contrary to popular opinion- and perhaps scientific "fact"- I believe in pitching directly onto yeast cakes. In my experience this "overpitching" produces great beers. I step up the OG of each successive batch. Meaning the first batch would be, for example, a mild at OG 1035-1040, followed by a brown porter OG 1040-1050, then maybe a robust porter or barleywine. My thinking has been that I would rather not bother with harvesting the yeast, but brew on the day I am ready to rack or bottle the previous batch. I do also save yeast if I don't have the time to brew, but pitching directly on yeast cakes is a procedure I will continue to do and hope to continue making award-winning beers as a result. Not to brag, but more as a point of justification, I recently won my first ever medal (silver) at Nationals with a brown porter pitched onto a fresh yeast cake!