Starter: Decanting yeast and stress

I've always practiced preparing my starter a few days early to make sure I have enough time to chill/settle the yeast out of solution and decant the "starter wort" before pitching. I do 2 liter starters for 5 gal batches and I don't like the idea of all that oxygenated/crappy wort in my beer.

I've always wondered however, am I causing undo stress on my yeast with the temperature flux? Over the course of the week the yeast goes from cold (being stored in the tube), to room temp while fermenting, to cold crashing, then into my mid-60 degree wort.

Overworrying?

Yup. Commercial breweries do that all the time. If it were a problem, pros wouldn't do it.

RDWHAHB, my dear fellow.



Bob