When in Peter's life was 1 Peter written?

First Peter was written shortly before Peter's martyrdom, a long time after he first preached in the early Acts. The epistle reflects his later years, near the end of his life, as he writes about redemption through the precious blood of Christ.

Les explains that Peter wrote 1 Peter just shortly before he was martyred, which was a long time after he first preached back in the early Acts. In the passage, Peter writes that believers were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. Les notes this takes us back to Exodus 12.

1 Peter 1:18

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

Who is Peter writing to in 1 Peter 1:18 and what traditions is he talking about?

Peter, himself a Jew, is writing to Jews. The traditions he addresses are the traditions of Judaism and the Old Testament economy received from the fathers. He says they were not redeemed by such vain inherited practices, but by the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish.