Danstar Nottingham issue

[_Mick_]

Bought a pk of the above mentioned yeast and pitched it into a 1lt starter as per my usual routine, but 24hrs later and there is no activity at all in my starter.
This is my first time using this particular yeast and was wondering if it's dead or is it just typical of this one?
Any tips on livening it up or should I just get new yeast?

Cheers
Mick

 

[professional_drunk]

Visual activity isn't the most reliable method to determine yeast health. Check the gravity, that'll tell you whether anything is going on.

I've never had a dead dry yeast. They're usually quite reliable if you bought them recently from the shop. Next time just pitch it into a little water to hydrate, then straight into your wort.

 

[Screwtop]

My 2c worth: Adding that much yeast to 1L of wort, it has probably gone bang and fermnted that sucker out in a couple of hours. No need for it to reproduce with such a huge pitch. Take a gravity reading of your starter, it's probably at terminal gravity and finished.

Product Datasheet downloadable from here: http://www.danstaryeast.com/products/nottingham-ale-beer-yeast

As usual dry yeast manufacturers advise to use 1g per L of wort and to rehydrate in water and not to add to wort to make a starter.

 

[_Mick_]

Interesting stuff guys, thanks.
I guess using a starter is a force of habit because I generally only use liquid yeast that I have farmed from previous batches.
Might go check the gravity....

Cheers,
Mick

 

[Bribie G]

Dry yeast is normally good to rehydrate and pitch straight away, as it's "optimised" with good cell walls etc to start work immediately. The only time I'd work up a big starter would be if doing a lager and using S-189 or something like that and need a lot of cells to pitch at, say, 10 degrees.

 

[_Mick_]

agreed, like I said, force of habit. and I do 27lt batches anyway so I guess a starter wouldn't hurt.
Alls good now, turns out I was being impatient, took a gravity reading and had not started to ferment yet so I left it and it kicked off early yesterday, perhaps my starter temp was a bit low.
Anyway cheers for your input and help guys.

Mick

 

[Parks]

Nottingham is a f($king monster workhorse yeast.

I have stopped using it personally because it strips so much of the malt character.

 

[_Mick_]

Oh really?
Ive never used it before, should be interesting since im brewing a porter.

 

[Parks]

Certainly let me know how it goes but that's been my experience, yeah.