OS X El Capitan - clean install question

[Gascogne]

I started the install of El Capitan on a clean ssd when I was in Yosemite which is on a separate ssd.
After El Capitan was finished installing, I noticed that programs that was install in Yosemite carried over to El Capitan..

So my question is if one want to do a clean install one needs to use a usb stick with El Capitan?

 

[Weaselboy]

So my question is if one want to do a clean install one needs to use a usb stick with El Capitan?

Now that you have installed El Capitan, you could just command-r boot to El Capitan recovery and from there use Disk Util to erase the drive then reinstall and that would give you a clean install of El Capitan.

 

[satcomer]

It's better with a USB3 thumb drive (10.11 is regularly is around 6.08 in size ). You can follow the steps in the blog post How To Make OS X 10.11 El Captain USB Install Drive to make one.