u/JoystickMonkey

Until now I’ve basically followed the recipe for a beer in terms of mash temp. I understand that there are two different enzymes that are more active at different temperatures.

Now, I figure step mashing and mash out will probably result in the most converted sugars as well as the driest mouth feel. Is that correct? Does accentuating one enzyme over another give a different effect? Do different malt types have different reactions based on mash temp? How does yeast type impact the result of varied mash temps?

I feel like I have a pretty good model of a lot of other processes in brewing, but I don’t really have enough experience to gauge how the interplay between mash temp, malt type, yeast type (and any other factors) have on the output.

I got a liquid pack of Omega OYL-114 Bayern Lager some time ago. I have been making starters, setting a bit of the starter aside each time and holding onto it for a month or two, and then using that as a starter for the next batch. I think I'm on maybe the sixth batch now.

Two batches ago, I made a starter, sitting at 70F, and it took a solid 12-18 hours to really start going. Usually I would see activity within the first 6 hours. I then pitched at about 70F (as that was the temp that the starter had been sitting at as it developed) and cooled down to 53F which has been the sweet spot for this yeast in the past. I saw no activity for over 24 hours, warmed it up to 57F and it finally started showing signs of life. I was then able to bring it back down to 54F and it went slow and low for about two weeks, where previous fermentation was usually wrapped up in ten days.

Because I had noticed a decline in the activity of the yeast, I figured that I'd be a bit more aggressive with yeast in my next brew. I saved off a pint of trub into a sterile mason jar and kept it for a few days until I had time to brew up a rice lager. After aeration, yeast nutrient, and cooling down to 70F I added the whole pint to a 5 gal fermenter or wort and it took nearly two days to see any activity. I raised the temp from 53F to 60F over that period, and finally started to see some activity. I now have it sitting at 57F and it's very slowly chewing through sugars. It started at 1.042 and four days later it's at 1.032, which seems pretty slow in comparison to past performance. Smells from the airlock are clean and consistent with previous brews.

I'm planning on starting over with fresh yeast on my next brew, but I'm curious as to what's going on here. What would lead to the lack of vigor and the preference for warmer temps? I've reused trub before and it usually takes off like a rocket, and starters have always shown a lot of activity within 8 hours of pitching.

My local homebrew supply store closed recently, and I’ve been checking out getting grain online. Most of the online shops are about in line with the prices I’m used to seeing, maybe 20% more. Then I got to shipping, and it brought the cost up to about double what I’ve been paying!

I noticed Amazon has free shipping and competitive pricing, but I would much rather support a different business if possible.

Has anyone had luck talking with local breweries for sourcing malt?