Bored of Nottingham!

[Rick_UK]

I have had exactly the same experience as you - getting bored of Notty/Girvin yeast and had some success with Windsor but a few finishing around 1020 a little too sweet.

As suggested I have captured some Fullers yeast and used this for my last few brews and they have turned out well other than a long lag on the initial starter when pitched. TBH the yeast isn't dissimilar to Notty - fairly clean and neutral with good attenuation and flocculation but certainly not a revelation flavourwise.

I have also tried a few of the Brewlab yeast slants all of which I have had issues with.

I think it's becoming a case of better the devil you know for me!

Another option would be to use Windsor and Notty together - I've heard this works well.

Rick

[themadhippy]

would be to use Windsor and Notty together

northampton is about half way between windsor and nottingham, so ere carlsberg it is then

[mozza]

I have had exactly the same experience as you - getting bored of Notty/Girvin yeast and had some success with Windsor but a few finishing around 1020 a little too sweet.

As suggested I have captured some Fullers yeast and used this for my last few brews and they have turned out well other than a long lag on the initial starter when pitched. TBH the yeast isn't dissimilar to Notty - fairly clean and neutral with good attenuation and flocculation but certainly not a revelation flavourwise.

I have also tried a few of the Brewlab yeast slants all of which I have had issues with.

I think it's becoming a case of better the devil you know for me!

Another option would be to use Windsor and Notty together - I've heard this works well.

Rick

Fullers leaves behind some sweetness and when fermented at or just above 20 degrees it produces some lovely fruity esters

[critch]

many West Midlands or North West breweries use Thwaites yeast, either regularly replenished or their own diverted strain.

i know of a few breweries who have already changed or are now running around looking for replacements from the now soon to be defunct thwaites supply

try bry-97(very similar to o-5)


youd be suprised how many breweries use dried yeast. its reliable ,consistant and t.b.h. cheap....

[Dave S]

Another option would be to use Windsor and Notty together - I've heard this works well.

Rick

I'm thinking of doing that in a brew or two's time. I've also just ordered a couple of Mangrove Jack yeasts - English and Burton Union to see how they fair.

[alwilson]

Another option would be to use Windsor and Notty together - I've heard this works well.

Rick

I'm thinking of doing that in a brew or two's time. I've also just ordered a couple of Mangrove Jack yeasts - English and Burton Union to see how they fair.

Does/Would that really work? Would you get the esters from Windsor with the attenuation of Nottingham?

I've researched this before, although a slightly different scenario in that I had fermented out with Windsor to 1.020, but wanted more attenuation so added Nottingham, and it didnt move, so was just a waste of Nottingham. I found online, that possibly the reason for this was Windsor had eaten up all the nutrient and Oxygen before Nottingham got a chance to get going? Is that likely to be true?

If I pitch them both together, would the above problem be eliminated?

If so, do you do an even 50/50 pitch? Or more Windsor for the esters, and underpitch the Nottingham for Attenuation?

Yeast are complicated little shits.

Alex

[critch]

dried yeast is good stuff, it comes with nearly eveything it needs to be chewing through fermentable sugars a.s.a.p., its more likely youd mashed too high and got too high a level of dextrin in your wort, or you didnt prep the yeast right and shocked it

[alwilson]

Hi Critch, that was my initial thought, but I re-brewed it at the same mash temp, only this time pitching Nottingham, and achieved 1.010

Though that doesn't eliminate yeast shock as a cause, of course.

[Dave S]

If so, do you do an even 50/50 pitch? Or more Windsor for the esters, and underpitch the Nottingham for Attenuation?

Yeast are complicated little shits.

Alex

I thinking of a 50:50 mix initially just to see how it goes.

[mozza]

Yeast will produce the majority of its flavour compounds in fermentation in the first few hours so you should pitch your Windsor first then after a day or two pitch the notty. I've never tried this but it says in the yeast book that the notty with flocculate with the Windsor and drop together.

[critch]

. I've never tried this but it says in the yeast book that the notty with flocculate with the Windsor and drop together.

i missed that bit! ill have to try a little experiment, methinks a mild moment is approaching

multi strain yeasts arent uncommen the higsons yeast was a strain of 3 separate yeasts, sure i read that S-04 is a blend of two strains once

[Piscator]

My understanding is that harvesting blended cultures for re-pitching changes the ratio's over time leading to drift away from the original blend - now and again you have to re-start with fresh culture in your desired ratio's.

I like the sound of a Windsor/Nottingham blend for an ESB type beer with trad English hops.

[Blackjack]

many West Midlands or North West breweries use Thwaites yeast, either regularly replenished or their own diverted strain.

i know of a few breweries who have already changed or are now running around looking for replacements from the now soon to be defunct thwaites supply

try bry-97(very similar to o-5)


youd be suprised how many breweries use dried yeast. its reliable ,consistant and t.b.h. cheap....

Cheap !!!!!!
And dried yeast has to be the weapon of choice if you have closed fermenters,
Live yeast if they are open and you need to keep the flies out.
For the 24 barrel brewery we are installing that is £200 a shot for 8x 500gm packs. No chance. ( Will work at half of that pitching rate as far as it goes)
We are going live, although we have been using Thwaites on a small scale, their move is well timed as far as we are concerned and we shall be looking after our own pet yeast.

[alwilson]

Blackjack, how do you step up to 24 BBL's worth of pitchable yeast?

If you dont mind me asking?

Also, how much in advance do you need to plan to get that much yeast or starter or slurry ready?

[Blackjack]

Blackjack, how do you step up to 24 BBL's worth of pitchable yeast?

If you dont mind me asking?

Also, how much in advance do you need to plan to get that much yeast or starter or slurry ready?

One starts by going to Brewlab at about £250 for a full pitchable quantity of 30 litres, or more.
Skim and retain off the top of every brew after 3 days ferment, and possibly a further later skim.
Refrigerate and repitch. It needs a largeish fridge! The skim is usually 2 or 3 times the required amount, and two or three generations can be retained and selected for viability and lack of bacteria. Acid wash immediately prior to pitching every few brews etc.
A 15 barrel brew will produce more than enough to pitch for 24 bbl next time