Brewing Master

Question:

Although I don’t brew beer (yet), I do make braggot.   This time I tried Danstar’s Nottingham Ale yeast with a grain brew whose OG was 1.059.  After 2 weeks the braggot fermentation stopped at 1.010.   From experience I know the brew’s gravity will drop a little more in the next few months – but not 10 points. I’ve tried to find out what the alcohol tolerance is for Nottingham yeast, but so far have not been able to find this information.   I would like to know if anyone in this group might be able to tell me what might be the highest % alcohol I could expect from this ale yeast? Thank you, Mike Z.

Response:

Although I don’t brew beer (yet), I do make braggot.   This time I tried Danstar’s Nottingham Ale yeast with a grain brew whose OG was 1.059. After 2 weeks the braggot fermentation stopped at 1.010.   From experience

I know the brew’s gravity will drop a little more in the next few months – but not 10 points. I’ve tried to find out what the alcohol tolerance is for Nottingham yeast, but so far have not been able to find this information.   I would like to know if anyone in this group might be able to tell me what might be the highest % alcohol I could expect from this ale yeast?

It is not so much alcohol as attenuation. I would think that a large rehydrated yeast amount of Nottingham could achieve 10% alcohol with proper aeration.  You got 83% attenuation which sounds about right.  Meads finish lower than malt based beverages.  Most Braggots never go below 1.004 FG due to the malt, so you are most likely complete in the fermentation, or pretty close.  Most beer’s commonly finish in the 1.005-1.020 range depending upon ingredients and OG. Cheers, Mike

Response:

Thanks for the info. Mike. I apologize for replying like this but I’m having a problem replying directly to newsgroup messages with Outlook Express. — Mike Help!  I’m online and I can’t get off…

Response:

I know brewers who have made Barleywines with close to 10% ABV using this yeast.  So the alcohol tolerance is at least to 9-10% ABV or so (maybe higher). — – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Although I don’t brew beer (yet), I do make braggot.   This time I tried Danstar’s Nottingham Ale yeast with a grain brew whose OG was 1.059.  After 2 weeks the braggot fermentation stopped at 1.010.   From experience I know the brew’s gravity will drop a little more in the next few months – but not 10 points. I’ve tried to find out what the alcohol tolerance is for Nottingham yeast, but so far have not been able to find this information.   I would like to know if anyone in this group might be able to tell me what might be the highest % alcohol I could expect from this ale yeast? Thank you, Mike Z.

Response:

Although I don’t brew beer (yet), I do make braggot.   This time I tried Danstar’s Nottingham Ale yeast with a grain brew whose OG was 1.059.  After 2 weeks the braggot fermentation stopped at 1.010.   From experience I know the brew’s gravity will drop a little more in the next few months – but not 10 points. I’ve tried to find out what the alcohol tolerance is for Nottingham yeast, but so far have not been able to find this information.   I would like to know if anyone in this group might be able to tell me what might be the highest % alcohol I could expect from this ale yeast? Thank you, Mike Z.

Much depends on the type of sugar(s) in your braggot. When you say "grain brew", did you do a mash? If so, at what temperature? Higher mash temps produce more non-fermentable sugars. Did you use yeast nutrient? What was the ratio of honey to other fermentables? Honey is notoriously low in yeast nutrient. With proper nutrition and fermentable sugars, Nottingham yeast is easily capable of ABV production well in excess of 10%. Ross.

Response:

Hi Mike,    Last week there was a thread on braggots in which I posted my notes for an Oatmeal Stout Braggot.  I used Danstar’s Manchester yeast and the FG was about 1.012.  My crude calculations showed about 12%ABV.  Hey it tastes great, and so should yours.  Post your notes and lets have a look. Alan

Although I don’t brew beer (yet), I do make braggot.   This time I tried Danstar’s Nottingham Ale yeast with a grain brew whose OG was 1.059.  After 2 weeks the braggot fermentation stopped at 1.010.   From experience I know the brew’s gravity will drop a little more in the next few months – but not 10 points. I’ve tried to find out what the alcohol tolerance is for Nottingham yeast, but so far have not been able to find this information.   I would like to know if anyone in this group might be able to tell me what might be the highest % alcohol I could expect from this ale yeast? Thank you, Mike Z.

Response:

After 2 weeks the braggot fermentation stopped at 1.010. From experience I know the brew’s gravity will drop a little more in the next few months – but not 10 points.

Yup, not surprising. Barleymalt contains non-fermentable sugars (in varying amounts). Beer basically never goes down to 1.000, so braggots won’t, either, though they will get closer than a similar OG beer. It’s not the yeast. Don’t worry about it.

Response:

Alan, This is a 3rd variation of a Braggot I have made – still tweaking it.  The 2nd version was a bit too much "hoppy" for me. 12/27/01: Malts: 2.5# Pale Ale, 13 oz German Dark Crystal, 7 oz Crystal 60L, 5 oz Carapils, 1 tsp DSP, & acid blend, 1 Tbl Superfood, 3.5# Honey, & 2.5# Xlight DME.  9g Fuggles hops – 4 min boil. Added 2.3g KMETA 12/28/01: OG 1.059, pH 4.97, TA 0.30 Tarataric, Added proofed Nottingham yeast 1/05/02: Racked to secondary (SG: 1.012, pH 3.71) 1/11/02: Racked off lees (SG 1.010, pK 3.71) 1/20/02: SG 1.009 This is my basic brewing method: 1. Add 2 qts water to a pot for each gallon of Braggot to be made (grist/water ratio