Nottingham Yeast recall

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Yeah, I sent 4 packets back over 4 weeks ago and no word yet. I won't buy again if I don't hear something from them. To bad I really liked the yeast :(
 
It sucks. I dont think im completely done with Notty, but I will definitely at least think twice and get worried at the prospect of pitching it. Im in college, I cant afford to pay 40-50 dollars on ingredients that get ruined by this small pack of yeast. At least the one I just used seems to be working for me.
 
This is a copy of an emailed response I received about the yeast situation. I had 3 bad packets and sent them in months ago like they told me. I still have not received a thing back. The more I think about my infection (bandaid flavor, odor) issues, every one except one used notty yeast. I will never touch the stuff again. I can't be sure that the yeast was the problem but I'm not chancing it any more, I have dumped hundreds of dollars worth of beer already.

10/26/09

"We received your shipment.

I will send you 5 sachets. Sorry for the delay, we were waiting for new sachets. I hope that everything will have left before next week.

Best regards

Marie Coppet"
 
Here is an update I just recieved from them about my sachets:

"On Nov 6, 2009, at 8:49 AM, Coppet Marie wrote:

Hello Eric,
We received the 4 sachets, thank you. We had to wait to receive the new batch to send back some sachets. We received them, so it should not be long now.
Thanks for your help, and sorry for this delay.
Best regards
Marie Coppet"

Hopefully this is a sign that they are on the right track.
 
I have a batch that has been in the keg 2 weeks (6 weeks total) ...it is getting better, but clearly is not ready ... was very weak Nottingham feermentation...might be going down the tubes if doesn't improve in a few weeks..
 
Here is an update I just recieved from them about my sachets:

"On Nov 6, 2009, at 8:49 AM, Coppet Marie wrote:

Hello Eric,
We received the 4 sachets, thank you. We had to wait to receive the new batch to send back some sachets. We received them, so it should not be long now.
Thanks for your help, and sorry for this delay.
Best regards
Marie Coppet"

Hopefully this is a sign that they are on the right track.

That's encouraging. I sent them like three weeks ago and I will haven't heard a word from them. I sort of assumed I was just screwed..
 
Awesome.
I just pitched some of this on a porter I brewed - and I'm into day 2 with no activity, which is why I queried this the board for Nottingham - in all my past 10 batches, that stuff goes off like a rocket when my carboy is at 65 degrees. Takes no more than 10 hrs to start. Never failed. Until now.

I have the blessed lot number. And of course, this is all the yeast I have in the house right now. I'm stoked to know I get to drive to the homebrew shop that only carries coopers and wonder if I just ruined my beer. ahhhh
PISSED!
 
That's encouraging. I sent them like three weeks ago and I will haven't heard a word from them. I sort of assumed I was just screwed..

I sent mine back Sept. 3. On Nov. 13 I received a package from Danstar/Lallemand in the mail. 3 packs returned for 1 sent. So at least thats good. I don't know what I'll do with them.
 
I sent mine back the first week of Sept. as well.

Anyone that got the email saying "your sachets are in the mail" actually recieve them?

I dont expect to see them at this point, as I have yet to hear of a single soul in the US or Canada recieving them.
 
You have to wonder if they're trying to decide if it would be worse to send out replacement packages that are still bunk or to not send them at all.

I just bought some Wyeast London Ale to replace the Notty pack in my fridge. The exp. date is heavily stamped into package. I love a N. English Brown, and I'm certainly not going to risk my batch.
 
I'll have to check the two I have at home in the fridge. It would make sense. I'm finally getting around to brewing and it will now be delayed by this :)
 
Funny, I just recieved 5 replacement packets of Notty, I guess they were telling the truth.
 
Thank you for this thread. I am vindicated from my post traumatic stress syndrome after brewing a bad batch with Nottingham. It took forever to get started, and when I hydrated it it didn't foam up or smell yeasty like it usually does. I don't know the lot number but I'm betting it was affected.
 
A plus note...
I bought my yeast from Williams Brewing, and they made good with me by replacing what I bought from them. ( I bought it in July, when this problem seemed to be just coming about)
Not William's fault, but they made good with me. Hat tip to them.

Sucks now though. I am hoping my newly purchased Munton's Gold will snap this thing back.
 
I just now saw this thread. DOH!

I brewed an IPA yesterday morning and pitched a packet of Nottingham. As of noon today I still had no airlock activity. I pulled the airlock off to peek in the bucket and I am actually having a fermentation, just seems way slower than usual. I didn't even have positive pressure on the 'lock.

My empty packet is now out in the trash with my grains and hops. I think I'll not bother digging it out. ;) I've got krausen so I'm gooood.
 
Here is the letter:
Picture35.jpg
 
I rec'd 10 packs today, in exchange for 3 sent.

Scared to use it.

Somebody else go first! :D

BTW - I saw an earlier post where somebody referred to the smell of band-aids. That was it!!! My ruined beer smelled like a pile of wet bandaids on top of a rotten banana.

It's too bad that the word is so slow in getting out, and people are still pitching the bad yeast. A ruined beer really sucks.
 
hmm they don't exactly seem to be consistent with the number of "courtesy sachets" they are doling out, do they?
 
I am looking forward to hearing from someone who pitches theirs. I hope that it comes out well. Credit to them for (finally) coming through with the replacements.
 
I got bold and pitched one pack of the notty that came in the mail; it was lot 1087117102 exp 6-2011. I pitched it in a no chill modified centennial blonde (from the recipe on this site) with an OG of 1.061. It took off within roughly 20 hours (I just dumped and stirred the dry yeast in) at an ambient of 65 to 68 degrees. After 4 days airlock activity has slowed. So it seems this satchet worked for me.


AND another thing....
I thought about writing a letter to Danstar to tell them that I'm pretty darn unhappy with their recall effort. What really ticks me off is that no where on the danstar/lallemand website is there a mention of the recall. I think that 'error of omission' is unethical. Based on the absolutetly dismal way that homebrewer's were informed of the problem (via a short message buried a hundred posts into a random thread) and the complete lack of communications from their web presence I honestly don't see myself choosing their products over the others that are commonly available.

This whole experience leaves me with a poor impression of the company. N_G
 
So far as we know, just the one batch was affected, correct?

I have some of the 11g packets, as well as some 5g packets. The 11g ones with right (wrong???) lot code were sent back, but I'm not real comfortable pitching the 5g packets.

I used one of the 5g packets to make some ginger ale, and it took FOR EVER to carbonate, and the flavour wasn't what I normally expect. I shrugged it off, but I wonder.
 
So far as we know, just the one batch was affected, correct?

I have some of the 11g packets, as well as some 5g packets. The 11g ones with right (wrong???) lot code were sent back, but I'm not real comfortable pitching the 5g packets.

I used one of the 5g packets to make some ginger ale, and it took FOR EVER to carbonate, and the flavour wasn't what I normally expect. I shrugged it off, but I wonder.

If you read through ALL the posts in all the threads on this (which I do not advise - I think there were three, and I've read them all), you will see that they admitted to a problem with one batch, but you get a clear impression that the problem was much bigger than that.
 
Ok, makes sense. I certainly didn't read all...most in this thread, but didn't look at the others. I hope they straighten things out, because I really like the yeast.

I think it's harder to catch with soda making if there's a problem. No lack of airlock activity or kreuzen to indicate a problem. Main indication would be squeezing the bottle to see if it's getting harder...pretty subjective!
 
I have had problems with a different batch. Contacted them a week ago, but no response.

Paul
 
I just got four packs back for one that I sent in. I made a starter with it this saturday just to make sure it was viable, it took off lake crazy and is bubbling away in a brown ale at 62 degress like a champ.
 
I brewed a variation of EdWort's Haus Pale Ale using the recalled yeast (pitched before I found out about the recall). It was a 13 gallon batch, so I pitched two of the recalled packages. Brewed the beer September 10 and active fermentation started within 36 hours. Seemed to ferment normally and finished at 1.013, which is very close to expected. Bottled on October 29. Opened a bottle at 3 weeks and it was under carbonated and still very green and turbid. Waited another week and opened another bottle and it was better, but not great. Opened more bottles this past weekend (6 weeks after bottling) and they were getting better but still fairly turbid. I've brewed this pale ale recipe three times in the past year and the biggest issue I'm associating with the defective yeast is the bottle priming. It seems to be taking longer than past times and is also not clearing well.
 
Man, I wish I had been following this. I haven't brewed in ages, and missed the recall notice. I pitched a packet of Notty on Saturday afternoon into 5 gallons of 1.050 wort. Nothing yet. The code on my "spare" pack is the recalled code, so I'm pretty sure the other one was, too. LHBS isn't open anytime I can get to it this week, so I think I'll just rehydrate the other packet, pitch it, and hope for the best. Ugh.
 
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