[motmot126]

Anybody dry hopping while fermenting in a conical?
I just add 8oz of hops to 10 gallon batch. Hops added directly to the beer after Trub and yeast dump. Was wondering how soon after you are opening the dump valve as to avoid a clog ?

[motmot126]

Waited about 48 hours and the 1.5” dump is clogged. I have sight glass at bottom of conical to 90° to butterfly valve. I put 2lbs co2 pressure and it didn’t budge. Then moved co2 to bottom to blow it out. Through sight glass could see co2 bubbling fast. Tried to dump again and nothing. So I decided to cold crash it and then just siphon it in to keg. Wanted to do a closed transfer but it looks like it will have to be next brew

[mabrungard]

I've dry hopped in my Blichmann conical plenty of times. The nice big corny keg lid opening makes it easy to get a sack of hops into the fermenter.

I do try to dry hop with a little extract left in the beer so that any oxygen that's introduced is consumed by the fermentation. I then let the beer finish fully and hopefully that only takes 3 or 4 days. I then runoff the beer into a keg and leave the trub and hop sack in the fermenter. Don't try and draw off the trub and hops through the bottom drain since that just wastes beer. The beer left in the cone can't be retrieved since its below the racking port.

[Slowbrew]

I don't have a conical (full disclosure and all that) but my first thought was I'd use a bag as Martin described.  It sounds like you added the hops without any containment.  My guess only, but I'm not sure how you avoid a clog that way.

Good luck, I'm sure the beer will be fine but clean-up won't be much fun.   

Paul

[motmot126]

Just order some hop bags from brew in a bag. 4” X 23”. I’m definitely not having any success dry hopping directly into conical. Thanks for the replies

[Jim Hines]

I use a 400 Micron Hop Filter with Lid & Chain, its a cylinder so it lays on the side and does not restrict the flow when draining the conical. I don't use the chain, just sanitize, fill and put it in.

[brew inspector01]

Just a different thought without buying extra equipment.... Open the valve before adding hops and add in increments over time rather than all at once. Exposure of the hops to beer will be maximized by the incremental addition and avoid clogging the valve area. How long? I don't know... Give it enough time for the hop pellets to break up and settle.

 I can't imagine you will taste a difference whether the hops are in the collection vessel or the bottom of the cone. There should be no detectable difference from adding them over an hour or so to adding them all at one time.

I use a bag to contain them myself but there can be other solutions to every problem

Sent from my moto g(6) play using Tapatalk

[yso191]

I do what Martin does except I don’t use a bag.

[UnequivocalBrewing]

I definitely dry hop in the conical.  In fact, that's the only place.  I will dump the hops directly into the conical but try to limit it to 5 ounces and the rest I will put in stainless tubes (effectively same as the bags).  This prevents the pressure transfer tubes from getting clogged if I have too many hops.

[soymateofeo]

I put some marbles from dollar tree in my hop bags to make them sink into my conical. No problems yet.

[goose]

I have also dry hopped directly into my conical without a bag.  I first burp off the trub and yeast from the cone, add the hops, and dry hop for about 5 days.  I do like Martin's idea of having some fermentation still going to absorb the oxygen trapped in the hops and will try this method in the future.  However, a lot of times I have noticed  that adding the dry hops will rouse the residual yeast a bit to help absorb the O2 after terminal gravity has been reached.  I could see this when dry hopping in carboys.

I then keg the beer from the racking port leaving the hops behind.  Most of them usually have settled to the bottom of the cone by then.  I run the beer through an inline screen to capture any wayward particles when kegging from the fermenter.  After the beer is transferred, you can back flush the dump valve (mine is a sanitary butterfly valve) to make getting the hop mass out of the fermenter when cleaning.  You might have to back flush, then drain a bit and repeat the process.  This eliminates transferring the beer to glass carboys for dry hopping, reduces the things I need to clean and sanitize, and minimizes any additional O2 pickup.

[StYak]

I dry hop 8-10 oz pellets (no bag) 2x in my ss brewtech chronical for 10 gallon batches of 7%+abv NEIPAs.  I'll add first addition on day 7 after yeast pitch.  On day 11, I drop as much as I can.  I had the same problem of hops getting stuck at the bottom and contacted ss brewtech.  They suggested I move the drop valve back and forth continuously until the hops push through.  I will also put a pound or 2 of CO2 on the fermenter to help push the hops out.  It's a pain in the arse, but it will work.  Then I add the 2nd dry hop addition on the same day.  Usually by day 14 I have reached my FG, I push some of the remaining hops out (dip tube does not reach the botton of the conical) and then do a closed transfer with 1-2lbs CO2.  I use a large and small bouncer filter in line during transfer to kegs.  With a little getting used to, that process works pretty well.  Since adopting this process, my NEIPAs have been light, brite, fresh and stable.

FYI, prior to transfer I fill my kegs with sanitized water to the top and push out with CO2 to minimize O2 contact.  I forgot, I also I will cold crash down to 40* for about 24 hours on 1-2 lbs CO2 prior to transfer.

[hopfenundmalz]

One presenter at Hop School said he removes the O2 by putting the dry hops in a container and filling the container with liquid Nitrogen. Some safety equipment is required.