Nottingham High Performance Yeast

[AGbrewer]

What should I do now

I've got this recipe I brewed about 3 weeks ago and was slightly more efficient than expected (OG 1.149 - Current FG 1.041). I was hoping for something in the 1.035 range. I just swirled the fermenter about 5 minutes ago to see if that would help it along. Current temp in the chamber is 70 F. I'm going to wait at least another week before I do anything to see if the swirl helped, but in the meantime, I'd like some advice.

The options as I see it since I don't like wild or sour beer are as follows:

1. Leave it ride and package it regardless of the FG.
2. Pitch more nottingham from small starter.
3. Pitch WLP-099 from a small starter.

 

[Nosybear]

Predictions usually aren't good for beers of that size. To your points:
1. Likely the best option, after you swirl it up and get consistent gravity readings over three days.
2. Think about it: If the yeast could still ferment, it would. The highly flocculant stuff has dropped out, leaving only the less flocculant "finishing" yeast in suspension. When the yeast quits, there's nothing left to ferment, so adding more would only cause a deeper layer of yeast on the bottom.
3. IF you want to dry out the beer some more, a less flocculant yeast might do it. I'd go with a packet of champagne yeast for this purpose - it's about the most attenuative brewing yeast out there and this late in the fermentation, won't throw off-flavors. EC-1118 is a good candidate.
Take gravity readings, either hydrometer or refractometer, over a space of time. You don't even have to correct the refractometer, all you're looking for is stability. If the beer hasn't changed in three days, it's done. Package it.

 

[Bubba Wade]

I am in agreement with @Nosybear You’re already up in the 14% ABV range. A champagne yeast is your best bet if you want to drop the FG. You can sometimes push them up towards 18%.

 

[Mark Farrall]

I'd probably go with option 1 if it tastes ok, but I've done option 3 and it's always restarted fermentation for me. Option 2 has nearly always been a waste of time for me.

I haven't noticed much of a flavour change from WLP099 when I've used it. Though I'm not sure if that's the yeast or the beers I've used it in (imperial blacks or black IPAs). Though it certainly doesn't taste like the other diastaticus yeast that I regularly use.

It will probably take you past your target FG, so just need to weigh that possibility up. Though only one of the beers I've used it on wasn't as enjoyable because of drying it out too much (the black IPA, the imperials were a bit dry but still fine).

 

[dmtaylor]

I am amazed it went down to 1.041. For me, Nottingham has an alcohol tolerance of about 9%. Not a great yeast for very strong beers in my experience for that reason. If you hit 13-14%, that's pretty great, and could potentially even indicate contamination by other yeasts that took it down even farther.

 

[AGbrewer]

I am amazed it went down to 1.041. For me, Nottingham has an alcohol tolerance of about 9%. Not a great yeast for very strong beers in my experience for that reason. If you hit 13-14%, that's pretty great, and could potentially even indicate contamination by other yeasts that took it down even farther.

Never got off flavors. If you look at the spec sheet below, it shows that it can hit 14%. It'll even go further if you increase pitch rate and do a starter.

I've been doing a 4 liter starter, but probably need to do a 6 liter starter next time.


https://www.lallemandbrewing.com/docs/products/tds/TDS_LALBREW_PREM_NOTTINGHAM_ENGLISH_DIGITAL.pdf

 

[AGbrewer]

Looks like the same FG today. Guess I'll let it ride. I'll cold crash overnight, gelatin fine, and rack it to secondary to add bourbon spirals. It'll be ready in about 1 year. If I can remember, i'll come back to this thread and update everyone.

thanks again for the advice.