Should I go into secondary fermentation ?

Hi Everyone

I'm doing a Strong Scothish Ale, partial mash, and the fermentation seem over. In my recipe, it said to wait 38 days before botteling. But, Im concern about the amount of crap at the buttom. Their is more then an inch of mud in there. Should I go into a carboy to clean this mud in secondary fermentation ?

Second question, is this needed to wait 38 days, since the fermentation seem over ?

Many thanks

PS: Don't tell me some do the secondary fermentation, other don't. I want your opinion about my case

38 days isn't a long time to leave on the trub.

I've left brown ales in the primary for 2 months with no problem what so ever (well, other than winning awards )

If you move it to a carboy: It will "secondary"
If you leave it in the bucket: It will "secondary"
So definitely let it sit for at the LEAST another week. Let it go for a month (total fermenting time) if you can wait. I brewed a porter and bottled it immediately after fermentation was finished (experiment.) It was pretty "green" tasting when I first opened a bottle. But it has gotten much better over the past month

As I like to say, there is nothing magical about a carboy that starts a "secondary fermentation." If you leave beer, the yeast will condition itself. Even when it's in the bottle. The other porter I brewed is much better now than it was 3 months ago.

I'd say move it to secondary for two weeks once fermentation is nearly complete....This will clear it out I think...I had my first stout in primary 21 days, I had inch of mud on bottom and I got another half in in secondary....

Again I don't think anything bad will happen if you leave in the primary but I know nothing bad will come of moving it too the secondary as long as you are good on using sanatizer. Also secondary will allow you to see what is going on better if your primary is a bucket....

I have transitioned over to just doing everything in primary (including dry hopping) after having used a secondary for many batches. The quality of the beer that I am getting in an extended primary (minimum of 4 weeks and sometimes longer depending on how lazy or busy I am) is great. Less chance of oxygen induced problems that can be introduced when transferring from Primary to Secondary. The only real drawback that I have encountered is that you end up with a large brick of trub on the bottom of the primary vessel if you dry hop and this can make it more difficult to wash and re-use the yeast. Other than that it is a great system. Montanaandy

If fermentation seems over you can rack to a secondary. IMO, 38 days is too long in a primary fermenter. I also think it is strange that a recipe gives an exact number of days to wait until bottling. What is with 38? Is that the magic number lol?

Bonjour! Why 38 days? Most ales can be off the yeast cake and be ready for bottling/kegging in about 10-21 days. Most people only secondary if they want to add something, fruit, dry hops etc... More time sitting will lead to more "Stuff" falling out of solution and onto the bottom. Just try not to disturb the bottom of the bucket when you're racking off the beer and you should be just dandy.

When I am going to bottle I usually leave my beers on the yeast for 3 weeks and dry hop in primary for another week . If I am going to keg it I leave it on the yeast for 3-4 weeks then off to secondary and dry hop a week prior to knowing I am goin to keg it. When I don't have an empty keg I have left it secondary for 2 months or more with no ill effects.
That being said, I recently ran my pipeline a little short and had a IIPA on the yeast for 4 weeks then dry hopped in primary for another week then kegged. I let it condition in the keg for a week at drinking temp and it was just great.