It just so happens that I have been listening to the White Labs 2009 episode of the Session at work today. Here are a few more things I can relay over to you from The Brothers White. If this sounds similar to your process then you probably have yeast that will ferment relatively well.
After racking your beer off the yeast, protein and hop sediment, use the remaining liquid/beer in your carboy/bucket to swirl your yeast and detach any of the sticky yeast particles that may be clinging onto the bottom of your fermentation vessel.
Put this mixture into a sanitized seal-able container in your fridge and let it settle out for a day. Make sure to vent the gas out of the container 2-3 times a day for the first few days because the yeast are still producing gas and the pressure of this gas is more harmful in such a small environment. Basically the yeast can kill itself off in that gaseous environment. If you use aluminum foil as a lid you are likely fine because the gas can escape but if you used a jar with a screw lid you will need to vent off that gas. If you open your sealed container a few days later and you hear a huge hiss (like the sound of opening a carbonated beverage for the first time) and you smell a ton of gas, your yeast may be in rough shape.
After 2 days in the fridge pour off some of the liquid on top and strive for a 50/50 mixture of yeast slurry and liquid. Use this 50/50 mix for your next batch.
For an easier way to get a larger and healthier yeast slurry, above all else Chris recommends top cropping during the first 2-3 days of fermentation. Typically after a month healthy yeast that has been harvested has less than 50% viability. The thing to keep in mind is that during fermentation the amount of yeast cells is 4-5x as large so even with less than 50% viability in your slurry you still have a lot of good yeast but you also have a lot of bad yeast.
Hope this helps
