Ive used a lot Fermentis S-04 but I want to try Nottingham. What can I expect in a 1046 cream ale?
Nottingham is a great yeast. Fairly clean but just a little fruity. Attenuation is always exactly 77-78%, no matter what your mash temperature or whether you used extract or crystal malts or anything, so your final gravity will most likely be exactly 1.010. I think you’ll be happy with it. And you can ferment it cool down in the low 60s or even upper 50s if you want.
I stopped using Notty because I detect a tartness to it that I don’t care for.
Agreed, same with s-04. The tang/tart works in porters and bitters but I personally don’t like it in pale beers.
Cream ale I would stick to US-05 if you are only opting for dry yeast (BRY 97 is ok, but S-05 is a much more reliable version of Chico/Sierra). If liquid, any American Ale, WLP002, WLP 005, WLP013 (not my favorite), Wyeast British Ale III (one of my favorites) or maybe even a kolsch yeast.
I brew a hoppier cream ale (American Pub Ale or Blonde I guess) with S-05 and it is the favorite of just about everyone to whom I’ve served my beers. I ferment at 60 for the first few days then jack it up.
I have picked up on this a couple of times. But not every time. And my most recent experiences with it has been fairly positive.
I have had better success with Notty than with 04.
I have picked up on this a couple of times. But not every time. And my most recent experiences with it has been fairly positive.
I have had better success with Notty than with 04.[/quote]
04 is too bready for my tastes. I used 05 pretty frequently for a while, but then I did a side by side with 1056. In a blind tasting, I preferred 1056 every time, so now I just keep 05 around for emergencies.
I have picked up on this a couple of times. But not every time. And my most recent experiences with it has been fairly positive.
I have had better success with Notty than with 04.[/quote]
04 is too bready for my tastes. I used 05 pretty frequently for a while, but then I did a side by side with 1056. In a blind tasting, I preferred 1056 every time, so now I just keep 05 around for emergencies.[/quote]
And in the case of British yeast, I would take wyeast ESB strain over anything dry most of time. But Dry is handy.
I also recently tried s-33. Did not work out at all. Not sure what went wrong, but I had to dump the batch.
I have picked up on this a couple of times. But not every time. And my most recent experiences with it has been fairly positive.
I have had better success with Notty than with 04.[/quote]
04 is too bready for my tastes. I used 05 pretty frequently for a while, but then I did a side by side with 1056. In a blind tasting, I preferred 1056 every time, so now I just keep 05 around for emergencies.[/quote]
Blind triangle test? I only ask because while I have never done a true side by side, I have several professional sensory analysis-oriented BJCP friends (one is a professional distiller and one is QC/doemans-certified brewer for New Belgium) who swear that there are no differences, all else equal.
Yep, blind triangle. The 05 has a touch of peach/apricot that the 1056 doesn’t have. And even if they finish at the same OG, the body on the 05 beer is thinner.
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Oh Nottingham and I have never made great beer together drinkable yes but nothing great I agree with Denny some strange tartness to it… I used it about 10 batches of beer changing temps and nothing seemed to help that strange tartness to it.
Time for an apricot wheat ale? 
Time for an apricot wheat ale? [/quote]
Not for me…
Oh come on Denny. From other posts I’ve read you seem like a fruity wheat beer kinda guy! :o
Denny ’ s ideal ale involves notty and a heavy dosage of Willamette. Smash it and you are right in denny’S wheelhouse.
Notty for darker ales and high gravity works well. It is cleaner then most British yeasts but I have to agree with the tartness. I tried it once in a low gravity bitter and was disappointed. 04 is much more pleasant…if you dig the bread. I’d try the notty at least once though…For science!
[quote=“Vista”]Denny ’ s ideal ale involves notty and a heavy dosage of Willamette. Smash it and you are right in denny’S wheelhouse.
Notty for darker ales and high gravity works well. It is cleaner then most British yeasts but I have to agree with the tartness. I tried it once in a low gravity bitter and was disappointed. 04 is much more pleasant…if you dig the bread. I’d try the notty at least once though…For science![/quote]
I agree whole heartedly with vista. notty is good with darker beers, 04 lighter ones.
