Bottling Timing / Temp Issue

My very first batch, an American IPA kit from Williams, is close to being ready to bottle. The estimated FG according to them is 1.022 and the last reading I took on Saturday night was 1.020, which was only a point lower than two days before. I'm guessing it'll probably still be 1.020 the next time I read it, either today or tomorrow (at least I hope it is).

I've been fermenting it in primary for just over a week - since last Sunday, so just over 8 days now, so it seems about right. I know 10-14 is pretty standard.

I just have a potential issue that I need a few opinions on. I'm heading out next Saturday for 2 days. We'd rather not leave the central heating on the whole time we're gone, which means it's going to get pretty cold in there while we're gone - probably down to the low 50's overnight. I know it's best to carbonate at a warmer temp - around 70. So if I were to bottle tonight or tomorrow, it wouldn't have a full 7 days at a warm temp.

Will this be a problem, and what would you recommend? I could just leave it in primary for another week I guess (more waiting, but ooohh welll) - but then will the 2 days of cold temps be an issue for that too? I would want to bottle right when I get back. I'm really hoping it'll all be ready to go by a trip to Tahoe in late January...

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I'd wait another week to primary it. The temperature is dependent on your yeast. What did the yeast packet say to ferment at?

LandoLincoln said:

I'd wait another week to primary it. The temperature is dependent on your yeast. What did the yeast packet say to ferment at?

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I used Wyeast 1272 (American Ale II) - which says 60-72F. The primary has been within that range the whole time so far...

More time in the primary will just benefit the beer. Plus, if it gets colder, it will act like a little bit of a cold crash to help clear. You're better off leaving to primary for the extra week and then bottling than bottling earlier. The extra time in primary may also decrease the time it takes to mature and be really good to drink. It should be no problem to be ready by late Jan to drink. Just my .02

Brewnoob1 said:

More time in the primary will just benefit the beer. Plus, if it gets colder, it will act like a little bit of a cold crash to help clear. You're better off leaving to primary for the extra week and then bottling than bottling earlier. The extra time in primary may also decrease the time it takes to mature and be really good to drink. It should be no problem to be ready by late Jan to drink. Just my .02

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Okay well that sounds good. I should allow it to warm before transferring to the priming bucket, throwing in the sugar and bottling though, correct?

Clarity would definitely be nice. Each time I've taken a reading it's been SUPER cloudy. But that could also be because I had to move the bucket a few feet to take the reading, probably shaking up the sediment. My primary bucket has a spigot with a right-angle tube on the inside that seems to almost dip into the sediment, which seems really odd to me... but I really don't know enough about how it all works yet to know why that's a good design. It seems like it would just suck up and spit out the sediment, but I guess not - I just don't like how cloudy the readings have been and kind of blah tasting. Anyway...