Nottingham Yeast query

Share your experiences of using brewing yeast.
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Bad 'Ed
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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Bad 'Ed » Tue Feb 02, 2021 8:45 pm

Bertie Doe wrote:
Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:36 pm
Ah thanks, the present batch I'm drinking - Black Sheep/Nottingham and IPA/West Coast, about 20% of the bottles are fizzers, with a lot of head. I didn't realize that yeast played a part and had assumed that the culprit was the Torrified Wheat, which I use to promote head.
How sure are you that fermentation is finished before you bottle? Not priming and getting bottle gushers makes me think fermentation is still not finished and you're getting the oldest ones gushing. If it's a random 20% of bottles then I'd say it's a bottle cleaning issue.

Torrified wheat doesn't really give you more head, it just makes the head you do get more stable.
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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Bertie Doe » Tue Feb 02, 2021 9:17 pm

Bad 'Ed wrote:
Tue Feb 02, 2021 8:45 pm

How sure are you that fermentation is finished before you bottle? Not priming and getting bottle gushers makes me think fermentation is still not finished and you're getting the oldest ones gushing. If it's a random 20% of bottles then I'd say it's a bottle cleaning issue.

Torrified wheat doesn't really give you more head, it just makes the head you do get more stable.
Thanks Ed, you could be right about cleaning. I give them a quick rinse after use but not before bottling one month later. In future I'll batch soak them in VWP for 10 minutes and then rinse in hot water. Lot of hassle I know but over the years I've built up a collection of about 100 swing-cage bottles and I'm a bit reluctant to convert to kegging.

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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by guypettigrew » Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:49 pm

Or think about something like this, together with something like this.

Guy

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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Bertie Doe » Tue Feb 02, 2021 11:10 pm

Thanks Guy, that pump looks quite neat.

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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Nitro Jim » Wed Feb 03, 2021 1:35 pm

Bertie Doe wrote:
Tue Feb 02, 2021 11:10 pm
Thanks Guy, that pump looks quite neat.
I use one of those... They are well worth the financial outlay!
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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by IPA » Wed Feb 03, 2021 2:14 pm

themadhippy wrote:
Tue Feb 02, 2021 7:14 pm
The IPA is fermenting steadily but on Sunday the Black Sheep started to burst thru' the bubble trap.
get rid of the bubble trap,you dont need it,the yeast layer on top of the beer keeps the nastys out .with an airlock(bubble trap) all your doing is restricting the pressure from escaping.
Very sound advice. I have not used a conventional airlock in years. My fermenters have a 35 mm hole for the supplied airlock. I use a 40 mm foam bung that fits nicely in the hole ( you can find foam bungs on US homebrew suppliers sites )
As soon as the krausen has formed I loosen the lid so that it just resting on the top of the FV. I never have a problem with the yeast trying to climb out. I replace the lid firmly once fermentation abates. The added advantage with foam bungs is that you can leave them in place while transfering to another vessel. The air can enter the FV while the foam bung keeps out any bacteria.
This perhaps will explain it better.
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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Bertie Doe » Wed Feb 03, 2021 3:44 pm

Thanks IPA, in fact I do have a sheet of 2" thick white foam. I guess I can keep the FV cap hole taped over for 24 hours, then remove and insert circular foam plug.

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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Bad 'Ed » Wed Feb 03, 2021 5:55 pm

guypettigrew wrote:
Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:49 pm
Or think about something like this, together with something like this.
I'd certainly recommend going down this route. Using a no rinse sanitiser prior to bottling reduces risk and these products make it much quicker than soaking.

I've not tested the no airlock thing significantly but I've not been able to have one for one reason or another a few times and nothing bad's happened as far as I can tell. Having said that I don't tend to brew highly highly hoppy beers and I can imagine oxygen affects these more than usual beers.
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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Bertie Doe » Thu Feb 04, 2021 11:54 pm

Silver_Is_Money wrote:
Mon Feb 01, 2021 6:41 pm
Bertie Doe wrote:
Mon Feb 01, 2021 1:38 pm
Does Nottingham have a reputation of being very volatile?
Yes, that is quite characteristic of Nottingham, and in my opinion it is also a clear indicator that you are likely to be fermenting it too hot (which has flavor consequences). It generally behaves much less aggressively when fermentation is kept at or below ~16.7 degrees C (~62 degrees F.).
Update : The radiator in the bathroom has been off for a few days and this has revitalized the Nottingham.
In other news : I got an NHS letter today and they've offered me a Cov-19 Vaccination slot tomorrow. It's at Plymouth Argyle Football Stadium about 30 miles from me. I could wait for my local General Practice for a shot but this could take weeks. Fortunately I'll pop into the Plymouth brewing supplier and get some Pale Malt and some West Coast and Liberty Bell yeast. Things are looking up. :)

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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Brewedout » Wed Feb 10, 2021 12:39 am

If you put some water into the bath it would moderate the temperature of the fermentation. Would need a bit of experimentation to find the sweet spot but would reduce fluctuations of temperature.

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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Bertie Doe » Wed Feb 10, 2021 12:53 pm

Brewedout wrote:
Wed Feb 10, 2021 12:39 am
If you put some water into the bath it would moderate the temperature of the fermentation. Would need a bit of experimentation to find the sweet spot but would reduce fluctuations of temperature.
Thanks BD I'll def try that with my next batch. I like my 4% brew to bottle mature for one month. Therefore the problem I have at the moment is - I need to bottle in the next couple of days but both beers are still producing about one bubble every 10 seconds thru' the trap.

The ferment was started 15 days ago. The ig for the Black Sheep was 1042 and the Proper Job IPA was 1041. Just now the sgs are 1008 and 1009 respectively, should I :-
a) wait another week
b) bottle now
c) many years ago, you'd add one camden per gallon to stop wine fermenting, then bottle. Is this acceptable nowadays with beer? TIA Paul

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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Brewedout » Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:05 pm

At 1009 and 1008 I'd have thought fermentation has finished in normal circumstances. The bubbles may just be dissolved CO2 coming out as an airlock raises pressure inside the fermentor. I'd wait until you get the same reading on your hydrometer several days apart.
There may be better advice than my own here, it's been a while since I last bottled as I mainly keg.

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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Brewedout » Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:08 pm

I don't use Campden tablets at all, I'm now allergic to them! But when I did I only ever used them in wine because of back sweetening. But that was years ago. Id just wait for stable hydrometer readings.

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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Cobnut » Wed Feb 10, 2021 1:43 pm

Also, no good if you are planning to bottle condition.

Usual advice is to check gravity 3 days in a row. If you get the same reading each time, you're good to bottle.

If you're using a pressure barrel or a keg, it's less of a concern as you can release excess pressure from those.
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Re: Nottingham Yeast query

Post by Bertie Doe » Wed Feb 10, 2021 2:16 pm

Thanks I'll take another 2 readings and if all goes well, I'll be bottling on Friday. BTW Graham Walkers recipe for Black Sheep Regwelter is for target of 6% but this is too strong for me, so I've tweaked it down to 4%.

I also have doubts about how well camden will kill yeast. In the 80's I had 16 bottles of Asti Spumanti explode in the garage during secondary. Apparently I should have used champagne bottles. The surviving 4 bottles were quite drinkable :)

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