Using Lager yeast slurry from the bottom of a keg?

[bmckee56]

I just kicked a keg of my first ever Lager. I really enjoyed it, but I think I needed to allow more conditioning time. It was really shaping up at the very end of the keg.

My question is: Can you use the slurry from the end of the keg for a second Lager batch? Would there be suffiicient yeast still present to create another starter? My refrigerator temp is at 40F. I did get close to 1 1/4 cup of slurry from the bottom of the keg.

Salute!

 

[legaleagle]

The short answer is yes, assuming the slurry is from the primary fermentation. Others more knowledgeable about yeasts than me have posited that yeast from a secondary is not the best for harvesting/re-pitching (I will let the proponents of this theory chime in at this point). I have no personal experience with this theory as I do not use a secondary and I only harvest/re-pitch from the primary for reasons of convenience. I have also read on a raging thread debate here on re-pitching atop your yeast cake that supposedly 1 cup of yeast slurry is what you want to use to avoid over-pitching (me, I just use half the yeast cake since I read that debate).

 

[remilard]

Sounds like a good way to get really powdery lager yeast (especially if it went into the keg fairly clear). If you don't filter and you like reasonably clear lagers that may be a disaster.

 

[greenbirds]

Not an expert on the subject, but my $.02:

While you technically could, I would not advise it. Even if you kegged this from the primary, the yeast you got was likely still in suspension in that primary. Meaning the majority of the cells in the keg are the least flocculant ones, which, as mentioned, will give you powdery yeast. On the other hand, if when you siphoned to the keg you did a pretty dirty job and picked up chunks from the bottom of the carboy, it would improve your situation, as you'll have a higher proportion of flocculant cells in there.