubbles from the airlock I replace the tube with. So, today I took a gravity reading to see where it was at since there really looks like no activity. Heres what it came out to be:

OG- 1.072
FG- 1.018 (as of yesterday)

That gives me an attuation of 75% and ehite labs states it attenuates 63-70%. I am thinking I wont be getting my gravity much lower.

Does this seem right?? Can this yeast really ferment that quickly?? That seems like a super fast ferment. Its my first time using a starter, and I was rather impressed with how quickly it started.

Recipe in case it matters:
9lb LME
1lb Belgian Candi Sugar
.5 Crystal 60
.5 lb Victory
.25lb Carapils
.25 Chocolate

1oz Perle hops for bittering at 60
.5oz Northern at 15 min

Yes it can go through active fermentation that quick but most likely it's not yet done. Give it another week as it may still drop a few points as well as giving things a chance to clear up.

the yeast will finish up doing other things as well, even if fermentation for the most part is done. just let em do their thing.

My experiences with 002 have been pretty much the same as yours. Strong, active fermentation for a day or two then nothing. I still let it sit for about three weeks anyways to let the yeast clean up then clear.

WLP002 is an awesome yeast, I got like 80% attenuation using it in my FW Union Jack IPA clone. It fermented to final gravity in less than 4 days.

For your beer next time I might recommend pitching at fermenting temp rather than so warm (74). The warm temp will certainly help the fermentation get off to a rapid start however could throw some off flavors as well.

Even though your beer is almost to FG I would also recommend letting it sit in primary for another 2 weeks to let the yeast cleanup after themselves.

Looks like a tasty recipe, you'll have to let us know how it turns out!


P.S. - WLP002 Flocs like a rock, you'll have crystal clear beer in no time with it.

Well, I hope it didnt come across like I was going to keg it right away. I was just rather surprised that it could drop to pretty much the FG in that short of time. I am planning on letting it sit in the fermenter for about 3 more weeks. I am planning on adding orange peel and coriander after a few more days and letting it sit for another week before racking. I am rather impressed with this yeast so far. I think making my first ever starter did help also!

Yep, my experience with Wyeast 1968 is very similar. Love that yeast.

Although with a Mild I just finished I thought that I would skip the starter and just pitch the smacked pack into my 1.038 wort. No activity for 48 hours, then a slow krauzen for half a day or so, and then a few days of ticking off a single gravity point per day until getting to FG, all in the span of a week or so. Wasn't bad, but not what I expected for such a small beer. So, even with small beers I think I will be making starters, even if it is a small one.

I had the same experience six months ago. Same style, same yeast, same logic...I'll be making starters for my low gravity sessions as well. Beer turned out fine, ftr.

I used it in a smoked mild (OG 1.036) a week and a half ago. Active ferment was over in TWO days, gave the carboy a good swirl, and again a couple of days later, and it had dropped bright in a week, and I didn't detect any diacityl, so I bottled it.
I know, I know, let it clean up. My logic is that if it has completely flocced out, then it is done working.

I have an add on question about WLP002. I have not used this yeast in some time, so my memory (and notes) are a bit foggy on the subject. Has anybody had a problem with this yeast kicking off a bit slow when not making a starter?

I didn't under pitch by any means. I just found myself with ingredients and a day off yesterday so I made an English Brown. Since I didn't have time for a starter, I made a trip to the brew shop and picked up 2 vials of 002 before commencing the brew day. My particulars:

- 1.054 SG (mashed at 154 for a little residual malt sweetness)
- 5 gallons, pitched 2 vials of WLP002 that had come up to room temperature while I was chilling the wort and cleaning up my gear
- Wort was reading 66F on the fermometer on my better bottle, right in the sweet spot for this yeast.
- Best by date on both vials was Feb 10, 2013 (which means it was likely packaged just 2 or 3 weeks ago).
- Aerated with about 90 sec of pure O2 before pitching

Pitched both vials at 6 pm yesterday. When I left for work at 730 this morning, I had no krausen or signs of active ferment in the BB. I roused the yeast once last night and again this morning as I know this yeast has a temp to floc like a stone.

If memory serves, I think the last time I tried making a starter with this yeast, I had a little trouble getting it to kick off initially in the flask. Once it got going, it grew like crazy. I pitched that starter at high krausen so it had no trouble getting going. I am just wondering if this time, with mid 60s for temps and the fact that the yeast still had to wake up from a dead sleep since they were effectively dormant in the vial.

Not overly concerned. More curious than anything else.

winvarin said:

I have an add on question about WLP002. I have not used this yeast in some time, so my memory (and notes) are a bit foggy on the subject. Has anybody had a problem with this yeast kicking off a bit slow when not making a starter?

I didn't under pitch by any means. I just found myself with ingredients and a day off yesterday so I made an English Brown. Since I didn't have time for a starter, I made a trip to the brew shop and picked up 2 vials of 002 before commencing the brew day. My particulars:

- 1.054 SG (mashed at 154 for a little residual malt sweetness)
- 5 gallons, pitched 2 vials of WLP002 that had come up to room temperature while I was chilling the wort and cleaning up my gear
- Wort was reading 66F on the fermometer on my better bottle, right in the sweet spot for this yeast.
- Best by date on both vials was Feb 10, 2013 (which means it was likely packaged just 2 or 3 weeks ago).
- Aerated with about 90 sec of pure O2 before pitching

Pitched both vials at 6 pm yesterday. When I left for work at 730 this morning, I had no krausen or signs of active ferment in the BB. I roused the yeast once last night and again this morning as I know this yeast has a temp to floc like a stone.

If memory serves, I think the last time I tried making a starter with this yeast, I had a little trouble getting it to kick off initially in the flask. Once it got going, it grew like crazy. I pitched that starter at high krausen so it had no trouble getting going. I am just wondering if this time, with mid 60s for temps and the fact that the yeast still had to wake up from a dead sleep since they were effectively dormant in the vial.

Not overly concerned. More curious than anything else.

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I often have longer lag times with WLP002 than most other yeasts - especially when I didn't make a starter. Even when repitching or from a starter it tends to take a while - what I started doing was boiling some wort (after mashing), chilling and adding 1-2 quarts to get the yeast going before pitching - heard that tip on a CYBI episode and it's shortened my lag times with this yeast considerably.

AnchorBock said:

I often have longer lag times with WLP002 than most other yeasts - especially when I didn't make a starter. Even when repitching or from a starter it tends to take a while - what I started doing was boiling some wort (after mashing), chilling and adding 1-2 quarts to get the yeast going before pitching - heard that tip on a CYBI episode and it's shortened my lag times with this yeast considerably.

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Yep, me too. But once it gets going, it goes fast and leaves a nice bright beer behind. I often keg lower OG beers made with WLP002 at day 10.

Thanks for the responses guys. I had such a perfect brew day yesterday that I was a little bummed when I didn't wake up to a huge krausen this morning (have spoiled myself pitching too much rehydrated US-05 this summer)

On a side note Yoop, I am taking a keg of your Fizzy Yellow Beer to a tailgate at the Univ. of Oklahoma this weekend to celebrate the OU - notre dame game. My BMC football friends love that stuff.

winvarin said:

On a side note Yoop, I am taking a keg of your Fizzy Yellow Beer to a tailgate at the Univ. of Oklahoma this weekend to celebrate the OU - notre dame game. My BMC football friends love that stuff.

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Oh, I'm glad your friends enjoy it. We normally drink it as a summer beer, but I've noticed that it disappears FAST around my house when friends visit!

Yooper said:

Oh, I'm glad your friends enjoy it. We normally drink it as a summer beer, but I've noticed that it disappears FAST around my house when friends visit!

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I keep FYB around mostly for summer consumption as well (and it was 85f in Oklahoma yesterday after all) But these guys usually show up for a tailgate with Corona and (shudder) Coors Light. They would drink FYB in a snow storm.

winvarin said:

Thanks for the responses guys. I had such a perfect brew day yesterday that I was a little bummed when I didn't wake up to a huge krausen this morning (have spoiled myself pitching too much rehydrated US-05 this summer)

On a side note Yoop, I am taking a keg of your Fizzy Yellow Beer to a tailgate at the Univ. of Oklahoma this weekend to celebrate the OU - notre dame game. My BMC football friends love that stuff.

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Did you wake up to some krausen today?

AnchorBock said:

Did you wake up to some krausen today?

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Got busy last night and didn't post. There was about 2 inches of krausen when I got home last night around 6 pm. It was holding steady at 66f but crept up to around 68 f overnight. I forgot that some of these British yeasts can throw off some decent heat.

Not using a thermowell (my probe is just duct taped to the side of the fermenter). I'm having to set my temp controller at 60f to keep the wort at 66f.

I love watching this yeast ferment. It is going so strong that it looks like a pot of boiling wort with a thick layer of foam on top.

winvarin said:

Got busy last night and didn't post. There was about 2 inches of krausen when I got home last night around 6 pm. It was holding steady at 66f but crept up to around 68 f overnight. I forgot that some of these British yeasts can throw off some decent heat.

Not using a thermowell (my probe is just duct taped to the side of the fermenter). I'm having to set my temp controller at 60f to keep the wort at 66f.

I love watching this yeast ferment. It is going so strong that it looks like a pot of boiling wort with a thick layer of foam on top.

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Yea - I love this yeast - I use it in anything I can justify using it in (obviously English styles, but I've also been using it in both my APA and American IPA). Planning to put it to the test in a barleywine around Thanksgiving. It's pretty clean if you ferment around 62 or so. I like to pitch at 62, and after about 12 hours let it free rise to 66 - which is what Firestone Walker does with a proprietary strain that they say is close to WLP002.

Would it not leave behind too much residual sweetness for something big like a barley wine? I would be worried that you'd leave behind too much malt sweetness with a big grain bill

winvarin said:

Would it not leave behind too much residual sweetness for something big like a barley wine? I would be worried that you'd leave behind too much malt sweetness with a big grain bill

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This yeast, or rather, one "similar in profile" is used by Firestone Walker and Lagunitas. They both do big beers with it. It is all in how you handle it.

And to veer right back into the OP's subject matter, this sucker is slowing down the active phase already. It was pushing a pretty thick krausen when I checked on it before work this morning. Temp had even popped up to 68F. I turned my temp controller down a tick to see if I could cool it back into its range. That did it. By the time I got home from work, I was back to 66F and the krausen had dropped completely back into the beer. When I popped open the fridge door and the lights came on, I could see that it was still actively fermenting. But I don't remember the krausen dropping this quick. I guess that's to be expected though. I used a good blast of O2 before pitching, pitched 2 vials (BB date of 2/2012), and had the wort right in the yeast's sweet spot when I did it.

Figure it was already fermenting Monday night-Tuesday am even though I had no active signs until I got home. That would take me from pitch to dropping the krausen in about 48 hrs.

I generally do a 2-3 week primary at optimum yeast temps anyway. So I bumped the controller back up a notch and gave it a swirl for good measure.

winvarin said:

And to veer right back into the OP's subject matter, this sucker is slowing down the active phase already. It was pushing a pretty thick krausen when I checked on it before work this morning. Temp had even popped up to 68F. I turned my temp controller down a tick to see if I could cool it back into its range. That did it. By the time I got home from work, I was back to 66F and the krausen had dropped completely back into the beer. When I popped open the fridge door and the lights came on, I could see that it was still actively fermenting. But I don't remember the krausen dropping this quick. I guess that's to be expected though. I used a good blast of O2 before pitching, pitched 2 vials (BB date of 2/2012), and had the wort right in the yeast's sweet spot when I did it.

Figure it was already fermenting Monday night-Tuesday am even though I had no active signs until I got home. That would take me from pitch to dropping the krausen in about 48 hrs.

I generally do a 2-3 week primary at optimum yeast temps anyway. So I bumped the controller back up a notch and gave it a swirl for good measure.

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Yea the first few times I used the yeast I assumed I had stuck fermentation because the krausen dropped so fast! I also ramp up the temp at the end typically and sometimes rouse the fermenter, but havent really seen much difference when I do.

I am holding steady at 66f. Was going to sanitize a thief this weekend and take a gravity reading. Although as hard as it was fermenting and how much I had to fight it trying to push the temp, I would be surprised if it is stuck

winvarin said:

Would it not leave behind too much residual sweetness for something big like a barley wine? I would be worried that you'd leave behind too much malt sweetness with a big grain bill

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MachineShopBrewing said:

This yeast, or rather, one "similar in profile" is used by Firestone Walker and Lagunitas. They both do big beers with it. It is all in how you handle it.

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I used WLP002 for my FW Union Jack clone and got amazing attenuation (84.3%) - it took my gravity down from 1.070 to 1.011.

Like Machine mentions, it's all how you handle it. Large healthy starter, proper fermenting temps, lots of O2, and a low mash temp will get you excellent attenuation with this strain.

You can always go with WLP 007 also. That yeast has a similar profile to 002 and will ferment a little bit drier. 007 has become my "house" strain, so I know it pretty well.

Temp had even popped up to 68F. I turned my temp controller down a tick to see if I could cool it back into its range. That did it. By the time I got home from work, I was back to 66F and the krausen had dropped completely back into the beer.

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My experience with this strain is that you need to watch out when you lower the temp. I have seen it floc out prematurely from even a 1 degree temp drop.

It's getting colder here and my fermenting fridge is in the garage. I can always move it inside tonight if the hydrometer shows that it still has a ways to go. With a mash temp of 154-5 and an OG of 1053, I am expecting this to finish between 1011 and1013.

If I am off appreciably from that, moving inside to a warmer temp plus the rousing that will happen with the move should help it finish out.

Well, I may be stuck. I mashed almost dead on 154. I think my high temp reading was 154.6. Pitched 2 vials at 66F (no starter; but I did aerate with 60 sec of O2 before pitching; and the yeast was fresh fresh, with a best by date of Feb 2013). I had less than a 48 hr active ferment before the krausen dropped out. That was week 1.

At the beginning of week 2, I moved the beer inside to a warmer closet where it stood at around 70F for a full week. I saw no additional krausen form, but I did get a little additional off-gassing and hoped that was also due to some additional fermentation activity.

At the end of week 2 (around 15 days out from brew day), I moved it back to my fermentation fridge where it has set at around 65F until today (day 19).

I started at 1.054. Today I was at 1.018 with my hydrometer at 66F. My refractometer read 7.8 brix, which calculates to 1.031! So either way, I am calling this one stuck. I just hydrated a package of Notty, which I am going to pitch shortly, and move the beer back into the 70F closet.

Assuming the 1.018 is correct (which I don't really know how to take since I got 7.8 brix twice with my refractometer), I am figuring I am somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-67% attenuation depending on which one I believe.

So a couple of questions:

1. Should I expect much out of the Notty? Assuming my refractometer reading was the correct one (and I am making that assumption as I calibrated with distilled water right before taking the beer reading); I would think there is still enough fermentable sugar in there to give the Notty something to chew on.

2. Could I have just mashed too high and wound up with a high body, lowly fermentable wort? My mash temp reading was with a Thermapen (also recently calibrated). I doubt I ever topped 155F at any point in the mash. I mashed for around 65 min and got a good iodine test from both the top of the mash and through the sample drawn from the port at the bottom of my MLT.

One other thing I did on this beer that I don't usually do ... I used my bottling bucket as a collection device to allow me to get my runnings on the boil right away. I batch sparge so I took each set of runnings to the BK as soon as I'd collected them and got them on the fire.

I tasted the hydrometer sample and it was otherwordly good. Brown ale with an MO base and a fair amount of chocolate and medium color crystal (80L I think but I don't have my notes at hand). In my opinion, it was not really sweet. I would say it had a fair amount of malt flavor and I could definitely pick up the Fuggles and that signature "minerally" profile I associate with WLP002.

It tasted good enough that had it not been for the 3 or 4 hydrometer and refractometer readings I took (just because I didn't believe the numbers could be right), I would have kegged it today.

As it is, the Notty goes in today and I will take another hydrometer reading later in the week.

Kjjj

Your refractometer reading is off because of the alcohol present In the sample. You need to use hydrometers to get the FG. I think there is conversions for figuring the proper FG using a refractometer but I think it's easier to just use the hydrometer. Plus then you get a taste sample as well.

GilSwillBasementBrews said:

Your refractometer reading is off because of the alcohol present In the sample. You need to use hydrometers to get the FG. I think there is conversions for figuring the proper FG using a refractometer but I think it's easier to just use the hydrometer. Plus then you get a taste sample as well.

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I took a hydrometer reading too and got 1.018-20. Still about 6 points higher than I expected after 3 weeks. I re-hydrated and pitched the Notty. The fermenter is now sitting in my closet at 70f.

But what you said makes sense with what I observed. I could not get a consistent read from the refractometer. I took 3 samples and got results of 8, 7.8, and 7. Does that mean the alcohol was skewing those results?

Hopefully a full pack o rehydrated Notty will not be overwhelmed by the alcohol already present . I am just wanting to squeeze that last few points out.

I took a hydrometer reading too and got 1.018-20. Still about 6 points higher than I expected after 3 weeks. I re-hydrated and pitched the Notty. The fermenter is now sitting in my closet at 70f.

But what you said makes sense with what I observed. I could not get a consistent read from the refractometer. I took 3 samples and got results of 8, 7.8, and 7. Does that mean the alcohol was skewing those results?

Hopefully a full pack o rehydrated Notty will not be overwhelmed by the alcohol already present . I am just wanting to squeeze that last few points out.

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What was your grain bill? That may be as far as it will go down. I doubt the Notty will do anything. Once you get under 1.020, it is best to just leave it and figure out why it finished where it did. 1.018 isn't that high for a brown ale.

It's the beer listed in the English Brown section of the recipe forum as Nut Brown AG

Amount Item Type % or IBU
9.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 76.6 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 8.5 %
1.00 lb Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 8.5 %
0.50 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4.3 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 2.1 %
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50%] (60 min) Hops 14.7 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (15 min) Hops 8.1 IBU

Used Maris Otter for the base malt. Mashed at 154-154.5. OG was 1.054. Fermented in the mid 60s with 2 vials of 002.

When I tasted it this afternoon it was malt forward but not at all sweet. Light English hop flavor and yeast profile were definitely evident.

I was just surprised that I only got 67% attenuation, considering what everyone has said here about their super attenuative results with this yeast. Maybe no so surprising considering my mash temp.

Notty is in at this point. I'll just let it ride another week. Taste was very clean today. And I followed the same sanitation regimen with the Nottty that I would with an unfermented wort. So worst case, I'll knock it down a couple more points.

Tell you what. That's my first experience with this recipe. If the finished product is in the same ballpark as the hydrometer sample, it may find a place in my regular fall lineup.

winvarin said:

It's the beer listed in the English Brown section of the recipe forum as Nut Brown AG

Amount Item Type % or IBU
9.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 76.6 %
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 8.5 %
1.00 lb Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 8.5 %
0.50 lb Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4.3 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 2.1 %
1.00 oz Fuggles [4.50%] (60 min) Hops 14.7 IBU
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00%] (15 min) Hops 8.1 IBU

Used Maris Otter for the base malt. Mashed at 154-154.5. OG was 1.054. Fermented in the mid 60s with 2 vials of 002.

When I tasted it this afternoon it was malt forward but not at all sweet. Light English hop flavor and yeast profile were definitely evident.

I was just surprised that I only got 67% attenuation, considering what everyone has said here about their super attenuative results with this yeast. Maybe no so surprising considering my mash temp.

Notty is in at this point. I'll just let it ride another week. Taste was very clean today. And I followed the same sanitation regimen with the Nottty that I would with an unfermented wort. So worst case, I'll knock it down a couple more points.

Tell you what. That's my first experience with this recipe. If the finished product is in the same ballpark as the hydrometer sample, it may find a place in my regular fall lineup.

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67% at 154F sounds about right - you just mashed a bit high if you were looking for something drier. If you want something a little drier mash closer to 150, if you want to go really dry you can do something like Firestone Walker and mash at 145F for around 45 minutes and 155F for around 15 minutes (I've done 145 for an hour and 155 for 30 minutes and gotten over 80% attenuation with 002).

If the beer tasted good already, why pitch more yeast?

AnchorBock said:

If the beer tasted good already, why pitch more yeast?

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A combination of things really. My "standard" single temp mash is 150-52. I was looking for more body (along the lines of Avery's Ellie's Brown). So I mashed high.

But since I don't usually mash as high as I did, I really didn't know what to expect in terms of attenuation. Then I took both a hydrometer and a refractometer reading and spooked myself a bit.

Three refractometer readings gave 3 different results. The tool is relatively new to me and I am still getting used to it. I did the conversions and it looked like the Brix value I got could have converted to as high as 1.031. Then someone here pointed out that the Brix reading post ferment may be unreliable due to the presence of alcohol.

When I did the hydrometer reading, I was fluctuating between 1018 and 1020. So about 67%. When prepping this recipe initially, since I don't usually mash this high, I figured on ending up on the low end of 002's attenuation (I want to say I was planning to hit 72%).

When I was only a 67% after 19 days, I assumed I was stuck and pitched the Notty to get those extra few points.

I am not shooting for a dry beer by any means. I was just making the assumption that I needed to be drier than I was. The way it tasted today, if I don't drop another point, it is still a really good beer. Even if I did just bump the price of the batch up a few $ by pitching the Nottingham.

67% with 002 is about right with that recipe and mash temp. Next time you could try the 007 if you want. That would take it down to the 1.010-1.014 range. Calibrate your thermometers too. You would be surprised how easy it is for a thermometer to be off at mash temps. I was having a problem a couple years ago with my beers finishing high. I found out my thermometer was reading 6 degrees low at mash temps.

MachineShopBrewing said:

67% with 002 is about right with that recipe and mash temp. Next time you could try the 007 if you want. That would take it down to the 1.010-1.014 range. Calibrate your thermometers too. You would be surprised how easy it is for a thermometer to be off at mash temps. I was having a problem a couple years ago with my beers finishing high. I found out my thermometer was reading 6 degrees low at mash temps.

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Dry is not really what I am looking for. I just thought I wasn't dry enough. If 1020 is where I wind up, I am good with that. I just didn't know where to expect to end up with that much roasted grain and that mash temp.

It sounds like we're saying I'm not stuck.

For what it's worth, I just tried my Thermapen in a glass of 50/50 crushed ice and water. I get fluctuations between 31.9 and 32.3.

winvarin said:

Dry is not really what I am looking for. I just thought I wasn't dry enough. If 1020 is where I wind up, I am good with that. I just didn't know where to expect to end up with that much roasted grain and that mash temp.

It sounds like we're saying I'm not stuck.

For what it's worth, I just tried my Thermapen in a glass of 50/50 crushed ice and water. I get fluctuations between 31.9 and 32.3.

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Yeah I think you're fine. I think it just finished higher than you were expecting it too. I've had a few beers finish around 1.020 mostly from extract batches but a few all grains petered out before they reached where I thought they were going to go to.

A little update. I pitched the Notty at 2 pm yesterday and set it in my closet at 68F. As of this morning, I am getting a little off gassing in the airlock. I can also see some yeast "rafts" here and there and see bubbles coming up through the wort. Looks like I am going to take it down a couple of points anyway. The plan at this point is to leave it a week and keg next Sunday.

It was a full pack of re-hydrated Nottingham. Do you think a week is enough to let it finish up? I figure there's not a great amount of residual sugar, so what ferment I get should not be overly long. I just don't want to run the risk of this new fermentation leaving some of its pre-cursors behind (acetaldehyde or diacetyl). I can leave it an extra week if I need to. But at this point, it is still on the primary trub and yeast cake from the 002.

Was going to serve this at Thanksgiving. Looks like this will be a Christmas beer now.

Refractometers are basically worthless after you pitch the yeast, the alcohol skews the reading. There are conversion charts but they aren't very accurate. Hydrometer is the only way to go.

I doubt your mash temp is the culprit, you were just a tad high.

I'd try and warm the beer up a few degrees, I bet it will pick back up.

OK. This is a little odd. Well, I say odd, but I don't usually do an extra yeast pitch, so I am in uncharted territory.

So I pitched the rehydrated Notty a week ago, Within 24 hrs, I didn't have a krausen (to be expected since I had already dropped a bit with the 002), but I did see small yeast "rafts" floating on top and giving off CO2. But these rafts have persisted all week. We are now a week ago today and they are still there, and creating enough C02 to push the airlock. It has been in a 70-71F closet all week.

I just moved it back out to my fermenting fridge (65F) but I find it off that there was enough sugar left for a full pack of Notty to chew through for that long. My first thought was that I'd infected it with the repitch, but I pulled the stopper on the better bottle and took a whiff and it smells OK. I didn't pull a taste/hydro sample because there was still a lot of yeast in suspension.

So that's 4 weeks now (3 on the 002 alone that finished high). Then another week with a repitch of Notty. I was really hoping to keg it this weekend, but I really think I need to let it ride through the holiday weekend to get the Nottingham to drop out. I see some Notty clinging to the sides, so I am hoping that means it's trying to settle out. Hopefully the few degrees of temp drop helps.

I'd really like to clear this up and taste it to ensure that I have not done any harm with the secondary yeast pitch.

Any yeast wranglers, especially those with experience with British strains want to weigh in?