Nottingham Yeast

[MikeFlynn74]

Ive never had Notty take less than 2hrs to start showing signs or anything less than 4 to start a krausen.

 

[EdWort]

I think that the reason you are getting slow starts is because none of you are using the yeast properly.

From http://www.danstaryeast.com/tds/nottingham.pdf

Perhaps, but I have NEVER had this problem before. I always pull the packet from the fridge, let warm up for a few hours, then pour directly on 75 degree wort late in the afternoon.

By morning it is ALWAYS going gang busters.

Something has changed with the yeast to get these numerous issues.

 

[enderwig]

holy **** people

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/fermentation-can-take-24-72-hrs-show-visible-signs-43635/

This isn't an isolated incident, there are a number of "experienced" brewers having these problems. I know I have brewed close to 100 batches, and I'm sure some of the other people in these couple of threads aren't all on their first batch.

 

[carbon111]

I always pull the packet from the fridge, let warm up for a few hours, then pour directly on 75 degree wort late in the afternoon.

By morning it is ALWAYS going gang busters.

My last few batches brewed with Notty worked exactly as you describe. These packets were all bought at the same time - I've still got a couple packs: Lot 1080360088V

I hope the veracity of this gets figured out soon (though I've personally not had issues). I use Nottingham a lot.

 

[z987k]

Perhaps, but I have NEVER had this problem before. I always pull the packet from the fridge, let warm up for a few hours, then pour directly on 75 degree wort late in the afternoon.

By morning it is ALWAYS going gang busters.

Something has changed with the yeast to get these numerous issues.

I have had generally the same results doing the same thing you describe, but I don't think we have an epidemic here when some people's beers are not starting in 24 hours or even 48.

Someone make a starter(which I never recommend with dry).

IDK, seems like internet hist-aria to me. There are sooo many factors and not many are really posting much other than, mine to!

The Danstar rep replied and the beers are still fermenting and getting great attenuation from the people who did say so...... so idk rdwhahb?
Of the poll posted, 17 people seem to have a problem.

 

[jwhirry]

I did not add any more yeast to my batches at this point. My Schwarzbier went thru a pretty fast ferment and did not do much of anything the last few days. I tested it with the hydrometer - 1.022... BeerSmith estimated my final to be 1.012.

I was at this point rushed by the SWMBO, who made last minute dinner plans with friends, so I just pulled out a packet of US-05 let it sit the few moments I had and sprinkled it on top. This was last night about 7:30. No real activity yet this morning.

My Graff is still active though slow I may pull that to take a reading in a little bit.

I am at a loss at the moment as to what to do with this thing, other than to tell myself to relax.

 

[Beeropolis]

My LHBS wants 7.95 for a packet of new Nottingham. US-05 it is for me if I want to use neutral dry yeast now.

 

[EdWort]

My LHBS wants 7.95 for a packet of new Nottingham. US-05 it is for me if I want to use neutral dry yeast now.

Your LHBS is fricking crazy or does not want to sell Nottingham. That's more than what I pay for a vial of White Labs.

 

[jspence1]

I just got 20 packages of notty from Ed at BMW with lot#1081140118V and an exp of 01-2011.

I just finished the last 10 that I got from Ed, Everyone was rolling within 12 hours.

I will try and update this thread with the results of the new yeast as soon as I start using it.

John

 

[Beeropolis]

Your LHBS is fricking crazy or does not want to sell Nottingham. That's more than what I pay for a vial of White Labs.

Yep. They charge the same amout for Notty as they do for White Labs now. For 2 bucks apiece I just bought a couple of US-05. I love Notty yeast but certainly not at that price.

 

[fastricky]

I've had the same issues with Notty recently... I get full-on fermentation every other time within 12 hours so it's gotta be the yeast.

 

[UncleDave]

I heard about the Notty price hike a few weeks ago and decided to stock up. I wish I remember where I read about it, because it seems like a Danstar representative explained that Nottingham had been reformulated and this was part of the reason for the increase in price.

Found it. Hope it is ok to link to another forum, but scroll halfway down the page and you will see the Notty representative discuss the "new and improved" version. First hops, now yeast! - ProBrewer Interactive

 

[chefchris]

Well, looks like I've joined the club. Took almost 24 hours to show signs of life. Still not kicking yet, but it's fixing to do it's thing. Kind of dissapointed. Might just wash the yeast and see how it acts after repitching it, plus it'll be cheaper.

 

[z987k]

I heard about the Notty price hike a few weeks ago and decided to stock up. I wish I remember where I read about it, because it seems like a Danstar representative explained that Nottingham had been reformulated and this was part of the reason for the increase in price.

Found it. Hope it is ok to link to another forum, but scroll halfway down the page and you will see the Notty representative discuss the "new and improved" version. First hops, now yeast! - ProBrewer Interactive

Very ok to link to any site, especially probrewer.

He really only mentions new and improved, but never mentions what is new and improved.

 

[vtchuck]

Sunday: Brewed a 10 G batch of my house APA and divided it into 2 5 G buckets... pitched rehydrated Notty in one and an ale yeast from a local brewpub in the other.

I have done this before with these two yeasts and in that case the Notty started faster than the other yeast.

After 48 hours, there is no activity in the Notty bucket... not even a yeasty smell... the other is doing fine. I pitched another packet and crossed my fingers.

I started with 4 packets, all w/ the same lot #108036008V / 8/2010. The color of the packs were different, with 2 being a lighter gold color. There was static cling with both packs.

So if things don't improve by tomorrow, I've got an 11g Windsor, a 6g Muntons , an expired (01/09) 15g Coopers or a Wyeast Thames Valley starter that I was going to use w/ a bitter.

 

[Mike M]

I used Nottingham on my brew this Sunday. It was kicking within 24 hours. Sorry I don't know the lot numbers.

 

[jaba]

Brewed up a dry stout last night, pitched nottingham at ~9:30pm, plenty of signs of activity this morning by 8am. Re-hydrated the yeast as the directions say on the packet, then pitched it into ~70 degree wort and put it in my basement which is at 65. The yeast was not refrigerated. It was sitting on the shelf at LHBS, and then sat at my house for a couple of hours.

Lot 1081140110V
Exp 01-2011

 

[vtchuck]

I have activity this morning after re-pitching last night. Lots of surface foaming ...but it smells funny to me, not the yeasty, beery smell I'm accustomed to experiencing.

 

[camiller]

My LHBS wants 7.95 for a packet of new Nottingham. US-05 it is for me if I want to use neutral dry yeast now.

Your LHBS is fricking crazy or does not want to sell Nottingham. That's more than what I pay for a vial of White Labs.

Yep. They charge the same amout for Notty as they do for White Labs now. For 2 bucks apiece I just bought a couple of US-05. I love Notty yeast but certainly not at that price.

That is simply insane. Perhaps their supply chain is shorter and a price increase got to them faster but at my LHBS (disclosure I work there on Saturdays and do ALL the ordering) the three wholesalers we deal with have Notty wholesale priced at 0.75, 0.85 and 1.01 as of about 3 min ago (I was signed in as a retailer).

Edit: I know white labs has a strain called Nottingham (WLP039), any chance the cashier simply rang up the wrong product?

 

[EdWort]

I know white labs has a strain called Nottingham (WLP039), any chance the cashier simply rang up the wrong product?

That sounds like the culprit, or my first thought.

 

[stagstout]

I agree.
I too have had to wait 24 to 36 hours before signs of fermentation with my Notty. I don't have the number on me, but if I recall it exspires on 2011.

I have just come to expect a long lag time, it still makes a great beer though.

 

[Beeropolis]

That is simply insane. Perhaps their supply chain is shorter and a price increase got to them faster but at my LHBS (disclosure I work there on Saturdays and do ALL the ordering) the three wholesalers we deal with have Notty wholesale priced at 0.75, 0.85 and 1.01 as of about 3 min ago (I was signed in as a retailer).

Edit: I know white labs has a strain called Nottingham (WLP039), any chance the cashier simply rang up the wrong product?

I handed him the packet and asked if it went up. He scanned in the packet and looked it up in the computer and that's how it came back.

 

[reverendfrag]

I used Danstar Nottingham for my first batch, last week, and my valve started bubbling within a couple hours of pitching. I started the yeast as per the instructions on the pack.

 

[stagstout]

For the side of the argument, I too have noticed prolonged time for noticable fermentation. One thing that I wanted to point out was my current batch (Monday evening is when I pitched) which was using Notty has not had any signs of bubbling in the air lock as of Thursday evening.

Knowing from past uses...Notty always took about three days before I saw bubbling in the air lock, I did not worry. However, (since I use the pails) my water level although indicates difference in pressure has not made any bubbles after day three. So for the heck of it, I took a gravity reading. It went from 1.052 to 1.020 in three days with no rehydration. Just sprinkeled the dry yeast on my wort. By the way, it is EdWorts Haus Pale Ale.

So just a heads up, especially for those who are using the pails which prevents you from seeing the action, if your Notty seems to be lagging, take a gravity reading, you might be surprised.

Cheers
Steve

 

[BargainFittings]

I agree with Steve, take a gravity reading and see what is happening.

 

[chefchris]

Well, it took my package somewhere around 2-3 days to show visable signs. I brewed Ed's APA last Saturday and pitched the yeast the next day around 2 pm. (No Chill) I just checked the gravity and I'm at 1.011.

I plan on washing this yeast so I'll see if the lag time is the same for the next generation.

 

[jlpred55]

Well I have always had good luck with Notty until this past weekend. Always have had a little lag, maybe 12 hours max. This time it still isn't going. Been 74 hours now. Have a little activity and a couple of krausen spots but that is it. I rehydrated, and even added cooled wort to avoid temp shock. Took a gravity reading last night and I am sitting at the exact same gravity as when I pitched. I have some CO2 gassing off so the wort is protected but sheesh! The OG was only 1.046, it should have chewed through that by now! So I am going to repitch at lunch with a new package of Notty. The last one was good until 2011....if this keeps up I will quit using it. Too many other options to bother with this crap. Now if Fermentis would make a yeast like US-05 that would floc out better I would be a happy camper!

 

[Budzu]

Well I'm done with Notty. Totally done. Too many problems now... One I pitched over 2 weeks ago which was slow (3 full day lag) and still hasn't fully attenuated, and samples taste overwhelmingly phenolic. Another 2 carboys I pitched about 2 weeks ago also, almost as laggy and now still fermenting but smells like rancid meatballs. Oh and I just got results back from a comp of my 3 entries, one of which was an original with notty. It got dinged by every judge for diacetyl. My other 2 beers there didn't score anything less than 40's, one 46. My processes are all obsessively clean and consistent.
Notty for me is lately unreliable, inconsistent, slow, and well.. smelly. Notty just won't work for me as a competitive beer component. Back to WLP001 and repitching! That stuff never lets me down, and works beautifully up into its 5th generation.

 

[chefmike]

I have not had Notty yeast show any difference in my brewing process. Maybe slower, but not significantly that I have noticed.

I find it interesting reading the cited thread on the probrewer forum where the rep states that the yeast is "new and improved" (Sylvie Van Zandycke, Technical Sales Manager, Lallemand Brewing)compared to the rep here who stated no change other than packaging.

And I find it disturbing that the company raised the price of the yeast in the 500gram size over 300%. "from around $40 a half kilo to $145"

If that did happen with the 11g sachtets, I think it would be safe to say very few of us would use nottingham. I think it has always been a performance/price balance for me. Either of those suffers, business is going to be lost.

And how long will it take the company to hike prices on our side of the fence after they lose all the probrewer business. It does not sound like anyone is looking to stay with Nottingham over there.

Time for the company to rethink a few things.

 

[jwhirry]

Time for an update on my progress; I apologize that my results on these are fairly destroyed by repitching to both of these brews.

Schwarzbier: Last update it was at 1.022 and inactive also hydro sample was a bit harsh (I tossed most of it), I added a packet of US-05 and by the following afternoon there was a thin krausen on top again. This lasted thru most of last week. When I got back from a trip on Sunday I looked and it was clear, well as clear as a dark beer will get in a primary. So I pulled it Monday tested it FG 1.012 and transferred it to the keg. Hydro sample tasted great! *burp*... did I just detect band-aid? Hopefully that does not develop… maybe it was just something I ate. I had a band-aid beer a few brews back so I am a bit nervous. But I changed a lot of things since (bleach to starsan, bottling to kegging, new hoses).

Graff update and comments in a bit.