Filing my pipeline for Christmas, is an APA the wrong choice to start with?

I need to have 25 gallons on tap for our typical Christmas gathering and with time constraints I am starting to fill the line now. I was pleased with my last APA so I wanted to recreate that and picked up the ingredients. Got a starter going with a WLP090 and was going to brew tomorrow THEN I thought about the hop flavor and aroma fading over the four months of lag time from brew to glass.

So here are my questions:

1 – Will I lose the flavors by allowing this to sit that long in a chilled carbed keg after fermentation is complete?

2 – Will the flavors last longer if I transfer to the keg (purge with CO2) and use this as a secondary until it is time to chill and carb?

3 – If number 2 is a better option, would dry hopping be a good idea to boost the IBUs?

4 – If dry hopping, should that happen at the time of transfer or wait until two weeks before carbing?

5 - Should I package up these ingredients, put them away for a later brew day, go back to the LHBS and do a Blonde?

As stated above I am planning to brew tomorrow and the LHBS is closed on Sunday so if number 5 is the option of choice then I have to get there by 10:00 PM EST.

Start with your darkest beer as they take the longest to mature. Your APA will lose the hop aroma/flavor over time so this should be near the last to brew. IBU's are achieved by boiling the hops in the wort. Dry hopping is for aroma/flavor only. You'll want the APA to have the hops added when the ferment is totally complete and the hops shouldn't remain in the beer for an extended period. One to two weeks are preferred.

RM-NM was on the money, but here's my input:

nasty_rabbit said:

1 – Will I lose the flavors by allowing this to sit that long in a chilled carbed keg after fermentation is complete?

2 – Will the flavors last longer if I transfer to the keg (purge with CO2) and use this as a secondary until it is time to chill and carb?

3 – If number 2 is a better option, would dry hopping be a good idea to boost the IBUs?

4 – If dry hopping, should that happen at the time of transfer or wait until two weeks before carbing?

5 - Should I package up these ingredients, put them away for a later brew day, go back to the LHBS and do a Blonde?

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1- yes. chilling the keg will prolong hoppiness but that will only go so far. might keep thing fresh for a month or two - but not four. hoppy beers are best enjoyed fresh, so make the APA (and any IPAs) last so they're ready just in time. you don't want to age anything that features hops as its main taste/aroma.

2- not really. if you want it hoppy, keep it fresh.

3- dry hopping does not increase IBUs. it will increase aroma, and some flavor, but it will have no impact on bitterness.

4- dry-hop should be done a week before bottling/carbing. dry-hop aroma will fade relatively quickly, so you want that to be the last thing you do before getting ready to serve.

5- yes, but even a blond should be enjoyed relatively fresh. i admire your sense of industry but i think you might be jumping the gun here. now is not the time to be making light or hoppy beers. now is the time to be making heavy and/or dark beers - stouts, spiced christmas ales, dark belgians, wee heavy, etc. i wouldn't be making APAs and blonds until late november at the earliest.