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Author Topic: My First Dry Hop  (Read 3582 times)

Offline rbowers

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My First Dry Hop
« on: May 26, 2011, 05:42:06 am »
So I am going to dry hop a APA today and wanted some general recs.  I haven't done this before so a little clueless.  Going to use citra hops at the recommendation of LHBS.  Is there any benefit to placing them in a weighted mesh bag if I plan to transfer back to a clean carboy after 5-7 days?  Is it ok to have the hops simply floating on top of the beer?  Add the hops first then the beer or vice versa?  I assume I maintain the same fermentation temp ~67F. 

Offline dbarber

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Re: My First Dry Hop
« Reply #1 on: May 26, 2011, 06:13:00 am »
Are you using whole hops or pellets?  Either way I usually just toss them in at the end of the primary when fermentation has nearly stopped.  The whole hops float on top while the pellets sink to the bottom and I transfer after 7 days.  It sounds like you are going to put the hops in the secondary and then transfer to a clean carboy after 5-7 days.  I would recommend against this, the more times you transfer the beer the more likely you will introduce oxygen and increase the chance of infection. 

I would put the hops in the primary at the end of fermenation let sit for 5-7 days then keg or bottle.
Dave Barber
Orwigsburg, PA
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Offline rbowers

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Re: My First Dry Hop
« Reply #2 on: May 26, 2011, 06:54:43 am »
Whole hops.  There is a lot of foam and stuff in the primary now sitting atop the beer- can I expect the hops the sink thru this and if not does it matter.?

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: My First Dry Hop
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2011, 07:36:51 am »
The mesh bag will contain the hops and make racking easier.  The down side is that the bag may be hard to remove from a carboy.  The weight will ensure all the hops are in contact with the beer.

I just put the hops in the carboy, before or after racking the beer.  The whole cone hops will tend to float on top.  You can swirl the carboy and get those all wetted.   Some will sink, some won't, in my experience.

To rack with the free floating hops, I have a big nylon mesh bag that gets boiled, then teh racking cane is inserted, and those are stiffed in the carboy.  The nyon bag acts as a filter, keeping the hops out.

Keep the dry hoped beer in the carboy at the 60-70 F range.

There is risk in racking as pointed out.  If you have good sanitation techniques, and learn to rack gently without splashing, you can make good beer without infections or oxidation.  With a CO2 system you can rack and transfer under CO2, no worries about O2.  That takes more equipment and time.  I have an Union Jack clone that will be racked to a second carboy today under CO2, just because the first dry hop charge was big, and there is a second dry hop charge that is just about as big.    It turns into a volume problem after a while.
Jeff Rankert
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Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
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Offline tomsawyer

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Re: My First Dry Hop
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2011, 07:42:24 am »
Wouldn't he be better off waiting until fermentation was done and the krausen dropped?  I'd think this would prevent aromas from outgassing with the CO2.

I've seen lots of pics of floating whole dry hops, I think you could rack from these without much problem.  I'm currently using some pellets and I'll employ a filter as was described by hopf.
Lennie
Hannibal, MO

Offline gymrat

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Re: My First Dry Hop
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2011, 08:11:17 am »
That is how I did it. Dropped them in 8 days into fermentation. Next time I am going to use a hop sack though. The last two times I just threw my pellets in. The first time I did get a nice aroma the second time I got no aroma at all. I think it is because the second time the pellets sunk into the trub and were buried where they couldn't release their aroma into the beer.
Ralph's Brewery
Topeka, KS

Offline Pinski

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Re: My First Dry Hop
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2011, 08:40:37 am »
I just kicked a keg of IPA that I dry hopped by adding an oz. of Amarillo to a hopsock and tucking the sock behind out-line inside corny keg. Worked great, beer had great aroma, clear as a bell and wasn't "grassy" .
Steve Carper
Green Dragon Brewers
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Offline denny

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Re: My First Dry Hop
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2011, 09:00:14 am »
Wouldn't he be better off waiting until fermentation was done and the krausen dropped?  I'd think this would prevent aromas from outgassing with the CO2.

I agree, Lennie.  Also, I've never found it necessary to weight the bag.  You get plenty of contact without it.
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: My First Dry Hop
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2011, 09:19:41 am »
I just kicked a keg of IPA that I dry hopped by adding an oz. of Amarillo to a hopsock and tucking the sock behind out-line inside corny keg. Worked great, beer had great aroma, clear as a bell and wasn't "grassy" .

Dry hopping in the carboy and then keg hopping has given me some wonderful aroma.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline denny

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Re: My First Dry Hop
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2011, 09:22:05 am »
I just kicked a keg of IPA that I dry hopped by adding an oz. of Amarillo to a hopsock and tucking the sock behind out-line inside corny keg. Worked great, beer had great aroma, clear as a bell and wasn't "grassy" .

Dry hopping in the carboy and then keg hopping has given me some wonderful aroma.

Yeah, that's a great way to do it.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline SpanishCastleAle

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Re: My First Dry Hop
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2011, 10:35:34 am »
Wouldn't he be better off waiting until fermentation was done and the krausen dropped?  I'd think this would prevent aromas from outgassing with the CO2.
IME, even better would be to have the beer as clear as possible, even gelatined, prior to adding the dry hops.  Hop compounds seem to want to stick to everything so the more clear it is the less stuff for the hop compounds to stick to.

I use a stainless steel screen (like from a hand strainer but bigger) that I rolled into a tube and crimped one end.  The screen goes on the end of the OUT diptube and then I just dump whole cones into the keg, purge the keg with CO2, then fill.  After the initial racking from the carboy, all subsequent transfers are closed keg-to-keg transfers to minimize any oxidation.