Nottingham flocculation

I made a batch of ~1.084 cider using 5 gallons of juice, 4 lbs light brn sugar, 1 lb honey. I've never used anything other than wine yeast, but this time I wanted to see if there was any difference in flavors than in my other ciders. Usually D47 is my choice of anything white, mead and cider included, but for this I used a single packet of Nottingham.

The difference in flocculation is mind blowing! I fermented at ~60F for the first week, and let it warm up to about 72F for the last few days before I racked over to secondary. The gravity was about 1.025 at racking, and the yeast that was in the bottom was probably more dense than pudding. Even a few days after racking, there is a new smaller layer of yeast on the bottom that is taking care of the secondary fermentation. I always wondered how people could get away with not racking beer, but with yeast that compact as nicely as this, I can understand now.

What is the quality in a yeast that makes if flocculate well? My 71B and RC-212 wine yeasts never really get this compact, nor do they settle out as quickly.

When I make small batches using nottingham, I don't even use a syphon, I just pour from the fermenting vessel into the sanitized original container. Obviously, you can oxidize this way, but if it gets consumed in a weekend, it doesn't matter.

If you bottle, the sediment will float around for about a week. After that, you can pour the entire contents from the bottle. It creates a perfectly compacted film at the bottom.

No clue on why this strain is more flocculant than others...just good jeans I guess.

Nottingham!?! Consumed in a weekend!?! You have summoned the cider redneck. Nottingham is the duct tape of yeasts, we don't really know much about this top secret stuff, just that it works.

Written while preparing to drink some cider.

Pickled_Pepper said:

When I make small batches using nottingham, I don't even use a syphon, I just pour from the fermenting vessel into the sanitized original container. Obviously, you can oxidize this way, but if it gets consumed in a weekend, it doesn't matter.

If you bottle, the sediment will float around for about a week. After that, you can pour the entire contents from the bottle. It creates a perfectly compacted film at the bottom.

No clue on why this strain is more flocculant than others...just good jeans I guess.

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I'm telling you Pickled Pepper, the only jeans that Nottingham has are blue jeans.....because it's redneck as h@ll.

Haha...jeans...genes...whatever it takes.

Just cultural policing here, but a traditional English ale yeast cannot be 'redneck'. Cider makers certainly can be, but not not the yeast, haha.

McNorseman said:

Nottingham!?! Nottingham is the duct tape of yeasts, we don't really know much about this top secret stuff, just that it works.

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Nice! Yes I have to agree Mcnorseman.

Great line btw, I'm gonna steal that one and use it for my brewing class this week!