Have you done this recipe before? I'm guessing not seeings as you said you can't wait to see how it turns out. Please let us know how close to the original it turns out.
I would suggest you get a 2 gallon bucket. If your LHBS, may have it in stock. If the lid doesn't already have a hole in, there is two ways to go about drilling a hole in the lid. 1. Drill it to match a current stopper you may be using. This will also allow you to siphon the beer for bottling or secondary. 2. Drill it to the size of your airlock. I suggest that you also insert a grommet to make a tighter seal. I have 2 buckets in the setup that I just mentioned. The bucket with the hole just big enough for the airlock. I also drilled a whole on the side for a spigot. It a little bit higher up the side because I use it to transfer to a 1 gallon glass jug for secondary fermentation. This way I don't transfers that much of the trub, etc.
My rule of thumb for pitching dry yeast is higher the potential ABV, the more yeast I put in. It won't hurt if you put in the whole packet especially if you won't be brewing again for a while. As for Liquid yeast, I put half a vial. It really depends upon how much you brew. This way you are not storing the yeast for that long.
Check expiration date on vial. If you use it before that date, It should be okay in three weeks. I would recommend creating a starter to make sure its good to be pitched into your batch.
