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Author Topic: Handling Dry Hops  (Read 1514 times)

Offline emtee1972

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Handling Dry Hops
« on: June 26, 2011, 04:05:12 pm »
I am new to home brewing and had some questions regarding dry hopping. I used Brewer's Best Rye Pale Ale recipe. After transferring to the secondary fermenter I added the dry hops. A new Krausen foam developed which went away over the first 3 days in the secondary fermenter. Now that there is a new sediment in the bottom of the secondary fermenter, will this off flavor the beer if it is left in the secondary fermenter for the entire two weeks? Once the foam was gone after the first 3 days have the dry hops "done their duty?" Should I have added them in a week after transferring to the secondary fermenter?

Any thoughts would be appreciated...........

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Handling Dry Hops
« Reply #1 on: June 26, 2011, 05:43:02 pm »
It sounds like you did not let the primary fermentation finish before transferring to secondary. No worries. It sounds like it finished.

You really don't have to worry about leaving beer on the yeast (sediment) for a few weeks, I have left big beers on for 6+ weeks without a problem and normal gravity beers for 3-4. In fact I have never had a problem that I could point to as autolysis.

Transfering to secondary too soon can cause some stressed yeast and possibly an incomplete fermentation though. It sounds like you are not experiencing this.

How long was the beer in primary?

Even when dry hopping it is not really necessary to transfer to secondary by the way.

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that the beer does not know your schedule. It will be done when it is done and regardless of what the recipe says, it won't be done until then. If yo don't already have one, get a hydrometer and after things settle down in the primary fermenter, start taking gravity readings. When you get two or three in a row that are consistant over several days. Then bottle, Dry hop, transfer to secondary or whatever. Have fun!
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Offline emtee1972

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Re: Handling Dry Hops
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2011, 04:24:32 am »
Thank you for your reply. All good input........I liked your input on the beer being on its own schedule.

I re-posted on the general tab with more details in regards to SG and fermentation temperatures.