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Nottingham Yeast

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.... Some of the replacement packets they sent me for my troubles were from a different lot than their admitted problem batch and those were stamped and some of those have been duds too. ....

This is what they sent to me as well and it is completely unacceptable. They will not get my business again. N_G
 
depends... which lot number?

If its the one I had, give it 18 hours and if there aren't signs of fermentation, pitch something else.

I got a response to my email saying that while the flashlight test shows holes, the foil is punctured, but not the lining on the inside. However, my brew took 72 hours to show signs of fermentation. However, after all the stress and teeth gnashing it may be ok... Ive still got my fingers crossed.

I am at 72 hours now. I am thinking of repitching some American Ale yeast from a prior batch I did with Safale S-05...
 
depends... which lot number?

If its the one I had, give it 18 hours and if there aren't signs of fermentation, pitch something else.

I got a response to my email saying that while the flashlight test shows holes, the foil is punctured, but not the lining on the inside. However, my brew took 72 hours to show signs of fermentation. However, after all the stress and teeth gnashing it may be ok... Ive still got my fingers crossed.

My info was also:
Lot No. 1087117102 EXP 06-2011 Made in Denmark
 
Their email back to me said that while it fails the flashlight test, it still should be fine. Nothing wrong with the lot... yeah right... they offered to send me a few sachets to make up for it... I might use them, but I'll have a backup of US-05 or S-04 and do a careful inspection of the packet after opening it...

I pitched mine around 3 pm on a Friday. Monday morning, still nothing. Monday when I came home from work, light krausen with islands of yeast... Then I found this thread... thought about pitching more yeast, but had none, LHBS closed.

Tuesday night, come home from work, normal krausen except the huge rafts of yeast on top... still smells normal... will venture a taste tomorrow when i rack it to secondary...
 
Their email back to me said that while it fails the flashlight test, it still should be fine. Nothing wrong with the lot... yeah right... they offered to send me a few sachets to make up for it... I might use them, but I'll have a backup of US-05 or S-04 and do a careful inspection of the packet after opening it...

I pitched mine around 3 pm on a Friday. Monday morning, still nothing. Monday when I came home from work, light krausen with islands of yeast... Then I found this thread... thought about pitching more yeast, but had none, LHBS closed.

Tuesday night, come home from work, normal krausen except the huge rafts of yeast on top... still smells normal... will venture a taste tomorrow when i rack it to secondary...

Yeah, I came home tonight and had the same thing, a layer of foam on top of my wort (it was still wort...). Hopefully when I wake up I will have the distinctive krausen, but man, taking that long is a risky business. That is a lot of time with 0 alcohol, no O2 purge, and no yeast activity to ward off the nasties...

I started a starter of US-05. Still contemplating pitching that in...
 
Well... I racked my beer to secondary. The good news... no horrible off tastes...

the bad news... I didn't take a gravity reading until after i moved it, and its at 1.017...

This is a Scottish 80/- that started at 1.051... I guess I can wait and see if it attenuates more and if not figure out what to do in a week or two. But at least I haven't completely wasted $35 of ingredients (yet).

Edit: Well I changed my mind... since I was brewing a batch of graff and I had a US-05 starter (second generation, made from the yeast cake of an earlier batch), I decided to pitch some of the US-05 starter into the Scottish...
 
My info was also:
Lot No. 1087117102 EXP 06-2011 Made in Denmark

This is just wonderful, I'm halfway thru making a 10 gallon batch of centennial blonde and I also have the same replacement yeast. I have to use because I can't get anything else right now. I'm going to be pissed if these are bad too. I already lost 10 gallons of pale ale because of the bad yeast and now the replacements they sent me could be bad. I really wish I didn't log on today.
 
As I mentioned above, my 80/- was at 1.017 when I moved it to secondary.

Well, after pitching 2/3 cup of a US-05 starter last week into it, I had a small raft of bubbles form on the surface and persist most of this week. I'll take a gravity reading later this week, but it looks like its going to be alright.

Also, I got several replacement packets of Nottingham in the mail yesterday. They definitely have a different style of printing for the packet lot numbers.

Lot 1080961099V Exp 12/2011 is the new printing style and looks like it should be good... however, in the words of Ronald Regan, I will "trust but verify" I'll use them, but make a starter first...
 
Not pleased with the Nottingham changes. I got a bunch of replacement packages and have been using them. The inked version of the packets. Sometimes they take off normally, sometimes they lag 24 hours. Whatever they did to Nottingham, I wish they'd go back to the way it was before.
 
My first use of Nottingham was last Sunday, still no activity in the fermenter on Wednesday. Lot number 1080961099V exp 12.2011. I'm relatively experienced and did everything right and to Danstars rehydration instructions. Anyone else having problems with this lot number?
 
I am not sure which lot number I had, but I pitched two hyrdrated packets into 1.075 bastard clone, activity in two hours and down to 1.015 after two days at 66 degrees. WOW
 
That's awesome performance! I brewed the Centennial Blonde because I needed a session beer done fast. Some reported it done in a week or two and fermented out in 4 days. I'm 3 days in and nothing has happened yet, not exactly what I had in mind.
 
I always loved Nottingham yeast for my pale ales. But when the troubles started, I went out and stocked up on Safale 04 and 05. Now I'm down to my last packet. I figured that this issued would be solved by now. I can't believe that this is still unsettled.
 
What I would suggest is making 2-L starters for each satchel of Nottingham you have and observe the lag time. If the yeast takes off normally and the starter tastes ok, wash that yeast and use it for future brews. If it doesn't take off normally or tastes funky, throw it out. If you are not used to what starter beer tastes like, you could very lightly hop it, although that makes washing the yeast a bit more of a pain.

Notes: Obviously, this only makes sense for people who really like Nottingham over other dry yeasts, since there is plenty of extra work involved. I also know that it's not usually recommended to do starters with dry yeasts, but this is the easiest way to do a viability/vitality test.
 
My first use of Nottingham was last Sunday, still no activity in the fermenter on Wednesday. Lot number 1080961099V exp 12.2011. I'm relatively experienced and did everything right and to Danstars rehydration instructions. Anyone else having problems with this lot number?

I'm not sure if I used the same lot number, but I know my expiration date was the same for a batch of Centennial Blonde I brewed last Friday. Just one packet re-hydrated, and in it went. I had to use an Ale Pale because my carboy's are in use, but there was airlock activity within 12 hours. It went steady for 3-4 days at 62-65F, and stopped any noticeable activity on Tuesday. I'll be popping the lid this weekend for a gravity check, but I think the batch of Knotty was fine.

When I get home I'll double check the lot number for you.
 
I actually keep washed samples of nottingham from healthy ferments of low IBU and Low Gravity beers available to me at all times. Make a 1 gallon nottingham starter and pitch it into virtually any gravity beer and it will start almost instantly and fully attenuate.

When fermented properly, nottingham and rogue pacman are very, very, very similar in most ways and I consider them interchangeable.
 
I'm not sure if I used the same lot number, but I know my expiration date was the same for a batch of Centennial Blonde I brewed last Friday. Just one packet re-hydrated, and in it went. I had to use an Ale Pale because my carboy's are in use, but there was airlock activity within 12 hours. It went steady for 3-4 days at 62-65F, and stopped any noticeable activity on Tuesday. I'll be popping the lid this weekend for a gravity check, but I think the batch of Knotty was fine.

When I get home I'll double check the lot number for you.

Yep, same lot number. No problems for a couple batches. /shrug
 
My "Knotty" is batch lot 1080961099V Exp 12 2011 and it's struggling to get going. It's been 18 hours at 64F and am getting minimal fermentation. I'm brewing a 1.033 SG Mild. I aerated well and re-hydrated the yeast per instructions. My only critique is that I pitched the 90F yeast directly into 78F wort. Maybe that shocked the yeast? I'm guessing it'll pull through and ferment fully but now I'm definitely gun shy to use Nottingham yeast in the future. Prior to this I've used liquid yeast with a starter and I've always gotten vigorous fermentation within hours.
 
I double-pitched some Nottingham I got as a replacement in the recall into my most recent batch, and sure enough, the flashlight test revealed 2 holes in one and 3 holes in the other package. The yeast did take off reasonably normally, but I fully expect the batch to taste like ass, like the last one did.

I am done with Danstar!
 
My first use of Nottingham was last Sunday, still no activity in the fermenter on Wednesday. Lot number 1080961099V exp 12.2011. I'm relatively experienced and did everything right and to Danstars rehydration instructions. Anyone else having problems with this lot number?

I pitched the same lot# yesterday at 10am after rehydrating it and still no action. The stuff didn't hydrate like I'm used to either. Usually I rehydrate US-05 at the beginning of the brewing process, by the time I pitch it it has a foamy mass sitting on top. This time, many of the yeast pellets still had the same shape two hours after I mixed it into the water. I also thought it smelled kind of strange. Being that this is the second time I've used Nottingham I figured that this is normal, so I pitched it. The first time I didn't rehydrate it.

I guess my question now is: Is this batch screwed? I have no access to a LHBS! I do have a batch of Hefe I plan on bottling tomorrow, could I scoop some of the yeast and pitch it into the brew? I know that this would completely change the profile but I don't want to dump anything.
Damn, this is my First AG batch too BM's Centennial Blond BIAB.:mad:
 
I pitched the same lot# yesterday at 10am after rehydrating it and still no action. The stuff didn't hydrate like I'm used to either. Usually I rehydrate US-05 at the beginning of the brewing process, by the time I pitch it it has a foamy mass sitting on top. This time, many of the yeast pellets still had the same shape two hours after I mixed it into the water. I also thought it smelled kind of strange. Being that this is the second time I've used Nottingham I figured that this is normal, so I pitched it. The first time I didn't rehydrate it.

I guess my question now is: Is this batch screwed? I have no access to a LHBS! I do have a batch of Hefe I plan on bottling tomorrow, could I scoop some of the yeast and pitch it into the brew? I know that this would completely change the profile but I don't want to dump anything.
Damn, this is my First AG batch too BM's Centennial Blond BIAB.:mad:

yes. Scoop some of the yeast into the new wort. I'd use Mr. Malty to figure out how much. It happened to me with a batch of notty and the next day I bought some US-05 for it. It turned out fine, luckily.

You need to get something in there soon and you already have a bunch of healthy yeast under your hefe.
 
My first use of Nottingham was last Sunday, still no activity in the fermenter on Wednesday. Lot number 1080961099V exp 12.2011. I'm relatively experienced and did everything right and to Danstars rehydration instructions. Anyone else having problems with this lot number?

I have the same **** yeast. I Pitched as per instructions and nothing. I ended up pitching some Kolsch yeast I had in another fermenter. Fermentation took off in six hours. They(Danstar) obviously have a huge quality control problem. Safale-05, although more $$ seems to be a better product. Danstar isn't going to do anything until enough people refuse to buy this junk. I would ban them and use Fermentis if you're planning on using dry yeast.
 
I pitched Nottingham - as I have done in all but a very few batches of the last 100 or so gallons - and have had no activity the last 3 days. I am pitching my last packet this morning, lot 1087117102, exp 06-2011. It is possible this was the same lot for my problem one. I have been pretty happy with S-04 but I do prefer Nottingham which is cleaner at low temps. I'm going to get a few more packets, since I am very used to this yeast, but I suppose I will switch to safale if this happens again.
 
I pitched Nottingham - as I have done in all but a very few batches of the last 100 or so gallons - and have had no activity the last 3 days. I am pitching my last packet this morning, lot 1087117102, exp 06-2011. It is possible this was the same lot for my problem one. I have been pretty happy with S-04 but I do prefer Nottingham which is cleaner at low temps. I'm going to get a few more packets, since I am very used to this yeast, but I suppose I will switch to safale if this happens again.

Replying to my own post (!) I wonder if this is partially associated with my mash temp. I generally mash between 149-154 f. I just looked at my notes - this is the first batch I have gone higher than 154. I hit 158 (I was shooting for 156.)

?
 
There seems to be a slow starting trend with Lot number 1080961099V exp 12.2011. Is this a new batch of bad yeast?
 

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