Pitching onto a yeast cake

Northern Brewer General
1

when you pitch a new batch onto a yeast cake, do you aerate?? or not, figuring there’s plenty of yeast already and they don’t need to reproduce.

can’t remember, as i hadn’t done this in a while…

Thanks!

2

I always do, usually in a spare fermentor or even in the kettle then pitch onto the yeast cake

3

I also aerate by rocking the carboy back and forth using a swirling motion, yeast and all.

4

Same here, and it always results in a fast starting and robust, healthy ferment (even through my typical 8 or 9 generations, and even if the yeast cake has been stored in the fridge for a couple of weeks). As the fermentor carboy is filling up I also let the liquid ‘fan out’ on the sides of the carboy which also provides some aereation.