# Keg Hopping / Dry Hopping



## BOG (6/2/08)

Hi,

I've just purchased some Stainless Steel Hop Balls from Ross and would like to know what to do with them.

Other than filling one half and bunging it into the keg there must be more it.

Some people dry hop in secondary, others in the keg. 

So what's better and why?




BOG


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## Maple (6/2/08)

I hope there's no more to it...that's all I do.

As to which is better, I haven't noticed anything better/worse and use to dry hop in 2nd-ary before I had kegs, now i hop the bejeezus out of it in the keg.


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## Cortez The Killer (6/2/08)

Nothing like hops straight into the keg



Cheers


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## SJW (6/2/08)

I have a EKG plug in a s/s tea ball now in a keg of English Strong Bitter and it's very very nice, might even put 2 in next time  

Steve


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## BOG (6/2/08)

Thanks for that. I thought it was pretty straight forward but thought I would ask.

I purchased a Fresh Wort Kit and found it didn't have any hop aroma / flavour. It was supposed to be a bright ale clone (LCBA)and turned out to be a Australian Ale (aka Coopers) tasting brew. Maybe it was incorrectly labeled.

It's been in the keg for about 3 weeks now but hasn't got any better. I was thinking of adding some Amarillo / Cascade to the keg to see if I can change it somehow.

What are my chances ?


BOG


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## Steve (6/2/08)

BOG said:


> I was thinking of adding some Amarillo / Cascade to the keg to see if I can change it somehow.
> 
> What are my chances ?
> 
> ...



go gor it.....you'll be glad you did. They really lift bland beers!


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## razz (6/2/08)

BOG said:


> Thanks for that. I thought it was pretty straight forward but thought I would ask.
> 
> I purchased a Fresh Wort Kit and found it didn't have any hop aroma / flavour. It was supposed to be a bright ale clone (LCBA)and turned out to be a Australian Ale (aka Coopers) tasting brew. Maybe it was incorrectly labeled.
> 
> ...


Good to very good. I've only dry hopped in the keg and it is well worth it.


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## Maple (6/2/08)

Definately a good idea - never too much hops, I say!


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## yardy (10/2/08)

morning all,

not having one of Craftbrewers stainless hop balls, i'm thinking of using some muslin to dry hop in the keg (first time keg hopper btw), any problems with this ?

cheers
yard


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## Tricky Dicky (1/12/19)

Does natural carbonation in the keg work well whilst dry hopping at the same time?


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## wide eyed and legless (1/12/19)

Tricky Dicky said:


> Does natural carbonation in the keg work well whilst dry hopping at the same time?


There are some variants in dry hopping one I was reading last night which I am thinking of trying, I have hops in the secondary was going to transfer when almost finished fermentation in the primary. This time I am going to finish fermentation in the primary, transfer into the secondary immediately apply co2 pressure to prevent venting any aroma leave for 2 or 3 days and cold crash.
Was reading various methods pro brewers use for dry hopping on the Pro Brewers site.
https://discussions.probrewer.com/s...st-technique-of-dry-hopping-based-on-my-setup
There are a number of threads about dry hopping on this site.


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## Tricky Dicky (1/12/19)

i was thinking of transferring from primary to keg, add dry hops, purge keg to reduce oxygen and seal the keg lid but not connected to Co2. Leave keg at room temp 3-5 days, cold crash, hook up to Co2 and force carb over next few days, drink.


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## wide eyed and legless (1/12/19)

Tricky Dicky said:


> i was thinking of transferring from primary to keg, add dry hops, purge keg to reduce oxygen and seal the keg lid but not connected to Co2. Leave keg at room temp 3-5 days, cold crash, hook up to Co2 and force carb over next few days, drink.


Similar what I do now, doesn't hurt to try a few different methods and see which one works I have been happy doing the secondary fermentation with the dry hops. Just that what that pro brewer wrote does seem logical, so I am going to try that.


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## koshari (2/12/19)

i just chuck em in the primary when i pitch the yeast, they all sink and get stuck in the trub when you cold crash.

not much fun getting hops stuck in your poppet valves


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## Cstew (6/12/19)

Is there any issue with leaving hops in the serving keg for an extended period of time? It takes me about 3 months to get through a 19L keg.


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## Schikitar (6/12/19)

Cstew said:


> Is there any issue with leaving hops in the serving keg for an extended period of time? It takes me about 3 months to get through a 19L keg.


I've left them for that long and not had any problems personally, experiences may vary..


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## MHB (6/12/19)

Hop Plugs (properly T100 pellets) were developed to go through the bung hole (where the Shive goes) of a cask and they were left there for the full life of the beer.
Note that they were serving with gravity or at most the small suction head of a hand pull pump and that the keg tap (or Spigot) has a strainer built in. Applies to wooden, metal and plastic spigots.






Hop Plugs a basically whole hops pressed into a 1/2oz lump, so they are going to be a lot easier to strain out than is hop powder which is what T90 pellets are made of.
Given the higher pressure applied in kegged over casked beer and the much finer hop product we mostly use, I find dry hopping in the keg to be a real PITA unless you bag/ball or otherwise contain the hops. Had more than one tap/line/disconnect/keg post... blocked solid.
I find it only takes at most a couple of days to get all the benefits from keg hops so I normally use a hop bag and pressure transfer the beer from one keg to another after a week or so, all the benefits without the problems from loose hops.

I also find that hopping late gives a slightly different flavour/aroma to hopping early, I suspect its the lower pH which affects the solubility of some products. The presence of more alcohol, alcohol is a pretty potent solvent, will also change what goes into solution. I think maybe the carbonic acid formed from increased CO2 in solution may have some impact to, CO2 can be a good solvent to.
Mark


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## dave_h (7/12/19)

When I keg hop I always tie some (non flavored) dental floss to the ball and then through the lid to a post. Then if I need to remove the hops I can. The lid still seals well.


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