Yeast starter questions

[EyePeeEh]

1: So I see that most people agree that it is best to decant and pour off as much of the wort as possible prior to pitching. Is this because:
A) Off flavors are created in the "starting" process that you want to keep out of the beer?
Or B) Adding the DME changes the overall composition of the beer, in essence, changing the recipe?

So long as I'm OK with changing the recipe a little, will the quality of the beer suffer as a result of the process?

2: My starter container is a half gallon growler. Is the maximum amount of yeast I produce limited my the size of the container or can the "building up" process be completed by starting with a half gallon wort then chilling and decanting, and then adding fresh wort to the same container until I reach the yeast quantity recommended by Mr.Malty?

3) Should I bring the starter up to room temperature prior to pitching?

 

[Runyanka]

1) I decant off because with the constant agitation, the beer might have an been oxidized, and you don't want those off flavors in your primary.

2) Yes, you can build up the yeast count by decanting and adding more wort. Ideally you would want to increase the amount of wort added each time.

3) yes