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Author Topic: In Keg Dry Hopping...  (Read 10336 times)

Offline miguelpanderland

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In Keg Dry Hopping...
« on: January 19, 2012, 12:46:15 pm »
Has anyone done this?

If you have, what do you find the best procedure(s) to be?

Is it as simple as hops in a muslin bag in the keg?  Do you pour the beer with the hops in the keg?

Offline theDarkSide

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2012, 12:54:45 pm »
I just asked a similar question last week:

http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=10540.0;topicseen

I put mine in a hop bag and have it suspended with dental floss in case I want to pull it out sometime in the future.  Make sure to sanitize the bag.
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Offline miguelpanderland

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2012, 12:57:09 pm »
Cool stuff.  Did you leave end of the dental floss lodged in the lid for ease of removal?

Offline theDarkSide

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2012, 01:04:42 pm »
Sure did.  I also just did the same with some Oak Spirals I had on a RIS.  The floss is so thin, the keg still seals up fine.
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Offline miguelpanderland

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2012, 01:08:32 pm »
Do you let it hang out with the hops for a week or so before charging the keg or can you do that right away?

Offline blatz

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2012, 01:13:01 pm »
I prefer women's nylons (yes, seriously), putting the hops in the makeshift nylon bag and tying the bag with 10" of teflon tape and snaking the tape in between the gasket and bail - I prefer the teflon tape to floss since it flattens out a little finer than floss, and I always have teflon tape on my workbench, whereas floss I'd have to go get.  I usually leave them in for the duration of the life of the keg, but lately I have been experimenting with removing.

that said, in painting my house recently, I discovered the paint strainer bags which go over the machine nozzle on a paint spraying machine (with cotton tie - not nylon elastic band).  those look like they would fit about 2oz of hops in them and they are dirt cheap - 3 for ~$1.50 - I might look to buying a bunch of those for disposable hop bags.

I don't like muslin for dryhopping since some particles inevitably sneak out, whereas this risk is much less with nylon IMO.
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Offline miguelpanderland

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2012, 01:19:40 pm »
Do you have the problems with hop particles from using whole leaf or pellet hops?

Offline blatz

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2012, 01:30:32 pm »
Do you have the problems with hop particles from using whole leaf or pellet hops?

me personally, I use whole hops when dryhopping. the hop particle problem I mentioned was due to bag material type, not hop type, however.
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #8 on: January 19, 2012, 01:33:50 pm »
Some lids have a stamped well for the relief valve.  You can fasten the bag with a SS hose clamp.  I have used the flat goretex floss, but like Paul's teflon tape idea for the lids I can't clamp to.
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Offline denny

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #9 on: January 19, 2012, 02:23:48 pm »
I don't like muslin for dryhopping since some particles inevitably sneak out, whereas this risk is much less with nylon IMO.

To some people, like my wife, those particles are the best part!
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Offline blatz

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #10 on: January 19, 2012, 02:40:00 pm »
I don't like muslin for dryhopping since some particles inevitably sneak out, whereas this risk is much less with nylon IMO.

To some people, like my wife, those particles are the best part!

true, but not when they jam up the QD....
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Offline denny

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #11 on: January 19, 2012, 02:46:19 pm »
I don't like muslin for dryhopping since some particles inevitably sneak out, whereas this risk is much less with nylon IMO.

To some people, like my wife, those particles are the best part!

true, but not when they jam up the QD....

True that....but the only time I've ever had that happen was when I didn't tie the bag well enough and it opened.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline markaberrant

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #12 on: January 20, 2012, 09:10:18 am »
I posted this on another forum yesterday:

I only dryhop in the keg. I use hop socks with marbles (boiled first), fill them with hops, then toss them in and leave until the keg is empty.

One thing I have learned about dryhopping is that it must be done at room temperature (say 18C) for a period of time. If you dry hop at serving temps, you only get a very grassy unpleasant character. I add my dryhops, leave at room temp for 5-7 days, then move to the kegerator.

Many also have concerns about leaving hops in the keg for an extended period. I have discovered that this works incredibly well at maintaining a fresh hop character, but it is critical that you keep the keg cold after the initial 5-7 days at room temp. If you don't, you will get a harsh astringent hop character.

I only use citrusy "american" leaf hops that have been kept in excellent condition for dry hopping. Pellet hops have not yielded as good as a result for me.

I have played around with this extensively over the last couple years, and these observations and results have been very consistent.

When I am not experimenting and instead following my best practices, I have found it almost impossible to add too many dry hops - they impart zero bitterness/harshness, just massive amounts of juicy, citrus, dank character that does not fade away at anywhere close to same rate as similar commercial products (even when using relatively small amounts such as 1-2oz).

Offline Pinski

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #13 on: January 20, 2012, 09:45:05 am »
I don't like muslin for dryhopping since some particles inevitably sneak out, whereas this risk is much less with nylon IMO.

To some people, like my wife, those particles are the best part!

I use whole hops in muslin bags to dry hop in the keg. Occasionally I'll get a few particles in the first couple of pours which are usually a bit cloudy with some yeast as well.  After that, the beers have been clear as a bell until the kick with the hops left in.
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Offline markaberrant

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Re: In Keg Dry Hopping...
« Reply #14 on: January 20, 2012, 11:39:18 am »
I use whole hops in muslin bags to dry hop in the keg. Occasionally I'll get a few particles in the first couple of pours which are usually a bit cloudy with some yeast as well.  After that, the beers have been clear as a bell until the kick with the hops left in.

Same here.