subliminalurge
Well-Known Member
I've got two empty fermenters sitting here and only one recipe kit on the way from Midwest. Given that I have a hard enough time keeping the pipeline full anyway, I decided to swing by the LHBS at lunch today and pick something out of their limited selection.
Even though my intention was to get something that could be turned around quickly, the stock on kits was pretty low and none of the quick turnaround stuff looked at all appealing. Ended up with the Holiday Ale kit. Sticker on the box calls for an OG in the 1.070 range, so this is a reasonably big beer and is going to have to age out at least a little. I'm hoping it will be reasonably ready by Christmas.
Since this is going to be taking up valuable carboy space for a while, I want to make sure I get it comes out good.
Anyone who's brewed it before, should I go ahead with the packet of Nottingham in the kit, or is there a better option from White Labs? (LHBS doesn't carry Wyeast, and I'm brewing tomorrow so can't order yeast online.)
Since I'll have to go with White Labs if I go liquid, and I don't really have time for a good starter, how many vials?
I actually have a yeast cake of Nottingham in my biggest carboy from an APA I just did. About an inch and a half thick at the bottome of a 6.5 gallon carboy. Looks to be mostly yeast, not seeing much trub. So I could potentially rack from the kettle onto that, but I'd want to look it over pretty good first. My sanitation and sealing of the carboy weren't done with the intention of racking back into it, so who knows what's gone on in there in the last couple days?
Even though my intention was to get something that could be turned around quickly, the stock on kits was pretty low and none of the quick turnaround stuff looked at all appealing. Ended up with the Holiday Ale kit. Sticker on the box calls for an OG in the 1.070 range, so this is a reasonably big beer and is going to have to age out at least a little. I'm hoping it will be reasonably ready by Christmas.
Since this is going to be taking up valuable carboy space for a while, I want to make sure I get it comes out good.
Anyone who's brewed it before, should I go ahead with the packet of Nottingham in the kit, or is there a better option from White Labs? (LHBS doesn't carry Wyeast, and I'm brewing tomorrow so can't order yeast online.)
Since I'll have to go with White Labs if I go liquid, and I don't really have time for a good starter, how many vials?
I actually have a yeast cake of Nottingham in my biggest carboy from an APA I just did. About an inch and a half thick at the bottome of a 6.5 gallon carboy. Looks to be mostly yeast, not seeing much trub. So I could potentially rack from the kettle onto that, but I'd want to look it over pretty good first. My sanitation and sealing of the carboy weren't done with the intention of racking back into it, so who knows what's gone on in there in the last couple days?