Nottingham, should it bubble when hydrated?

[VANDEEN]

Hydrated half of a pack of Nottingham as per instructions and pitched into well oxygenated wort.
24 hours at 16 - 18 degrees and no activity. Moved it to 20 deg for 12 hours, still nothing. Hydrated the other half a pack just now for 15 mins and noticed it just sank to the bottom of the glass with a milky liquid on top. I've pitched it anyway so will see how it looks in the morning. (That'll be over 48 hours since I put it onto the FV)

Is this normal for this yeast? Our does it contain nutrients that should have made it froth up?

[Brewedout]

With Nottingham you pitch into water not wort.

[rpt]

With Nottingham you pitch into water not wort.

Eh? You rehydrate in water and then pitch into wort. Which is what the OP says he has done.

I don't think I've seen any dry yeast bubble when hydrated. They mostly just float on top and then you can gently stir it in to make a yeasty cream.

[Brewedout]

Ah read it too quickly Mine always froths up in water though. Very active!

[VANDEEN]

Thanks chaps, gonna have to assume this one is was a dead packet.

12L been sitting for 51 hours in the FV, both halves of the full packet now pitched exactly as per the packet instructions, well oxygenated both times & the wort still has no sign of life.

I've even wondered about the hydration instructions as they say hydrate in 30 to 35 degree water so I stayed at the bottom end of the range on these batch to pitch as well

Right not risking my second pack as its the same batch, time to bring out the French, the Safale S-04 is going in!

[MTW]

Right not risking my second pack as its the same batch, time to bring out the French, the Safale S-04 is going in!

Now worries, it's an english strain anyway

[woblylegs]

id of checked it first with a hydrometer reading just in case it is fermenting.

[VANDEEN]

Cheers for the replies, half a pack of the s=04 went in this morning & 20mm krausen 10 hours later, everything is looking fine

id of checked it first with a hydrometer reading just in case it is fermenting.

Def. no fermentation, not one bubble & with the top of the wort being spotlessly clean both times I opened the FV, it was also the same refractometer reading throughout

[Jim]

16 - 18C is quite a low temperature - that may have something to do with the yeast not kicking off properly, despite the fact you raised it later.

[sbond10]

I've fermented north as low as 14c so can't see that being an issue

[Jim]

I've fermented north as low as 14c so can't see that being an issue

You mean you started it off at 14C or lowered it once it got going? If the former, how did you pitch (e.g. starter, rehydrate, sprinkle)?

I'm curious as I would have expected problems getting the yeast going at such a low temperature (mind you, I've never tried it either).

[sbond10]

Just tossed the packet it probs started at 18 but room temp was 14 degree s so once it got going was down near 14 possiably bumped by the exothermic reactions tho I just know notts is a monster yeast and atm my go to yeast.

These days I normally pitch at around 30 degrees and within 6 hours the Nottingham freight train is in full flow but by then the beers down to 18-20 degrees

[VANDEEN]

16 - 18C is quite a low temperature - that may have something to do with the yeast not kicking off properly, despite the fact you raised it later.

I considered this, but thinking about it the wort would have been @ 20 Deg following the IC in the kettle, maybe lost another degree transferring to the FV via sieve & this is the temp the yeast would have gone into. The room I put it in was between 16 - 18 Deg.

After hydrating & pitching the second half of the packet into wort at 22 Deg C and again seeing no reaction, even after 12 hours, I'm more convinced than ever it was a dead pack.

When I opened the S-04 I was immediately hit with the yeasty aroma, I hadn't noticed this with the Notty, maybe because it's Vac. Packed it isn't so apparent but I'll be watching out for it next time.

The S-04 is going like blazes now though so all seems well

[Jim]

16 - 18C is quite a low temperature - that may have something to do with the yeast not kicking off properly, despite the fact you raised it later.

I considered this, but thinking about it the wort would have been @ 20 Deg following the IC in the kettle, maybe lost another degree transferring to the FV via sieve & this is the temp the yeast would have gone into. The room I put it in was between 16 - 18 Deg.

After hydrating & pitching the second half of the packet into wort at 22 Deg C and again seeing no reaction, even after 12 hours, I'm more convinced than ever it was a dead pack.

When I opened the S-04 I was immediately hit with the yeasty aroma, I hadn't noticed this with the Notty, maybe because it's Vac. Packed it isn't so apparent but I'll be watching out for it next time.

The S-04 is going like blazes now though so all seems well

Yay!

[johnmac]

I've purchased Nottingham and found it dead on two occasions.