Hello all,
I’m currently waiting on my first AG beer to finish fermenting, I used this recipe Bell's Official Two-Hearted Ale Clone Recipe by John Mallett, Bell's Production Manager from Zymurgy Magazine - Imgur
Im still currently seeing 1-2 bubbles in the air-lock every 8-16 seconds, so I don’t think I should open it to start taking readings just yet. After consistent OGs, Im going to dry hop for one week, then rack and crash-cool to cold age for a week.
My problem is that I have a 6-day vacation coming up starting the 19th. Depending on how things work out, I may need to keep the beer in one of the stages until I’m back. If fermentation continues and doesn’t complete until close to the 19th, I should be able to dry-hop right before I leave so I can rack as soon as I return. Is it ok to leave a completely fermented beer in a sealed carboy for a few days while I wait for the right time to dry hop? I assume the recipe means 7 days when it says a week, will the flavor be negatively affected if it is only in contact with the hops for 5 days vs 7? Anyway, in the event that things finish up faster and I get it in the fridge before I go on vacation, is it ok to leave the beer cold aging for longer than the recipe states (one week)?
Sorry for the lengthy post, this is my first brew and I keep coming up with questions. And thanks in advance for the assistance, this is such a great community!