Does vigorous shaking hurt yeast cells?

[Shawn3997]

Does anyone know if it hurts the yeast cells if you give your wort or starter a really good shake?

As examples:

1. If you pitch your yeast and then realize you forgot to aerate the wort, is it bad to vigorously shake up the carboy to aerate at that point?

2. Or, is it OK to put a solid stopper on your starter flask and give it a really good shake instead of just a swirl here and there?

 

[porterpounder]

Can't see how it would. They're pretty sturdy and the liquid medium should cushion them from blunt trauma.

 

[TallDan]

No.

If yeast could be hurt that way, stir plates would be a big no-no. There is nothing you could do by shaking your carboy or starter flask that will hurt the yeast.

 

[Shawn3997]

Awesome. Thanks.

 

[RM-MN]

Does anyone know if it hurts the yeast cells if you give your wort or starter a really good shake?

As examples:

1. If you pitch your yeast and then realize you forgot to aerate the wort, is it bad to vigorously shake up the carboy to aerate at that point?

2. Or, is it OK to put a solid stopper on your starter flask and give it a really good shake instead of just a swirl here and there?

Sure, shake it really well but if the yeast have started working you need to be prepared for a starter volcano when you remove the stopper because you will have released a bunch of CO2 that was suspended in your starter, much like you would if you shook a can of pop before opening it.