Is secondary Yeast Settlement "useable"

I'm going to bottle my hefe today and I have a nice 1/4 inch of white sediment on the bottom of my secondary (8-days).

For harvesting puposes, is that sediment just as viable as what you would pull out of the primary? If so, I think I'd like the idea of using this "cleaner" looking yeast instead of washing the "mud" that I always have in my primary.

 

I've read you can use yeast from the secondary, but it's better from the primary.

Tha only real differences between using yeast form the primary or secondary that I can think of would be the age of the yeast...could be several weeks old which woul/could cause mutation, and the fact that there would be less to use.

 

For most homebrewers use, yeast from secondary works fine. As the yeast grows and multiplies, you can find mutation; but I've used yeast cakes from secondary with good results and no problems. I doubt that you'd see commercial brewers doing this, because they demand strict control and reproducible results.
Washing yeast, using starters, secondary vs. primary yeast cakes...I guess it all depends on how sophisticated you like to be.

Marc.

 

Thanks Marc. How do you prefer to gather and store your yeast?...Or anyone for that matter.

 

Check out Wyeast's Guide to Yeast Washing.

Marc.

 

The downside of using secondary yeast is, this is the least flocculate yeast in the batch. I guess that isn't too big of a problem with hefes.

 

I washed some yeast last week, placed it in a growler and put it in my fridge. Now I come home from a week of flying and noticed bubbles on top of the liquid still on top of the yeast. I cracked the top of the growler and PSSST.... there was pressure, is this normal???? In a fridge??? It is harvested Nottingham.

Brewpilot

 

If you got pressure chances are you didn't use enough water in the process.

I'd bet you didn't do it properly.