Fridge or chest freezer?

[bignath]

That might be more to do with economy of scale.
Those who bottle cannot really get clear beer before they dry hop.

On homebrew scales we're also talking a few grams of hops. Scale those few grams up to commercial quantities and then it becomes an issue.

Not trying to deliberately shoot everything down but i don't follow this either...

Before i went to kegs, i typically got very clear beer before and after dry hopping. Not sure what dry hopping beer has to do with the packaging method?

RE: scaling up for commercial quantities....what difference does that make? Sure they are using hops by the several kilo load, but they are also putting them into wort "roughly" relative to the same ratio. Sure, it won't be an exact linear relationship between hopping rates from a commercial vs homebrew point of view, but close to enough to shoot holes through that statement i'd have thought.

If our hopping rates vary so drastically from commercial usage, then we'd have vastly different beer. More wort, more hops...

 

[treefiddy]

Not trying to deliberately shoot everything down but i don't follow this either...

Before i went to kegs, i typically got very clear beer before and after dry hopping. Not sure what dry hopping beer has to do with the packaging method?

RE: scaling up for commercial quantities....what difference does that make? Sure they are using hops by the several kilo load, but they are also putting them into wort "roughly" relative to the same ratio. Sure, it won't be an exact linear relationship between hopping rates from a commercial vs homebrew point of view, but close to enough to shoot holes through that statement i'd have thought.

If our hopping rates vary so drastically from commercial usage, then we'd have vastly different beer. More wort, more hops...

Well if the yeast and whatever are reducing dry hopping flavour, then they're still going to attach the the yeast in the bottom of the fermenter. What I'm comparing primary hopping to is keg hopping (NB) and dry hopping post filtration (commercial). That's if they do it that way, and if it makes that much of a difference, and I'm not saying that it does.

Say that 20 L batch of beer cost you $40 at home, and you use an extra 10 % hops, you spend an extra $1 on hops. Who gives a crap.

If you're a brewery making a 200,000 L of beer, that extra 10 % cost in hops is going to cost you an amount that an accountant won't let you blow off as nothing.

To clarify I'm not really agreeing with slash, but if it is done like that in major breweries it's done for a reason (which is most likely $$$).

 

[bignath]

Well if the yeast and whatever are reducing dry hopping flavour, then they're still going to attach the the yeast in the bottom of the fermenter.

Not necessarily. It's not the green crap that contributes hop bitterness, flavour and aroma. It's the oils you want. Ever seen an "oil slick" on top of your "couple of days after dry hopped" fermenter?

What I'm comparing primary hopping to is keg hopping (NB) and dry hopping post filtration (commercial).

Ahh, well that sounds like apples v oranges to me. Completely different story comparing primary dry hop to a keg dry hop.

 

[bum]

Well I shouldn't say that it doesn't work, but every piece of advice I've seen from major breweries etc always say to get as much crap out of the beer as possible before you dry hop.

This guy says the same (and more). I'd listen to him over any nay-sayers here any day of the week.

 

[slash22000]

http://www.stonebrew.com/news/081201/

Mitch Steele, head brewer at Stone Brewing (and literally wrote the book on IPA's), also recommends clearing the beer first (bottom of page numbered 42) in advice aimed specifically at home brewers.

I dunno it seems like a lot of very famous breweries / brewers recommend it. And I mean, it can't really hurt. Adds an extra 2 - 3 days to my fermentation regime, but that's about it. I've never done a side-by-side test before, so I can't guarantee anything.

 

[bignath]

bum / slash,

that's all good and fine, and for the record i agree with the technicality of what "they" (bigger boys) are doing and recommending.

I just don't agree with blanket statements that have been made, that to do it any other way is a waste of time.

Plenty of brewers get excellent results both from a clarity, and a hop presence point of view by having different methods of dry hopping.

 

[bum]

Vinnies article is aimed at a homebrew scale not a commercial scale.

Anyway, do what you fucken want. I only posted because you were suggesting Slash's technique is a waste of time when it isn't at all.

 

[slash22000]

Yeah I shouldn't have said it was a waste of time that's not what I meant exactly. I just meant that, according to a lot of information I've come across, your time spent dry hopping is better utilised if as much yeast/etc as possible is no longer in suspension.

 

[Dave70]

Hi all just wondering people's thought on wat is better a chest freezer or a normall fridge to ferment in ? I currently use a fridge but have the option to get a chest freezer of mate cheap. Wat would be the better choice on power usage ? Any advice would be good for this noob

Get both.
You'll have the flexability to brew and store / serve all at once. I only use my fridge for brewing, so I guess it uses bugger all power.

This guy says the same (and more). I'd listen to him over any nay-sayers here any day of the week.

What the **** would that guy know..

 

[bum]

I bet he doesn't even BIAB.

 

[bignath]

I only posted because you were suggesting Slash's technique is a waste of time when it isn't at all.

You wanna point out exactly where i suggested it was a waste of time?

I never did anything of the sort bum.

I asked for clarification as to where he could have come up with that statement.

Did i question him regarding his statement that it was a waste of time? Absolutely.
Did i say his way was a waste of time, or imply that my way was better? Absolutely not.

Interesting article you linked to by the way. Will give it a further read when i have time, but i found the section you were referring to interesting.

 

[azzwa]

Thanks for everyone that replied on the subject I originally posted!! I think I will be sticking with the fridge for fermenting ,everyone had a good point on lifting the fv in and out.