How cold have you fermented Nottingham?

I have a pale ale on deck for tomorrow night. I want to use Nottingham for it. My house if 59 defrees F. The Nottingham is advertised to be usable down to 57 but I've had other yeast strains get really, really lame below about 62 so I am slightly concerned...

So I am asking you guys: do any of you have actual experience using Nottingham below 60 deg. F? How cold have you used it?

Thanks for your help.

Keep in mind that the temperature inside the carboy will be higher than the ambient temperature. Notty is a pretty durable strain of yeast and it provided the most active fermentation I've seen yet. I don't think you'll have a problem but it will probably ferment slower than normal because of the lower temps. Just make sure you check your gravity and get it to your target before transfering.

+1 ^^^. I find the carboy temp to be +5 or better when cookin'.

Use a hydrometer, and let 'er go in the primary for a while. May take 2-3 weeks, which is about what I am up to on any beer I brew with the house at 64F.

60 is about as low as I've gone with it and it does slow down but keeps chugging along. I have read that some folks have detected diacetyl tastes when using Notty at cooler temps, so I raise the temp to 67-68 for a few days once it slows down. I'm not sure that's necessary, but I haven't had any off flavors and they always finish where they're supposed to so it's become part of my regular routine.

I just fermented an APA with Notty @ 59 degrees. It took a couple of days to take off, but after 7 days the Krausen has fallen. I will probably warm mine up for a few days, and then check the FG.

My nottingham ales have been fermented as low as 59 degrees. I pitched a little warmer (64-ish) though, hoping it would take off and be a bit warmer than ambient. I haven't had any problems so far.

I haven't tried anything lower than about 62, but that turned out just fine.

Not long ago a Norwegian member talked about going away for a while and the temp in his house falling dramatically. Despite this, his beer came out fine. Wasn't he using Notty, or am I misremembering?

I used notingham in a cream ale not to long ago that i fermented between 57-59F. I racked onto a yeast cake, so the pitch rate was higher than using just a re-hydrated pack.

The fermentation was much slower than usual, and much less 'violent' than when fermented between 66-68, but it finished out just fine.

If you were concerned about lag time i guess you could just pitch 2 packs.

The recommended fermentation temperature range of this strain is 14° to 21°C (57° to 70°F)

Per their website (Danstar Premium Beer Yeasts - The Dry Yeast Advantage)

It also says "with good tolerance to low fermentation temperatures (12°C/54°F) that allow this strain to be used in lager-style beer. "

When I used it I was about about 67 though, but I think this is just one of the reason why people like this stuff so much, it is very versatile and a champ at eating sugar.

Thanks guys. What I am picking up from those of you who have actually tried using Notty below 60, and from their website, is that as temperature decreases you should pitch more. I will not have time to get more before the brew session, so I think I will pitch a little high and leave a blanket on the bucket... I bet it works.

BTW the recipe is for a PM pale ale and uses pilsen DME, Pale, Pilsen, Victory, Caramel and Carapils grain malts, and Fuggles and Willamette hops. I am stoked, I really like the recipe for a clean, balanced, straight-ahead beer with some character. Go, Notty, go!

Well the brew went off great and using Deathbrewer's brew-in-a-bag partial mash method I was pleased to hit my O.G. spot on. Ambient temp in the house is slightly below 60, and I pitched the Nottingham into about 68 degree wort. Things were slow getting started so I moved the bucket next to a heating vent and put a sleeping bag over it. The stick-on thermometer is reading 62 now with a nice head of krausen on the beer.

I think if I were doing this again I'd dry-pitch two packets for a moderate sized (og 1.048) beer with these low temperatures-- I hate rehydrating, it's always one more thing to think about and I seem to always be nervous about killing my yeast.

Got a clean and complete ferment. Awesome.