Rookie mistake

Greetings from Ohio-

Currently, my second batch of beer is in the primary. It is a Brewer's Best red ale that I brewed last Saturday (3/1). Unfortunately, I forgot to check my calendar and now realize that I am traveling for work starting this Saturday. I would like to rack the beer into the secondary, but I do not want to do so prematurely. As I see it, I have the following options. Which do ya'll think is best.

1. Take a gravity reading today, Thursday and Friday to see if fermentation has completed and, if so, rack to the secondary on Friday night.

2. Rack regardless of gravity on Friday night.

3. Let it continue to ferment in the primary until I return the following Friday night (3/14).

Is two weeks in the primary too long? I have read conflicting reports on that and wanted to ask the experts.

Thanks again for your guidance.

Jeff

Well, you can do either 1 or 3 with no issues at all.

If it were me, I'd leave it in the primary until returning, and then either bottle it or rack it to the clearing tank.

There is some benefit to leaving it in primary longer, even if it's finished up with fermentation. The yeast actually "clean up" after themselves, eating their own waste products like diacetyl. I usually leave my beer at least 10 days in the primary, sometimes 2-3 weeks.

Also, welcome to HBT! I'm originally from Youngstown.

I would leave it and then when you return make the transfer. You will not hurt a thing by leaving it in the primary.

Just leave it alone and rack it on the Ides.

Waiting a week never hurts, I've learned. Heck, waiting a few weeks never hurts.

I had a stout in primary for several weeks, and I think it's gonna turn out beautifully.

Many thanks. That makes me feel better. I guess that it is sort of hard to screw up homebrew, huh? With the possible exception of sanitation...

Ya'll are great. I will let you know how it turns out. I can totally see why this activity goes from hobby to obsession very, very quickly.

Jeff