Lager yeast reuse

Yeast & Fermentation
1

I usually save yeast from my primary when i transfer to my lager carboy and use it within a couple of days, going by the mr. malty tables for the amount to use in my next brewed lager. I do this up to 3 times then pitch new yeast. How long could i keep the harvested yeast and pitch direct without having to make a starter?

Thanks

2

Up to a month, use half a cake. 1-2 months, use the whole cake or make a starter with half a cake. Older than 2 months, always make a starter.

:cheers:

3

Thanks, i had no idea it would remain that viable.

4

Yeast are hardy little critters. Flag porter from England uses a yeast cultured up from a bottle that sat on the bottom of the English channel for well over 100 years.

5

I use a rule of thumb of 2 weeks in the fridge before needing a starter.

6

+1

7

A starter or oxygenating the wort well before pitching is a good idea with refrigerated slurries. The viability doesn’t drop much at all even over a month, but the sterol content likely will.

see here for data from in the fridge:

http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/1 ... ility.html

and at ambient:

http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/1 ... bient.html