nottingham w.t.f.

[motobrewer]

This is the second time in a row nottingham has failed to start for me. The same beer. Orfy's Mild. 1.040. Rehydrate at 90F. Pitched at 65F.

does anyone else have severe notty problems?

 

[flars]

wtf How old was the yeast?

 

[slym2none]

I have been using it exclusively for my past 5 batches, and other than a long lag-time with one pack, no problems whatsoever.

How long ago did you pitch? That one pack was 48 hours minimum before the yeastie beasties started doing their thing, and I washed & reused the yeast (experimenting) a few times, with the last batch (and a healthy pitch, to boot) taking 68 hours before taking off. I was about to go out and buy more yeast to pitch when I saw the foam start.

This last pack I got, I used on my currently fermenting Irish red, and it started it up in 12 hours.

Yeast are weird, sometimes.

 

[motobrewer]

i don't remember the date. it was bought on thursday from Northern Brewer.

The last time it failed I gave it 48 hours before I pitched US-04. After I did it started within 4 hours.

This time it's been exactly 24 hours. Absolutely no change.

 

[user 163849]

I have a Northern Brewer Irish Red in the fermentation fridge that has been there for over 48 hours now at approx 63.5 degrees f. The Nottingham Ale yeast was re hydrated and I used an oxygen stone for oxygenation. So far no obvious sign of fermentation. The yeast is from lot #1080486V and expiration date is 08/2016. I thought it was just me.

 

[slym2none]

Give your yeast, no matter what kind it is, 72 hours before re-pitching. Sometimes it just takes a while.

In this hobby, patience is a virtue.

 

[user 163849]

I have little choice in the matter. The only yeast available locally would be bread yeast and that is useless to me. I would have to drive at least an hour to San Antonio or wait for mail order. So I am waiting patiently and hopefully, if a bit skeptically.

 

[slym2none]

*thumbs up*

You too, OP!

 

[motobrewer]

72 hours is crazy in my opinion. I also force oxygenate and the only yeast that lags over 24 hours for me is notty. I've used notty in years past for ales and ciders and don't recall long lag times

 

[Zepth]

I had a few batches with notty that seems to misbehave. In a row. Then I bailed on it. US-05 works for me just fine, and seems to be more predictable. Prior to these incidents notty had been my go-to workhorse.

 

[slym2none]

72 hours is crazy in my opinion. I also force oxygenate and the only yeast that lags over 24 hours for me is notty. I've used notty in years past for ales and ciders and don't recall long lag times

It isn't the norm, but it is within the realm of possibility.

 

[user 163849]

I just went out to the garage to check on my Irish Red and that reluctant Nottingham yeast. I was quite relieved to finally hear the sound of bubbles in the fermentation fridge. I pitched that yeast at around 11:30 AM on September 25 and as of 7:00 PM last night there were no sure signs of fermentation, but at 5:21 AM this morning (9/28) it is chugging along at a leisurely 15 beats per minute. If my early morning math is working correctly that's about 56 hours minimum (I have no way of knowing what time it started during the night).

This experience and the comments of others will probably decrease the likelihood of me purchasing Nottingham Ale yeast in the future.

EDIT: My wife just told me that that it is appropriate that my Irish Red Ale would begin fermentation at or about the same time as the blood moon during last nights eclipse. This ale may need a name? LOL

 

[MrFeltimo]

I had recently used Notty for a nut brown, SG 1.04ish.
36 hours after pitching i had hardly any bubbles and a small thin cap of krausan. 48 hours all had stopped. with this i checked the gravity,1.014, DONE. I did leave it for the usual 2 weeks to finish off. I have to say, its a weird yeast, im not a big fan overall.

 

[cannman]

This is the second time in a row nottingham has failed to start for me. The same beer. Orfy's Mild. 1.040. Rehydrate at 90F. Pitched at 65F.

does anyone else have severe notty problems?

How often are you brewing?

 

[motobrewer]

How often are you brewing?

2nd time in a row for notty specifically. I brewed the same beer in April and notty failed to start. I brewed ~50 gallons in April/May but then didn't do much over the summer. Brewed 20g this past weekend.

This morning (36hrs after pitching) it's still stone dead, however a krausen has formed on the pils.

 

[cannman]

I hate Notty for other reasons and will often avoid it unless I'm cloning. One thing to look into is once you get a Notty going, wash and repitch that yeast in your next batch.

FWIW, I had an Oktoberfest yeast this year that made a tiny thin layer on top, and after a few days of little action I checked the gravity to see how far off I finished from my expected gravity and it turned out it was spot on! So, measure it in a few days and maybe you have a particular version that does things quietly.

 

[motobrewer]

Yeah I have had beers not make krausen before but always get some airlock activity.

Last time this happened I checked grav after 2 days and it was no change so I pitched us04

 

[slym2none]

Give it another day or so, Moto. You just saw another user post that it took them 56 hours. If it's going to start eventually, there's no use pitching more yeast unless waiting another 30 hours is going to kill you. (Hint: it won't.)

 

[brewbama]

Are you using the dry version or liquid White Labs version?

 

[Psylocide]

Give it another day or so, Moto. You just saw another user post that it took them 56 hours. If it's going to start eventually, there's no use pitching more yeast unless waiting another 30 hours is going to kill you. (Hint: it won't.)

I think it's worth pointing out that Moto isn't a noob and 72 hrs lag time is (even 56), in fact, crazy.

As for @motobrewer , I haven't had any issues with rehydrated Notty lately... but haven't recorded any date codes or the like. I use it on nearly every brew and no issues in the past 6 months. Usually a lag time of ~12 hrs.

 

[motobrewer]

Give it another day or so, Moto. You just saw another user post that it took them 56 hours. If it's going to start eventually, there's no use pitching more yeast unless waiting another 30 hours is going to kill you. (Hint: it won't.)

your post, plus your sig, is comical.

 

[Rev2010]

*EDIT - think I was referring to pitching without rehydrating rather than temps. So my post is irrelevant and deleted. My bad.

 

[motobrewer]

I think it's worth pointing out that Moto isn't a noob

well i wouldn't go that far

but there's no good reason for lag time to last 48 hours on a 1.040 beer when pitching rehydrated dry yeast.

i let the rehydrate cool down at room temp. i don't know what the temp is exactly (I should probably record for future reference) but it wasn't 90F.

 

[aprichman]

well i wouldn't go that far

but there's no good reason for lag time to last 48 hours on a 1.040 beer when pitching rehydrated dry yeast.

i let the rehydrate cool down at room temp. i don't know what the temp is exactly (I should probably record for future reference) but it wasn't 90F.

What kind of water are you using to hydrate your yeast?

 

[Psylocide]

well i wouldn't go that far

but there's no good reason for lag time to last 48 hours on a 1.040 beer when pitching rehydrated dry yeast.

i let the rehydrate cool down at room temp. i don't know what the temp is exactly (I should probably record for future reference) but it wasn't 90F.

Well, let's just say... not noob enough to have to be told about a possible 72 hr lag time (which again, is nucking futs).

That better?

 

[Peruvian802]

I've dumped a notty yeast cake in an aerated (not oxygenated) fermenter and had it take off within 3 hours.

 

[slym2none]

*edit*

 

[slym2none]

your post, plus your sig, is comical.

OK. I'll go **** off in a corner now...

 

[Psylocide]

And I am just saying that IF it's gonna take off in 30 more hours, there's no reason to pitch more yeast now unless time really is that big if a factor.

If it still isn't doing anything by tomorrow night, then yeah, yeast are definitively dead.

Well, sorry... but that whole "72 hours" timeframe isn't hard and fast.

Someone said "hey, look at this guy... took his beer 72 hours to take off."

And a sticky was born. Doesn't make it right, imo... 72 hours is too much lag time. Something is wrong.

 

[slym2none]

Well, sorry... but that whole "72 hours" timeframe isn't hard and fast.

Someone said "hey, look at this guy... took his beer 72 hours to take off."

And a sticky was born. Doesn't make it right, imo... 72 hours is too much lag time. Something is wrong.

I can't hear you over here in this corner...