Bottling question/problem

Hi. I have a problem: I made my first ever batch on Sunday and the fermentation seems to be slowing so that bottling can be done in a day or so. Good deal. I found out last night that I have to travel across the country for a funeral and will be gone until next Friday. I don't think I want to risk the fermentation not being complete for the sake of just bottling (you know, exploding bottles when I'm gone). Is is a big deal if I leave the fermentation alone and bottle when I get back? It would mean that the fermentation would be something like 12 days and not the 6-8 on the kit.

I'm making a simple IPA for this first go around, and so i'm worried that the extra time will give the beer an off taste. Any thoughts would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks.
- Bryan

Your beer will be fine, letting it sit longer will be better for it. Don't go by the calender btw, always take hydrometer readings to know when you done fermenting.

''Is is a big deal if I leave the fermentation alone and bottle when I get back? It would mean that the fermentation would be something like 12 days and not the 6-8 on the kit.''

I don't touch my beer for at least 3-4 weeks during primary...
Don't go by what the kit says.. 6-8 days is too early imo..
It will be fine, the longer you have it in primary the better the yeast can do their job with cleaning up...

I was going to use the hydrometer tonight just to see where everything was at. I'm unsure of letting it sit longer will create any off tastes and whatnot. Many thanks for the reply.

First of all, welcome to HBT!

Kit instructions are notorious for rushing the schedule. It's generally accepted that beer should stay in the fermentor for at least 3 weeks. Those 3 weeks can include a secondary fermentor if you choose to use one, although a lot of people just leave their beer in their primary fermentor for 3-4 weeks before bottling/kegging.

My own advice would be that 12 days is too short. Give your beer a solid 3 weeks in the fermentor before you even think about bottling. You'll end up with better beer.

Ignore the kit directions. If you browse the forum, you'll see that over and over again, the best beer is made by leaving in the fermenter for at least 3 weeks, bottle, then let age in the bottle for 3 weeks.

The kits directions were designed not to make the best beer possible, but to cater to first timer's who want to drink it as soon as possible.

Also, don't rely on the airlock. Use a hydrometer to determine when it is done. Revvy has a cut and paste answer about that- co2 in solution, air pressure changes, slight temperature changes etc can cause an airlock to bubble even well after it's done fermenting. Or the opposite way- fermentation can still be proceeding, but various factors can cause it to bubble so slowly you can't tell, etc.

Assuming that you're new to brewing, and impatient, the best advice is still to wait the 6 weeks outlined above, and start a new batch soon. It's easier to wait when you have 20 gallons in the works.....

If you absolutely want to drink it as fast as possible (AKA green beer, or way too young), use the hydrometer over 2 days and verify you've hit the FG stated in the kits directions to avoid bottle bombs. Then bottle. After about 7 days, it will be very foamy when poured, a bit flat, but it's still usually a decent beer.

Guys, awesome replies thanks a lot. I've heard that the times were short on the kit instructions but I wasn't sure if there was a reason or not. Again, many thanks I feel better for sure.