Advice sought here.

[KMalt]

My very first batch has been in the primary for 5 days now and the airlock bubbling has slowed considerably (~1 bubble every 1 or 2 minutes). Bubbling was quite fast on day 2 and 3.

Here's where I need advice: I have a 5 gal. carboy on order to be used as a secondary but I don't expect it to arrive for at least another 5 days. In the meantime, should I rack to the bottling bucket sometime soon, and then bottle, or would it be better to leave it in the primary for potentially 10-14 days until the carboy arrives?

The beer is an English brown ale with an O.G. of 1.38 (or was it 1.038?), as I recall. I haven't check the gravity lately.

[YamahaXS]

IMO, your beer will be fine either way. If it was up to me, I think I would wait for the carboy, assuming it comes early next week. Will you be able to verify when it gets shipped?

[kevin]

if it is still bubbling then it is still fermenting so I wouldn't do anything now.

[homebrewaddict]

Either way you will be okay. I have left beer in the primary for 2-3 weeks with no degradation of flavor. I have also bottled after 5-7 days with no problems. Since you are bottling so soon though, I would recommend taking hydrometer readings on two successive days to make sure that the gravity is stable so that you don't end up with glass grenades!

[bigmf]

I'd leave it where it is for now. Its under an airlock so it shouldn't get an infection, and the breakdown of the yeast sediment wouldn't occur for another 2 or 3 weeks.
Bottling now would most likely be too soon; the beer needs a little time to clear. Give it another week to let it clear, check the gravity and if it appears to be low enough go straight to the bottling bucket.

The O.G. was 1.038, 1.38 would be higher than anyone would ever try. (I hope - you never know with some of the people around here.) :eek:

[KMalt]

Thanks for the advice guys! I think I'll just leave it alone for now. If the carboy comes in the next 4 or 5 days I'll probably rack to that. If not I'll take consecutive gravity readings in 4 or 5 days and then bottle.