Extended Travel - Need help on what to do with beer

[StrmStlkr]

I want to start with the fact that if I had more time I would just let this brew sit longer, but I will be traveling soon so I can't.

I brewed Orfy's Hobgoblin II clone on 12/31/10, full boil extract using 6.6 lbs of Briess golden light LME and 1.0 lbs of Briess golden light DME for the main fermentables. I of course in a rush forgot to take a OG so am just guessing that I hit my target of near 1.056. Fermentation took off fast and furious and the krausen dropped off after about a week. It has been in the primary for 2.5 weeks at an average of 18.5 C (65.66 F). I took a sample today and read 1.020 and according to Orfy's recipie it should finish at 1.013 to 1.015.

As stated earlier normally I would just let it sit for another two or three weeks to ensure that it finished closer to its intended FG. The problem lies in the fact that I go on travel for work starting the 1/25/11 to 2/25/11. I will get one day home in that time, 1/29/11. This leaves me with three choices and I need your opinions.

Option 1 - Bottle on 1/24/11 right before I leave for travel regardless of what the FG reads. That would give me one more week in the primary to hopefully drop a few more points. Would I have to worry about bottle bombs or a drastically different taste then intended?

Option 2 - Let it sit in the primary and bottle on my one day back from travel 1/29/11. This will give it almost two more weeks but there may be a chance that I don't find the time to bottle it when I get back for that day.

Option 3 - Transfer it over to a secondary and let it sit for the 5 weeks I am gone and bottle it when I get back in town. This is the worst option in my opinion because I really want to bottle it before I go to town so by the time I get back, I have fully carbed up beer to welcome me home .

Let me know what you guys suggest or any other options that I may not have thought of. Thanks for your help.

 

[MalFet]

Go with option 2 and make sure you bottle. "A chance that I don't find the time to bottle"? Where are your priorities?!?

This is beer we're talking about here.

 

[Mongrel]

Bottle on 1/24/11 so it's ready when you get home, but if you're unable, just let it sit in primary for the 5 weeks. When else are you going to have a chance to be this patient?

 

[SKMO]

I think the beer might be done and ready for option 1. But I like to let them sit as well.

So my inclination would be Option 2, but get everything set up and ready to go before you leave. Have your bottles prepped and clean. Toss them in the oven and sanitize them a few hours and leave them there. Or if you have a spouse/roomate have them help on this so the bottles are ready when you get home. Have everything laid out and thought out and ready to go so you don't have spend any time getting ready to bottle during your day layover at home. It can be a 45 minute deal if you have everything in place when you walk in the door. It usually takes me longer to get all my stuff together then actually bottle, so you can have over half the bottling process done before you leave, if you are so inclined.

And if that doesn't work out, I'd probably rack to a secondary during the layover, and try to put the vessel in a cooler place. Lot's of people would say just leave it in primary and thats probably as good, but I'd want it off the trub and cooler if it was another 5 weeks.

Anyway, thats my opinion.

 

[StrmStlkr]

I think you guys are right and I should man up and do option 2 and make time for it. That being said do you guys see any benefit of me raising the temperature a few degrees in hopes of rousing the yeast a bit? I was also planning on cold crashing this batch (never done it before) but option 2 doesn't leave me much of a chance to do that.

What about raising the temperature up a few degrees until the 1/24/11 and then dropping it down for a week of cold crashing and bottling on 1/29/11? Is that too long to cold crash?

 

[SKMO]

It may or may not hit 013-015. Heck it might go lower. But if it's room temp now I would bet it's done before you leave.

I'm not big into cold crashing, but if you can determine it has for sure worked out by 1/24 it won't hurt. I'd personally just let it ride at ale temp till you got in for the day. You will have had right at a month in primary and it should be plenty clear, and will finish clearing in the bottle.

 

[StrmStlkr]

It's pretty clear now as it is so I am not going to cold crash. I think I may raise the temp a few degrees however, like up to 68 or so in hopes of rousing the yeast a bit.

 

[wetzie]

I would go with option one. I had a similar beer go to 1.020 and I tried to get it to go further and it didn't. I bottled it and it was good. Travel safe my friend.