Altbier

[JammyBStard]

I brewed my first Altbier last night based loosly on the Kaiser Alta recepie.
After much messing around with my new mash tun, a protien rest, a decoction and about a two hour boil (too much sparge water) I eventuall hit my OG and Volume and Pitched.
After 6 hours I have krausen forming and am wondering about the next stage:
I've been reading here http://www.allaboutbeer.com/style/24.1-altbier.html that Altbier is brewed at lower temperatures than Ale despite it been a top fermenting yeast and cold conditioned after fermentation.
I pitched Nottingham (that famous German yeast), of the dry yeasts I can get hold of, it has the best Min Temp ability (<14'C)

So I'm thinking
Give it 24 hours at room temp (21'C) to get going.
Then move it to the garage for a couple of weeks which is about 17'C average at the moment
Then Rack to secondry for a month or more in garage where the temperature should start to drop off over the next few weeks in a sort of gradual cold conditioning.

I've never done anything with teperature before, does this sound OK? or would I be better just doing the usual everything at room temp?

[steve_flack]

So you went to all the trouble of a protein rest and a decoction mash and then pitched in Nottingham...

As it happens there is a dried yeast you could use, K-97, unfortunately it's not normally sold in small packets but Craftbrewer in Oz sell it.

Personally I'd use Wy-1007.

[JammyBStard]

So you went to all the trouble of a protein rest and a decoction mash and then pitched in Nottingham...

Why ?
I thought Protein rests were advisible when using large amounts of Munich Malt? and decoction's were about getting malt flavor, I've never heard that the yeast has anything to do with either. Enlighten me please.

[steve_flack]

I'm implying that you spent a ton of time doing them and then just chucked in a dry yeast almost as an afterthought. I personally would have done a straight infusion mash at a fairly low temperature (64C say) to get a good level of attenuation and used the proper yeast. The correct yeast choice is pretty essential in many beer styles.

As it happens you don't need to do a protein rest with unless you happen to get an undermodified grain (which you won't unless you really went out of your way for one). In fact doing a protein rest on a normal British grain is a bad idea as there's not much protein anyway and you need some for head retention etc.

Although a decoction does add something to a beer you can pretty easily fake one with speciality grains.

[JammyBStard]

Well, I'm stuck with dry yeast at the moment as I'm only mini mashing 10L and liquid yeasts would be a waste, and of the yeast requirements I gleaned from allaboutbeer.com
- High Attenuation
- Low Temperature ability
- Little estery, fruity character
- Dry

I thought Danstar Nottingham fitted the profile.

[mysterio]

I hear what Steve is saying but Nottingham should be alright, if you were doing a light German lager then it would stick out but Alts are pretty unmistakeably ales.

[steve_flack]

Of the common dry yeasts, Nottingham is the best fit that's for sure.

[delboy]

Of the common dry yeasts, Nottingham is the best fit that's for sure.

Us-05 would be an acceptable alternative also, I would have thought.