Nottingham ale yeast vs US 05

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jstringer1983

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So ive been using US 05 for my ales for about 11 batches now and really like it. Due to my homebrew supply being out of stock on the safale i decided id try out the nottingham ale yeast. Just wondering what differences i should expect from this new to me yeast. Gonna make a blonde ale this weekend, how would it work in that?
 
I prefer notty over 05 for one reason, I sometimes have a hard time gettn 05 to drop after its done.
Notty is very versatile with temps the high side will give you esters and the low side will ferment clean. I use notty for most of my beers.
The other type I hav been using is the west coast ale yeast, but only hav donea couple of brews with it. I hav liked my results with this one also.
 
From my understanding, US-05 can (not neccesarily will, but can) be a slow-starter.

IDK how it starts, but again, from my understanding, Notty can be a real beast when it gets going, so keep your ferment temps as low as you can get them in the yeast's range.

As always, I am pretty new to this, and most of what I wrote above comes from reading & not experience. I have only used US-05 once, and it went pretty swimmingly for me. I've never used Nottingham.

I'm sure more experienced brewers will chime in soon...

:)
 
I find that the Notty doesn't attenuate quite as much as the US-05, so you may find that your finished brew will be just a touch sweeter/maltier than you normally get. It does tend to take off pretty quickly, and it also will finish quickly, at least as compared to US-05. It also tends to floc out better than 05. As one of the other posters pointed out, be mindful of the fermentation temps, as the Notty is more estery at higher temps.
 
For me, Nottingham always produced beers that were a tad more tart than with US-05.
 
Will be interesting to compare, its going into a recipe that i repeat detail for detail so ill be able to see any differences the nottingham makes. I ferment all my ales low so temp wont be an issue. Thanks!
 
Notty is a beast for me, rehydrated it takes off really quick, always attenuates around 80% or slightly better (depending on mash temp, really), floccs nicely.
 
I'm curious on this one too. Bought a kit through Adventures in Home Brewing on their Cinco de Mayo sale - $20 for a Mexican amber. The kits normally came with 05, but due to sales volume, they subbed in Notty. They said they were comparable, so we'll see how it does.
 
I've used them both and agree with what others have said.

I usually get 79-80% attenuation with Notty and 81%-83% with US05.

Notty definitely floccs quicker and packs nicely to the bottom of bottle or fermentors. US05 is usually a lot "looser" and can be a bit harder to avoid when pouring out of a bottle.
 
jstringer1983 said:
Id actually like to do a split batch one time with both yeasts and do a side by side comparison, from what im hearing theyre very similar yeasts but subtly different
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I have the opportunity to do that this weekend...brewing a blonde and splitting between fermenters. Think I'll do it. Temp of about 65 should be good for both.
 
jstringer1983 said:
Id actually like to do a split batch one time with both yeasts and do a side by side comparison, from what im hearing theyre very similar yeasts but subtly different
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I just did this with a pale ale (MO, amarillo, citra). I kegged it up last Friday so I haven't tasted the final product. I will say the hydrometer samples were fairly different to me. The US-05 really let the hops shine through (I think it's my favorite APA yet).

The Notty has a distinctly English taste to me (if that means anything). It seems to be less neutral. I fermented the Notty at 63 so I may not have gotten as clean a ferment as I could at 60. I do love Notty in BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde...awesome beer!
 
Cool, keep us posted on how the split batch turns out. I wont be splitting batches anytime soon, im tearing through kegs faster than i can produce as it is lol im all about volume these days
 
jstringer1983 said:
Cool, keep us posted on how the split batch turns out. I wont be splitting batches anytime soon, im tearing through kegs faster than i can produce as it is lol im all about volume these days
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Oah me too...I have to split though because I'm doing 10 gal batches and have two SS Brewbuckets. Wish I'd have gone with a single 15 gal fermenter but they're pricey!
 
Notty is more english. It has more esters to it if fermented warm (high 60's to low 70's) than S05, it also doesn't attenuate quite as much, so it is a little maltier.

That is all nice, but one thing I like Notty over S05 for too, is that if you drop the temp at lot, Notty will still work well at hybrid temps of 58-60F, where as S05 can produce some off flavors at those temperatures. Notty is pretty much character free in that range if you want to brew a hybrid beer.

Notty also flocs better.

What I am actually trying right now is a split batch of English Mild (a little closer to a light IBA as I borked the timing on the hops, so it is closer to 50IBU instead of high 30's. Opps) half with S04 and half with Notty, as I've never really compared the two much. I suspect that the S04 will have a little more ester and slightly maltier, with the Notty being clearer. Both were fermented at 67F for 5 days before being warmed to 72F for 2 days. Will hopefully bottle this weekend (been sitting at 65F for the last week) after cold crashing.
 
Okay thats actually what i have in mind, i like the yeast totally neutral in my beers, i usually ferment 05 at about 65ish and it comes out nice and clean. You think i wanna go lower 60s with the notty , say 61-63?
 
azazel1024 said:
What I am actually trying right now is a split batch of English Mild (a little closer to a light IBA as I borked the timing on the hops, so it is closer to 50IBU instead of high 30's. Opps) half with S04 and half with Notty, as I've never really compared the two much. I suspect that the S04 will have a little more ester and slightly maltier, with the Notty being clearer. Both were fermented at 67F for 5 days before being warmed to 72F for 2 days. Will hopefully bottle this weekend (been sitting at 65F for the last week) after cold crashing.
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I have seen this sort of thing a few times here on the site, raising the temp by 5 degrees or so later in the fermentation. Is this really necessary? Does it really make a difference? Is it a yeast-strain thing, or do you do this no matter what you brew with? I ask because I have only seen a few people talk about it, as in a small minority of you guys.

What's the reason behind this? I am a noob at this and am only looking for information, this is no way a snub. I am honestly curious.
 
I personally will let the brew warm about 5-f when it starts bubbling more slowly.
My reasoning behind it is to get higher attenuation and also try to keep as many yeast cells active in hopes that they also chew upon any diacytyl (spelling) if any of that just so happens to be floating around.
Is it "needed".....nope
But it does affect the final product and i'd rather have that extra 1% ABV if i can get it.
 
slym2none said:
I have seen this sort of thing a few times here on the site, raising the temp by 5 degrees or so later in the fermentation. Is this really necessary? Does it really make a difference? Is it a yeast-strain thing, or do you do this no matter what you brew with? I ask because I have only seen a few people talk about it, as in a small minority of you guys.

What's the reason behind this? I am a noob at this and am only looking for information, this is no way a snub. I am honestly curious.
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Like Paps said, the thinking is that it helps the yeast to fully attenuate and encourages them to stay active and clean up byproducts of fermentation more efficiently. It's not absolutely necessary, but it makes me feel better.
 
Every time I use notty I get a weird ester, someone described it like cherry and I personally hate it. Most people can't seem to taste it but I've had a select few confirm it. US-05 and US-04 all the way.
 
Notty is my go to yeast. Ferments good, fast and cleans up after itself really well. Only time I get off flavs is if I ferm over 63 degrees. I use notty for my cream ale. Comes out crystal clear, no Irish moss, no cold crashing. I go from grain to glass in about 16 days.
 
Im gonna have to dial my temps in a bit better then, if notty gives off any esters above 63 its gonna show up in my blonde. My chamber is set at 63 but carboy temps usually hit around 167 for the 1st few days, which isnt a problem with 05 but with notty maybe it will be?
 
jstringer1983 said:
Im gonna have to dial my temps in a bit better then, if notty gives off any esters above 63 its gonna show up in my blonde. My chamber is set at 63 but carboy temps usually hit around 167 for the 1st few days, which isnt a problem with 05 but with notty maybe it will be?
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Yes. I hate it if it gets above about 63 degrees. I haven't used it in years, as there are better "cleaner" strains at ale temperatures, and there are better English strains for English beers.

It does make a nice pseudo-lager at about 60 degrees, but that's about it. I used to use it a long time ago, and thought it was great, but my beers had a sort of 'homebrew' flavor that I realized much later was attributable to the nottingham yeast.
 
Paps said:
I personally will let the brew warm about 5-f when it starts bubbling more slowly.
My reasoning behind it is to get higher attenuation and also try to keep as many yeast cells active in hopes that they also chew upon any diacytyl (spelling) if any of that just so happens to be floating around.
Is it "needed".....nope
But it does affect the final product and i'd rather have that extra 1% ABV if i can get it.
Click to expand...

peterj said:
Like Paps said, the thinking is that it helps the yeast to fully attenuate and encourages them to stay active and clean up byproducts of fermentation more efficiently. It's not absolutely necessary, but it makes me feel better.
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I posted a similar question on another home-brew site and I was getting answers completely opposite of yours, guys. Seems you are a small minority that does this "ramping-up" of temps later in the fermentation. I was basically told there is no reason to do this.

I am not arguing, because I don't know enough to have any real opinion. That's the only reason I keep bringing it up - I am trying to learn!

Is there any fact-based evidence to these claims of better attenuation and "cleaner" beer?

I guess I should make a 5-gallon batch of something basic, like a SMaSH, and split it up, with one half kept at a constant temp throughout the fermentation and the other half ramped up near the end.
 
slym2none said:
I posted a similar question on another home-brew site and I was getting answers completely opposite of yours, guys. Seems you are a small minority that does this "ramping-up" of temps later in the fermentation. I was basically told there is no reason to do this.



I am not arguing, because I don't know enough to have any real opinion. That's the only reason I keep bringing it up - I am trying to learn!



Is there any fact-based evidence to these claims of better attenuation and "cleaner" beer?



I guess I should make a 5-gallon batch of something basic, like a SMaSH, and split it up, with one half kept at a constant temp throughout the fermentation and the other half ramped up near the end.
Click to expand...


You could read some stuff too. How to Brew is online for free. Palmer knows some sht.
 
normonster said:
You could read some stuff too. How to Brew is online for free. Palmer knows some sht.
Click to expand...

Books are for 19 year old smartmouths.

:fro:

I actually have the site for Palmer's book somewhere on my comp. I guess I should read it sometime.

:eek:
 
I tried "ramping up" once when I was dual brewing a double batch of same recipe for a friends wedding. Didn't like the ramped up version as much. Usually, after about 6-7 days, I'll drop down a degree and let ride till it cleans up. Normally, I hold notty at 61, then drop to 60. Seems to be when it is at its "happiest" on my recipes.
 
Im gonna try to ferment low with it then, prob set my chamber at 58 or so, that should give me enough leeway for temp climb during the first few days to have it finish clean. I do like the sound of a better floc, most of my beers stay slightly hazy even with whirlfloc and a cold crash
 
And slym2none, not that i have any long experience in the world of ag brewing but ive never raised my temps either and have no problems with attenuation or off flavors, at least as far as me and my friends are concerned. I think its another one of the reasons we love this hobby, its all about what you wanna do and what creates beers that you want to drink.
 
slym2none said:
I posted a similar question on another home-brew site and I was getting answers completely opposite of yours, guys. Seems you are a small minority that does this "ramping-up" of temps later in the fermentation. I was basically told there is no reason to do this.

I am not arguing, because I don't know enough to have any real opinion. That's the only reason I keep bringing it up - I am trying to learn!

Is there any fact-based evidence to these claims of better attenuation and "cleaner" beer?
Click to expand...

I think I heard Jamil and maybe Palmer (can't remember) talk about doing it on their podcasts. I don't have any data or evidence to support it, nor have I really ever looked for any. I just liked the sound of it and it makes logical sense to me. Honestly I've never really noticed a difference between beers that I've done it on and ones I haven't. I wouldn't expect much of a difference either.

jstringer1983 said:
And slym2none, not that i have any long experience in the world of ag brewing but ive never raised my temps either and have no problems with attenuation or off flavors, at least as far as me and my friends are concerned. I think its another one of the reasons we love this hobby, its all about what you wanna do and what creates beers that you want to drink.
Click to expand...

Exactly. It's really not a big deal and not that important. I do it when I can if I can remember. And I'm not very precise about it. When I see the krausen's just about fallen and it's starting to clear up, I'll usually up the temp however much I feel like at the time. It's not going to do any harm (because it's well after the bulk of fermentation is over anyway) and it may be beneficial and/or speed up the fermentation process.
 
normonster said:
Unfortunately he doesn't specify the fermentation temperature. Wonder if he had both in the same chamber. Posts above got me wondering if I should do side by side....what's a good happy medium? I typically ferment US 05 at like 68.
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I would ferment it like you normally do. That way you have an apples to apples example that reflects your process.
 
Yeah thats more what im curious about too, i think im gonna try fermenting the notty right up where my 05 sits (66ish) and get a good idea of what it does at that temp. Then i can dial it down a few degrees if i want in the future.
 
US-05 on the left, Notty on the right (pale ale - 6%abv, MO, amarillo, citra). This was a 10 gallon batch that I split (US-05 in a glass carboy, notty in conical). I maintained 63 inside the conical (SS brewtech 7 gal chronical) and left the carboy at ambient temps which were ~65. Needless to say the beers are very similar. The US-05 is definitely more crisp (great beer today in MD as it's pushing 90F outside) and cleaner. I get more orange from the amarillo in the US-05. The Notty is a rounder (for lack of a better word) flavor. The finish lingers longer with the Notty and in general it tastes smoother. This is about what I expected having brewed with both in the past, but it's always a fun experiment to try. Cheers!

IMG_2749.jpg
 
Awesome to get feedback like this, im looking forward to finding the differences with the notty. 05 has been my go to all along for my ales and i love the results but i also love experiments lol
 
I did this same thing just a few months ago with a brown ale I made.

link


I even bought a couple of commercial brown ales to compare. I don't think my thread is going to tell you much more than what the replies in this thread have already said, but I tried to keep everything equal as far as temps go and what not. The only difference between the split brown ale was the yeast. One was the control with Notty and the other had US-05, which is one of my fav dry yeasts.

The main issue I found is that Notty is a finicky animal if you ferment too high. The first time I made this brown ale, I fermented at 72F as that was the lowest I could get with my swamp cooler. That was two years ago, but fermenting this time around at 62F was a huge difference.

A brewer in the brew club I joined recently told me the next time I change up Notty for another yeast, to try Windsor. I might do that for another experiement.
 
Ive heard of windsor, im probably wrong but isnt that an english ale yeast? Not that i wouldnt try it but 95% of my beers are apa styles so idk if that would work
 

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