Bad Nottingham Experiment with Pics

[peoplesbrewingcoop]

How about we get the definitions correct.

rehydration - adding warm water to the dehydrated yeast
proofing - adding some sugar to rehydrated yeast

 

[RavenChief]

I think it's Nottinghams fault that people are "idiots" and that other people spout "obnoxious drivel." To test this theory, I rehydrated some Nottinghams and then came back and checked this forum. And voila! there were still idiots AND obnoxious drivel, showing that Notty's is clearly responsible for both!

OK That's atleast kind of funny. I don't mind being insulted as long as you put some thought into it.

 

[knightbeer39]

OK That's atleast kind of funny. I don't mind being insulted as long as you put some thought into it.

Hee hee, all in good fun my man.

 

[GNBrews]

Yep, rehydrating good yeast has *always* produced a good layer of foam and yeast "slurry" (best way to describe it) for me, after the few minutes of sitting in the tepid water without any extra sugars. To have the pellets sink like that would lead me to believe that a good majority of the yeast is indeed dead.

 

[Fletch78]

48 hours- 1.030

 

[soundsandsuds]

How about we get the definitions correct.

rehydration - adding warm water to the dehydrated yeast
proofing - adding some sugar to rehydrated yeast

I think you're mixing "correct" with the ways in which you and people you know tend to use them. Both are basically the same.

from Webster's dictionary:

"proof - : to activate (yeast) by mixing with water and sometimes sugar or milk"

Since there are carbohydrates built into the packaged yeast you are technically adding sugars to the yeast when you add water. Fermentation should be initiated with just the package of yeast and water.

 

[Fletch78]

Well, somebody gave me a thumbs up!

Chris

You also got some thumbs down.

 

[Rover]

you also got some thumbs down.

+1

 

[Fletch78]

All the bull**** is tiring me. I've got some DAP and GoFerm. Should I coddle it like a wine yeast before making up my mind? This bull**** over nomenclature is not constructive, there are pictures and descriptions to quell any inconsistency of definition.

The LHBS didn't have any Cali Ale for me, so I got some East Coast. They also scoffed at my suggestion there is bad Notty.

Either way, I'm set.

And if BOTH fail, I've still got some wine yeast I'll put in.

And if that fails, I'll use bread yeast from the grocery store. At least I get it free there, on my girlfriend's brother's baby-momma's WIC card. Bread yeast has never failed me, and I've used it on several non-beer brews.

For this topic, I just happened to look down at my brand new Notty and see it was 'suspect'. When I started this topic, I fully expected it to ferment out just fine. I did not expect that it would fail. It has failed. Yall have no idea how bad I wanted that hydrometer to fall so I could chime in and say "The yeast is fine, you are all idiots." That is not the case.

 

[300RUM]

All the bull**** is tiring me. I've got some DAP and GoFerm. Should I coddle it like a wine yeast before making up my mind? This bull**** over nomenclature is not constructive, there are pictures and descriptions to quell any inconsistency of definition.

The LHBS didn't have any Cali Ale for me, so I got some East Coast. They also scoffed at my suggestion there is bad Notty.

Either way, I'm set.

And if BOTH fail, I've still got some wine yeast I'll put in.

And if that fails, I'll use bread yeast from the grocery store. At least I get it free there, on my girlfriend's brother's baby-momma's WIC card. Bread yeast has never failed me, and I've used it on several non-beer brews.

For this topic, I just happened to look down at my brand new Notty and see it was 'suspect'. When I started this topic, I fully expected it to ferment out just fine. I did not expect that it would fail. It has failed. Yall have no idea how bad I wanted that hydrometer to fall so I could chime in and say "The yeast is fine, you are all idiots." That is not the case.

I'm with you bro

 

[Germelli1]

Don't worry, I am really really thankful someone is trying to do an unbiased experiment to finally bring this lot of yeast into indisbutable light.

The first time I heard about it, I was thinking the error was something with the user. But I have read so many stories of people with bad results that I will never buy nottingham. I never have bought it and when I do buy dry yeast, it is because I want something consistant and reliable as a backup for my other yeasts.

Thank you for putting the time and effort into this experiement and I wanted to make sure you knew there are people out here reading that appriciate it.

Many like me are being patient to see the results, unlike some people who are jumping at your throat because you are proving the yeast they love is faulty.

Thanks again!

 

[Scooby_Brew]

48 hours- 1.030

WOW this pretty much seals the deal. OG: 1.030. Gravity after 48 hours: 1.030, in 1 pint of wort. This thing is DEAD.
I managed to nurse my Notty back from dead after 48 hours, but it missed the brew day! Now it's sitting in my growler and I don't now if I should use it or pour it out
Here is my story: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/should-i-go-ahead-use-danstar-nottingham-192802/

 

[soundsandsuds]

I won't say that I'll never buy Nottingham again. It's generally a solid yeast, which is why so many people defend it vociferously.
Danstar clearly has to work out some issues, though. I'll try it again in a while.

That said, I pitched two packets of Mauri Ale Yeast into my carboy and immediately started getting airlock activity.

 

[Brewfat]

I dont understand why some people are protective of a yeast strain. I have had a problem with it, took five days to start. I doubt it turns out well. If it does i will post.

The manufacturer has admitted to a bad batch. How is it surprising that they may have had another?

 

[Germelli1]

I won't say that I'll never buy Nottingham again. It's generally a solid yeast, which is why so many people defend it vociferously.
Danstar clearly has to work out some issues, though. I'll try it again in a while.

That said, I pitched two packets of Mauri Ale Yeast into my carboy and started getting airlock activity.

I personally won't ever buy it (I can't say again because I have never used it). I usually use my own harvested pacman yeast for almost everything, but always have US-05 on hand for a back up. Like I said, when I buy dry yeast, it is because I need something very reliable and consistant on hand. I just wouldn't feel confident using Nottingham at this point when US-05 has been virtually problem free.

 

[Fletch78]

72 hours, no change. ~1.030

 

[Fletch78]

Notty is the only dry beer yeast my LHBS carries. I've never had a problem with it. I would definitely use it again, but not that lot number. It's super cheap and super effective. However, it probably won't be an issue for me for the simple reason I'm going to start washing my yeast and reusing it. A bad batch shouldn't be a reason to stop using the strain altogether. I can imagine myself in their position, and some contractor in the supply chain screwed something up, I wouldn't think it's fair for my whole empire to collapse from one (or two) bad lot numbers.

 

[Hermit]

My last batch appeared dead when I proofed it but it worked fine.

 

[Walker]

I'll throw in the fact that I pitched a pack of notty from the same lot as show in the first pic in this thread into the beer I brewed last night and I had kraeusen and airlock activity within 12 hours, so...

I don't think this is necessarily a "bad batch" of notty. if it was a bad batch, there wouldn't be a bunch of folks who are having success with it.

Perhaps a more important question would be, "Where did you get it from?"

idahoDal (who previously posted) is a friend of mine and his yeast came from Northern Brewer. mine came from my LHBS. Same lot, different supplier.

 

[passedpawn]

My last batch appeared dead when I proofed it but it worked fine.

Sooo, why do you proof yeast if you're going to use it anyway (whether it blooms or not)? The idea of proofing is to know whether the yeast is good or not before you pitch (into beer or bread). Or so I thought.

 

[Hermit]

Sooo, why do you proof yeast if you're going to use it anyway (whether it blooms or not)? The idea of proofing is to know whether the yeast is good or not before you pitch (into beer or bread). Or so I thought.

Proof/pre-activate. Quibble of terms I suppose. I generally boil a little sugar water at the very beginning of my brew day and when it is cool, toss in the yeast. Generally it has had a couple hours to proof/activate/whatever. My last batch there was no signs of activity when it came time to pitch. What are you going to do if you don't do this the day before? I keep a packet in the fridge. Had nothing happened I would have tossed it in also.

 

[Fletch78]

.

 

[Rover]

Can I post on this thread anymore?

 

[Rover]

I'll throw in the fact that I pitched a pack of notty from the same lot as show in the first pic in this thread into the beer I brewed last night and I had kraeusen and airlock activity within 12 hours, so...

I don't think this is necessarily a "bad batch" of notty. if it was a bad batch, there wouldn't be a bunch of folks who are having success with it.

Perhaps a more important question would be, "Where did you get it from?"

idahoDal (who previously posted) is a friend of mine and his yeast came from Northern Brewer. mine came from my LHBS. Same lot, different supplier.

I got my bad pack from Austin Homebrew supply

 

[passedpawn]

Can I post on this thread anymore?

Sure! Yoop was just cleaning up the stupidity. That's over with now, hopefully.

 

[Sean]

If some work and some don't, from the same batch, seems like a supplier issue. As someone mentioned above.

 

[dwarven_stout]

I've used yeast from this lot 3 times now. 1 pack from the LHBS, 2 packs from Brewmaster's Warehouse. All three beers have fermented just fine with no rehydration/proofing/stupidness.

 

[Sean]

Funny, that is the same batch I used this weekend. It worked fine. Which makes me think even more strongly that is must be a supplier issue. At least in this case.

I am in NC and got this from a brew supply store in Raleigh.

 

[Fletch78]

As far as I'm concerned, the experiment is over, 72 hours with no gravity change. I was only whining because people were chiming in with deconstructive comments before the experiment was over. Now that my personal experiment is over, yall have at it. I appreciate the moderator jumping in and cleaning it up, I myself started to get carried away and dragged down into the shi talk. I apologize.

Let the sh hit the fan.

 

[soundsandsuds]

The supplier issue doesn't make much sense to me, though. We haven't heard anything about the Windsor or the Munich. Plus, I'm in Vancouver, Canada while Fletch is in Georgia. It's not likely to be the same supplier.