The reason I enjoy the forums is that you can learn from the very powerful and real "personal experience" and not hearsay. I offered my personal experience to the asker, and so did you. Not sure why you get touchy about how you think I ethically challenged jamil at this point
Anyway, Jamil very well could have a point. However this one I will try out for myself since my washing experience has been contrary to what he is reporting.
My question to Jamil would be. If you cant use the strain twice, how has it ever been reproduced with integrity? This just doesnt make good sense to me, though I could be wrong.
Anyway - agree with you on the harvesting method being important. I have since switched to making starters from fresh yeast on the front end, stepping them up (using guidelines from palmers book). I now also use extra low gravity wort from my mash. I *think* this yeast should be more viable and cleaner than washing off a yeast cake from a previous batch. However I dont have a bad experience doing it the other way.
I actually don't use his calculator, was just curious why you thought you over pitched, and if Malty calc was your baseline. Usually over pitching to the point that it has adverse effects is tough to do. I do know I read somewhere something like 20 billion cells per gram of yeast. Hell that might have even been on the Mr. Malty site.
Anyway, I can offer this personal experience. I have switched to 10G batches and have been using washed yeast from 5 gallon extract batches (yeast cake split into 4 jars - don't know how much yeast that is, but comparable to a WL vial). So 1 jar into a .5 quart starter with .5 cup DME letting that go for about 12 hours. I have had no issues with yeast funkiness, or bad beer. Many people claim reusing yeast from higher gravity beers is not a good idea (including Jamil). I have never had a bad experience with this.