How long does hop creep last?

[Live42]

I've scoured the internet and can find many articles talking about how to avoid hop creep. I've got a batch in the fermenter where hop creep is already under way, so now I need to figure out what to do with it. But nobody seems to be talking about that.

I brewed a hazy pale ale on 6/17, and I wanted it to be ready for some friends this weekend. Typically 14 days grain to glass for a hazy is very achievable for me. But now hop creep has set in, and dragged out my process. I pitched a packet of S04, as that's what I had on hand. It fermented out in about 4 days: OG 1.056, FG 1.012. I dry hopped it 7 days ago on 6/22. Primary fermentation was done at 65F, and I raised it up to about 71F a day or two ago.

I went big on the dry hops, and that has caused hop creep to set in. 7 days after drop hopping, there are still bubbles on the surface in the fermenter, and a bubble in the air lock every 20 seconds or so. I was hoping the beer would be in the keg by now. What I don't want to do is keg it with the hop creep still going, and get a keg full of diacetyl.

So questions are, how long is the hop creep likely to continue causing this slow fermentation? How likely is it that I'll end up with a bunch of nasty diacetyl if I don't wait it out fully?

 

[uweschmitt]

Did you check OG on consecutive days and test for diacetyl? The hops could have a irregular surface and help to dissolve CO2, thus you might see bubbles although fermentation is complete.

 

[CascadesBrewer]

So questions are, how long is the hop creep likely to continue causing this slow fermentation? How likely is it that I'll end up with a bunch of nasty diacetyl if I don't wait it out fully?

I agree with the first response about actually checking gravity (a Diacetyl check sounds useful, but I not a test I have done myself). I am not sure if I generally don't get hop creep or if I just don't notice it. A while ago I dry hopped a pale ale. I saw what you describe with visible bubbles and air lock activity. I was wondering how far the "hop creep" would drop my gravity. When I took a gravity reading at packaging, it was the exact same as the one I took before the dry hop. I suspect it was just hops acting as nucleation points and driving some CO2 out of suspension.

 

[Live42]

I checked the gravity again this morning, and it had not budged as compared to 2 days ago, so I started crashing it. I only have a refractometer for checking gravity, which obviously isn't the most precise instrument in the world. It's definitely possible that it could have moved maybe .001 or .002 SG, but as far as I can tell, it looked the same. Fingers crossed.

I did perform a forced diacetyl test, my first one ever, in fact! I didn't get a buttery smell from the test, but I also have no point of reference as it was my first time doing it. So while I don't put a ton of faith in it, it is another data point.

 

[MaxStout]

My experience has been the same as what @CascadesBrewer had. Nucleation, driving some CO2 out of solution. Taking FG readings over the course of a couple days is the best way to ensure fermentation is done.