Yeast Harvest: Primary or Secondary

Where do you like to harvest your yeast from?

I have used only yeast from the secondary. I did not want to deal with all the other stuff at the bottom of my fermenter in the primary.

Well, it's true that the yeast from the secondary is "cleaner". But I believe that it less desirable yeast. That would be the least flocculant and most stressed yeast of the brew. The stuff in the primary would have trub and things in it, but it would be the healthiest yeast, in my opinion. So, I now always save yeast (and then wash it) from the primary.

I wash from the primary myself...

I'm with Yooper the yeast from the primary is most likely healthiest and has not been altered by the stresses that exist in secondary fermentation, such as higher alcohol content.

Very valid points. I go at it from ease of getting the yeast, but I would rather have a little more work and healthier yeast. I figure that the secondary is almost the same as growing some from a bottle or rogue.

When you wash it, can you get the trub out easily?

I wash yeast from primary. It stands to reason that it would be more viable and healthy thenn that left behind in secondary.

not washing - but i pitched on top of yeast in secondary and it came out great. i think the whole stressed yeast in the secondary thing is a bit much for me to pay attention to.

Hoosierbrewer said:

When you wash it, can you get the trub out easily?

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Think of it as it does all the work by itself.

Short answer, yes.

All the heavier stuff sinks to the bottom of the jug, you pour off the cloudy (yeasty) water into another container, dispose of the trub down the drain/toilet (yeast is good for plumbing...), more trub falls out, transfer yeasty water into another container cover and refrigerate, let sit overnight, pour off most of the water, swirl to get yeast back into suspension pour into smaller containers for future starters...label.

I used baby food jars for a while, but now I reuse my vials.