# Dry Hopping Advice



## WarmBeer (8/11/08)

I'm about to dry hop a LCPA clone tomorrow, using 12g Chinook into my secondary fermenter.

I know the wiki article says "use a hop bag or sock", but can I just chuck the pellets straight into the fermenter and let it all settle into the trub over the week? 

Also, will I need to slosh it around a bit to get the aroma through all the beer, rather than just the bottom of the fermenter where the pellets have settled?

Cheers.


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## QIK86 (8/11/08)

I tried using a tea ball to dry hop, but found it seemed to "strangle" the hops a little bit as they swelled. I now prefer to just throw the pellets in loose and let them settle out in their own time. That way I know I'm getting everything out of them.

And no need to slosh it around. The aroma will make its way through the whole brew.


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## bradsbrew (8/11/08)

WarmBeer said:


> I'm about to dry hop a LCPA clone tomorrow, using 12g Chinook into my secondary fermenter.
> 
> I know the wiki article says "use a hop bag or sock", but can I just chuck the pellets straight into the fermenter and let it all settle into the trub over the week?
> 
> ...



I would be using a hopsock in secondary. If you havent got a hopsock just pinch and boil some stockings off the misses(just be sure to steal a pair). If you theow the hops in before transfer to the container that should be enough to get mthem mixed in.
I recently threw in 12g of amarillo pellets and 15g of willamette flowers(no sock) just before pitching yeast. When fermentation was complete i transferd to secondary and the tap was a bit clogged, it made it a slow process but there was very little hop sludge in the secondary container. I let that sit for 2.5 weeks at 17 deg before bottling. It was so nice a drank 3 pots of it while i was bottling it.

Cheers Brad


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## bradsbrew (8/11/08)

QIK86 said:


> I tried using a tea ball to dry hop, but found it seemed to "strangle" the hops a little bit as they swelled. I now prefer to just throw the pellets in loose and let them settle out in their own time. That way I know I'm getting everything out of them.
> 
> And no need to slosh it around. The aroma will make its way through the whole brew.




Ive had the same problem with the tea ball. Only done that once.


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## Ross (8/11/08)

WarmBeer said:


> I'm about to dry hop a LCPA clone tomorrow, using 12g Chinook into my secondary fermenter.
> 
> I know the wiki article says "use a hop bag or sock", but can I just chuck the pellets straight into the fermenter and let it all settle into the trub over the week?
> 
> ...




Just throw them in loose, far better than restricting them in any bag or ball. No need to slosh about, just leave in the brew for minimum 5 days.

Cheers Ross


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## Bribie G (8/11/08)

+1 although I have modified that slightly, I make a pellet brew to about a litre in a pan using warm but not boiling water, let it cool and pour that in so it disperses fairly instantly into the brew without leaving a ring round the fermenter.

The one and only ESB 3kg tin I made had heaps of pellet in it and I got a duckpond green crust on top of the brew which I broke up half way through the fermentation and it sank eventually.

Dry hopping with pellets is a third of the price of using hop teabags and works great.


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## Pumpy (8/11/08)

WarmBeer said:


> I'm about to dry hop a LCPA clone tomorrow, using 12g Chinook into my secondary fermenter.
> 
> I know the wiki article says "use a hop bag or sock", but can I just chuck the pellets straight into the fermenter and let it all settle into the trub over the week?
> 
> ...



This was 28gms of Styrian Golding flowers the pellets will sink to the bottom when the fermentation finished 


Pumpy


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## KGB (8/11/08)

Yep, I just chuck them in loose as well. Usually I make up a 'tea' similar to bribie.


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## sid (8/11/08)

I chuck my hops straight into the fermenter when I dry hop...........but, when I bottle I hook up a NETA water filter from the garden store($10) and run a pipe off either end before it goes into the bottle and it catches most of the hops. Then I just screw it apart and it's easy to steralize and clean.


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## WarmBeer (9/11/08)

Thanks for the tips guys. When I said I was looking for advice from the pro's, I never expected to really get the cream of the crop (thanks Ross  )


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## Jase71 (9/11/08)

If one was intending to re-use yeast from a previous batch, would dry-hopping with loose pellets render the trub unusable - ie would the hop flavour go strange while storing the yeast in a fridge?


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## mwd (9/11/08)

Jase71 said:


> If one was intending to re-use yeast from a previous batch, would dry-hopping with loose pellets render the trub unusable - ie would the hop flavour go strange while storing the yeast in a fridge?



Interesting Question

I would think you might have to 'wash' the yeast as described in a couple of 'reusing yeast' threads to get rid of the residue before storing.

The yeast should go into suspension and crud sink to bottom or vise versa


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## Bribie G (9/11/08)

Jase71 said:


> If one was intending to re-use yeast from a previous batch, would dry-hopping with loose pellets render the trub unusable - ie would the hop flavour go strange while storing the yeast in a fridge?



The spent hops shouldn't have too much flavour left but might theoretically affect the subsequent brew if you are storing say a litre of yeast cake for the next brew. Same goes for saving say a litre of cake from a stout brew and then pitching it into a pale ale next brew :unsure: So washing the trub with a litre of sterile water would be the go.

I've gone much smaller in my saved yeast samples now that I'm into liquid yeasts and don't expect any problems in this department.


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## buttersd70 (9/11/08)

Jase71 said:


> If one was intending to re-use yeast from a previous batch, would dry-hopping with loose pellets render the trub unusable - ie would the hop flavour go strange while storing the yeast in a fridge?



Never had a problem with this myself, and never really bothered too much with rinsing the yeast. But that being said, for a particular yeast strain that I use, the recipes will have similar flavour profiles, and the small amount of hops in the yeast from one batch will either have the same variety in the next, or another hop which is fairly complimentary to it anyway. eg if I get a bit of EKG sludge into my next brew with fuggle/styrian, I don't lose any sleep on it, because EKG, fuggle, and styrian all work together anyway. If I had something that didn't compliment the hops in the current batch, chances are I would be using a different yeast variety anyway.

But as bribie said, it can be rinsed...once the sludge settles in the bottle it is collected in, pour off the excess liquid, add cooled boiled water, resuspend everything...as it starts to settle down, the hops will drop to the bottom quicker than the yeast. Decant of the suspended yeast, leaving the heavy matter behind. This will get rid of most of the hops. As I said, I don't even bother with this.


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## raven19 (9/11/08)

bradsbrew said:


> It was so nice a drank 3 pots of it while i was bottling it.



I like that dedication... No bottle conditioning required! :lol:


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## bradsbrew (9/11/08)

raven19 said:


> I like that dedication... No bottle conditioning required! :lol:



SWMBO did not see it like that, conversation went something like this,
Wife: Are you filling your glass straight from that container thingo
Me: Yes but i am using a clean glass each time to avoid infection
Wife: You've got a problem
Me: Yes I do, there wont be any bubbles in this beer for at least 2 weeks
and i will be lucky if there is any left by the time it is conditioned.
Wife: Silence and you shit me stares

:icon_chickcheers:


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## philipwebb (9/11/08)

Jase71 said:


> If one was intending to re-use yeast from a previous batch, would dry-hopping with loose pellets render the trub unusable - ie would the hop flavour go strange while storing the yeast in a fridge?



You could always avoid the issue and dry hop in secondary.

Cheers

Phil


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## mfdu (9/11/08)

hey you!

first time i dry hopped, i just ossed them in with a casual flick of the wrist. good aroma,lots of sediment.

since then, i've made a tea (as mentioned) and then strained the liquid, but i think the straining out of the heavy materials took away the goodness - that batch isn't as hoppy as i hop(p)ed.

hmmm. gotta get more hops. 

mfdu


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## flattop (9/11/08)

I would recommend a hop bag for 3 reasons.
1) I just dry hopped and the last 2 bottles filled with green bits as they didn't sink even with finings.
2) the hops can block the tap
3) it will leave the yeast cake mostly free


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## mouapp12 (9/11/08)

mfdu said:


> hey you!


thanks man i now have "gay bar" stuck in my head



but seriously when talking about dry hopping ive noticed that people will only talk about the aroma, would this mean that you do not get the hop's flavor as well?

it seemed a silly question at first but the more no one says it the more suspicious i get


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## mwd (9/11/08)

I would say 95% aroma but smell has a huge effect on taste perception.


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## flattop (9/11/08)

Mouapp

Others will correct me no doubt, but i understand that if you want a decent amount of taste (bitterness) then it is better to introduce hops by boiling them for about 30 mins as that releases the alpha acids and adding them before pitching (aroma hops are boiled for less time).
Dry hopping will produce flavor and aroma but not the bitterness.
For my part for now i am only dry hopping.


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## buttersd70 (9/11/08)

flattop, don't get caught with the misconception that hop flavour relies on bitterness or vice verca. They are totally differant animals.
Boiling the hop will release the chemical compounds that contribute to flavour, it just so happens that it will also cause isomorisation of the alpha acids that give the bittering; but that can always be manipulated by varying the BG. Anything more than a 20 minute boil will start to drive off this particular set of volatiles. Anything less than 20 minutes, which includes flameout additions and dry hopping (which are done primarily for aroma) will also add flavour, but of a different stripe, and to a lesser degree. Steeping or dry hopping, as far as flavour is concerned, adds a different flavour profile to a boiled addition, but it still does add flavour.


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## flattop (9/11/08)

No i did not mean to give that idea, but my understanding is that the bitterness can be only added by heat, flavor can be added by dry hopping but different from bittering


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## buttersd70 (9/11/08)

flattop said:


> No i did not mean to give that idea, but my understanding is that the bitterness can be only added by heat, flavor can be added by dry hopping but different from bittering



ok, I must have misread your earlier post.  

One other thing that adding flavour and/or aroma, whether by dry hopping, or by boil addition, will do, is change the _perception _of bitterness, as tropical brews said. Whilst it may not add bitterness per se, the perception to a more strongly hop flavoured or aroma beer is that it is more bitter. The mind does funny things where the senses are concerned.


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## flattop (9/11/08)

Anyhow, back t the main game.... the question was whether it is better to toss the hops in or use protection 

Oh and Bribie mentioned the 3kg ESB kit, i had good results with that kit, it comes "pre-hopped" the hops in mine settled in the 2nd week perhaps due to the addition of finings.
The hops did end up in the yeast cake, but when i sloshed the yeast cake into a jar the hops settled on the bottom under the yeast.
However, when re-pitching that yeast it is difficult to keep the hops bits out unless you use a strainer (i didn't but didn't care as the results were great).

PS there was a thread on yeast washing a week or so back and the new science that recommends NOT doing it.


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## muckey (9/11/08)

I have never worried about just tossing them in - I've always used pellet hops and it settles out OK

If the brews are similar I wouldn't (and don't) worry about hops in the trub.

To qualify that though - some recommend to only dry hop in secondary as an active ferment will drive off some of the aroma.
Ive done both and cant tell the difference.

Normally I keg the brew except for a little excess at the end which gets bottled and I haven't had any issues with bits in the beer other than times when I know I've handled the ferment/cube a bit too roughly. I know that finings wont drop hop detritus but I suspect chilling does ( I chill the brew after ferment before transferring to cube or keg (depending on how lazy I am) and I think that helps drop it out ( besides the yeast)


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## mwd (12/11/08)

Interesting I dryhopped my latest with 13g Bramling Cross Pellets about 4 days ago and they have not sunk to the bottom. I have a green mat on the top of the brew looks like a stagnant pond with duckweed.

The pellets have obviously broken up and turned into 'floaters' bit like the picture with hop flowers in the carboy.

The finished bottles could be interesting.


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## mynameisrodney (12/11/08)

I just chuck my pellets in secondary. I figure if hops is a good preservative, then having them form a nice mat on top of the brew is a bit of added protection anyway. And it settles out when i CC.

Chris


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## Pumpy (12/11/08)

Tropical_Brews said:


> Interesting I dryhopped my latest with 13g Bramling Cross Pellets about 4 days ago and they have not sunk to the bottom. I have a green mat on the top of the brew looks like a stagnant pond with duckweed.
> 
> The pellets have obviously broken up and turned into 'floaters' bit like the picture with hop flowers in the carboy.
> 
> The finished bottles could be interesting.




If they are still floating then it is probably still fermenting I always wait till they drop


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## mwd (12/11/08)

Yep still fermenting but very slowly chucked in at 1.020.
Last time I dryhopped some cascade they just sank like the 'Titanic' never to be seen again.


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## Screwtop (12/11/08)

I use a 300mm square of swisse voile (yep the BIAB stuff) cheap as from Spotlight. Pop the voille square in a jug and pour over boiling water, wait 5 min, remove and put the pellets in, tie it up with a plastic coated twist-tie then toss em in, fermenter or keg. After the required time fish out the bag, bugger all left behind. Put the voille in napisan solution for a couple of days, rinse and hang to dry for next use.

Screwy


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## Batz (12/11/08)

I really have not been completely happy with dry hopping ever,I have used it many times and enjoyed the beer but it's not quite right.
There is always a rough/sharp taste that I am not after at all.I find flame out better.Still better I believe would be a hop-back,of which I am building ATM


Batz


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## tipsy (12/11/08)

Batz said:


> I really have not been completely happy with dry hopping ever,I have used it many times and enjoyed the beer but it's not quite right.
> There is always a rough/sharp taste that I am not after at all.I find flame out better.



I've been thinking the same for a while now and have just been using more late addition hops.

The flavour does seem a bit more rounded (if that makes sense)


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## Batz (12/11/08)

tipsy said:


> I've been thinking the same for a while now and have just been using more late addition hops.
> 
> The flavour does seem a bit more rounded (if that makes sense)




Late additions may not quite give the taste your after either,dry hopping leaves an after taste type thingy for me that I have really grown tired of.
Who uses a hop-back ?


Batz


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## yardy (12/11/08)

Batz said:


> I really have not been completely happy with dry hopping ever,I have used it many times and enjoyed the beer but it's not quite right.
> There is always a rough/sharp taste that I am not after at all.I find flame out better.Still better I believe would be a hop-back,of which I am building ATM
> 
> 
> Batz




yeah i'm with you, my latest with styrian dry hopped is ok but i think could've been the same or better, aroma wise, with an addition at flame out.

yard


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## Batz (12/11/08)

yardy said:


> yeah i'm with you, my latest with styrian dry hopped is ok but i think could've been the same or better, aroma wise, with an addition at flame out.
> 
> yard




Now with our skills and cunning surely we could find a piece of stainless tube to make a couple of hop-backs. I am sure I've seen stainless tubing around the place  

Batz


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## SJW (12/11/08)

I dry hopped my last APA with 30g of Amarillo just after high krausen when the air lock started to slow. It was still a little early but they sunk to the bottom after another 3 days, then I mixed in the gelatine after crash cooling and it was very bright when I kegged. It also tastes very nice.

APA 
American Pale Ale 


Type: All Grain
Date: 1/11/2008 
Batch Size: 26.00 L
Brewer: Stephen Wright 
Boil Size: 31.86 L Asst Brewer: 
Boil Time: 75 min Equipment: My Gear 
Taste Rating(out of 50): 0.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 
Taste Notes: 

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU 
4000.00 gm Pale Malt, Ale (Barrett Burston) (5.9 EBC) Grain 72.46 % 
1000.00 gm Munich II (Weyermann) (16.7 EBC) Grain 18.12 % 
500.00 gm Wheat Malt, Dark (Weyermann) (13.8 EBC) Grain 9.06 % 
20.00 gm Chocolate Malt (Thomas Fawcett) (1000.8 EBC) Grain 0.36 % 
25.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops - 
25.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (60 min) Hops 20.4 IBU 
25.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (15 min) Hops 10.1 IBU 
30.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (5 min) Hops 4.9 IBU 
25.00 gm Amarillo Gold [8.50 %] (1 min) Hops 0.9 IBU 
0.50 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc 
1.00 tsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 min) Misc 
1 Pkgs German Ale (Wyeast Labs #1007) Yeast-Ale 



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.050 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.050 SG 
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.012 SG 
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.98 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.95 % 
Bitterness: 36.2 IBU Calories: 468 cal/l 
Est Color: 15.2 EBC Color: Color 


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body Total Grain Weight: 5520.00 gm 
Sparge Water: 12.39 L Grain Temperature: 20.0 C 
Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C TunTemperature: 20.0 C 
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH 

Single Infusion, Medium Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp 
60 min Mash In Add 15.00 L of water at 71.3 C 65.0 C 
10 min Mash Out Add 10.00 L of water at 94.8 C 76.0 C


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## yardy (12/11/08)

Batz said:


> *Now with our skills and cunning surely we could find a piece of stainless tube to make a couple of hop-backs. I am sure I've seen stainless tubing around the place
> 
> Batz*



Hmmm, stainless tube, let me see...

ah, yes, i do believe i know where i can get some, know a bloke who can weld also :icon_cheers: 

now why didn't i think of that....

cheers


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## debineko (12/12/08)

buttersd70 said:


> Boiling the hop will release the chemical compounds that contribute to flavour, it just so happens that it will also cause isomorisation of the alpha acids that give the bittering; but that can always be manipulated by varying the BG. Anything more than a 20 minute boil will start to drive off this particular set of volatiles. Anything less than 20 minutes, which includes flameout additions and dry hopping (which are done primarily for aroma) will also add flavour, but of a different stripe, and to a lesser degree. Steeping or dry hopping, as far as flavour is concerned, adds a different flavour profile to a boiled addition, but it still does add flavour.



So just to get this dry-hopping caper straight: 

Dry-hopping is just thowing the teabag/pellets/flowers into the cooled wort (primary or secondary) cold?

Making up a hop tea (steeping?) and either adding just the liquid or the liquid+hops to a cold wort is still dry-hopping?

Seems to make sense that you'll more aroma with the hop tea rather than just thowing cold hops into a cold wort...

Reason I'm asking is because I'm just tasting a red ale sample that was dry-hopped cold about 5 days ago with amarillo (admittedly only 12g and in a teabag) but I'm not really getting any amarillo aroma, whereas when I added 25g amarillo (boiled 2 min, rest 15 min, pellets added with liquid to hot wort) to a K&K golden ale (coopers sparkling ale) the aroma came through beautifully. 

Just wondering if I could have expected more aroma by making up a tea before adding, or whether the lack of effect is more to do with the small amount and the stronger maltiness of the red ale.

Cheers


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## muckanic (12/12/08)

debineko said:


> Seems to make sense that you'll more aroma with the hop tea rather than just thowing cold hops into a cold wort...



Except that you are then attempting to extract a number of poorly water-soluble compounds into water rather than alcohol.

As an alternative to an external filter in the syphon line, I fit an internal cotton swab into the back of the fermenter outlet.


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## debineko (12/12/08)

muckanic said:


> Except that you are then attempting to extract a number of poorly water-soluble compounds into water rather than alcohol.


Say what? :huh: In layman's terms please. 

Poorly water-soluble compounds being the hops, I guess.

Are you referring to the fact that they don't dissolve completely away or simply to the fact that won't absorb (cold) water quickly (if so then steeping surely improves absorption)? How does their being poorly water-soluble relate to extracting (or not) flavour/aroma? 

Are you saying that hop pellets are more soluble or at least more open to extraction of the good stuff in alcohol/wort? Would that be even truer for hot wort (@ flameout, for instance) or just as true for cold wort? 

Kinda figuring it out in my head as I type, but not quite...



muckanic said:


> As an alternative to an external filter in the syphon line, I fit an internal cotton swab into the back of the fermenter outlet.


So you're saying throw them in loose and cold and worry about filtering later?

Might give the cotton swab a go sometime soon.

Cheers.


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## Stuster (12/12/08)

So, the hop oils will dissolve better in alcohol than in water.

Two things about what you've been doing. First, teabags of hops are often not that fresh so this might be part of the issue. Second, dry hopping works better (or at least faster) at room temperature. If you're dry hopping with the beer cold, it'll take longer, though it should get there in the end.

I usually just throw them in the fermenter. They settle to the bottom and if you're careful you shouldn't really get much/any in the bottles/keg. Or even better, dry hop with some hop plugs or whole cones. :super:


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## mikem108 (12/12/08)

to keep the hops out when racking rig up some kind of filter set up. A stainless steel scrubby can be good for this


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## debineko (12/12/08)

Stuster said:


> So, the hop oils will dissolve better in alcohol than in water.
> 
> Two things about what you've been doing. First, teabags of hops are often not that fresh so this might be part of the issue. Second, dry hopping works better (or at least faster) at room temperature. If you're dry hopping with the beer cold, it'll take longer, though it should get there in the end.
> 
> I usually just throw them in the fermenter. They settle to the bottom and if you're careful you shouldn't really get much/any in the bottles/keg. Or even better, dry hop with some hop plugs or whole cones. :super:


Of course, the oils. It's always the oils. Makes sense.

I ended up making a 300ml hop tea (for what it's worth = nothing apparently) with a second 15g (not 12g) teabag of amarillo and added that, but was surprised by the lack of aroma from the tea, so could well be a freshness issue, as you say. Plus I'm getting rid of old stock from my first outing to the LHBS so definately not all that fresh. 

For the golden ale I used pellets and things were noticeable better than the teabags, but I'll get my hands on some plugs and give them a go. The cones I'll try on their own  

By cold wort I meant room temp. (17-20C) or at least not chilled, but I take your point.

Thanks for setting me straight on the fine art of dry hopping :beer:


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## Hutch (12/12/08)

debineko said:


> I ended up making a 300ml hop tea (for what it's worth = nothing apparently) with a second 15g (not 12g) teabag of amarillo and added that, but was surprised by the lack of aroma from the tea, so could well be a freshness issue, as you say. Plus I'm getting rid of old stock from my first outing to the LHBS so definately not all that fresh.



You've hit on an important point here - old/stale/oxidised hops are not suited to aroma or dry-hopping (in fact not much good for anything!).

You really want to be using the freshest hops you can get for dry-hopping (above sponsors are a good source). Some unreputable LHBS have hops sitting on the shelf, for god know's how long, and not refridgerated as they should.

The tell-tale sign of old hops is a pale brown discolouration. Fresh hops are usually nice and green, with some variation depending on variety. Pellets should crumble between your fingers, and have a strong aroma. Stale hops tend to have a more cheesey musty character.
Storing them in air-tight bags (or better vacuum sealed) in the freezer is the best way to prolong their shelf-life.

...Ah, if only Craftbrewer were around 10 years ago!


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## muckanic (12/12/08)

mikem108 said:


> A stainless steel scrubby can be good for this



For something that is reputedly so inert, I find these scrubbies to have a surprising amount of odour. Enquiring minds start to wonder what would happen after a week or two's contact time in an acidic solution ...


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## drsmurto (12/12/08)

Pumpy said:


> This was 28gms of Styrian Golding flowers the pellets will sink to the bottom when the fermentation finished
> 
> 
> Pumpy



Have a Deuchars IPA i want to dry hop with some styrian golding plugs and wondered whether people break up the plugs and drop them in or toss them in whole. And whether or not they sink or swim?

Funny thing is i havent dry hopped in secondary for ages - i tend to dry hop in the keg with a teaball.

Muckanic - funny that. I use acid to dissolve metal at work in a lab (solid gold in aqua regia) but happily throw a metal tea ball in to my keg and wonder why it corrodes......


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## newguy (12/12/08)

DrSmurto said:


> Have a Deuchars IPA i want to dry hop with some styrian golding plugs and wondered whether people break up the plugs and drop them in or toss them in whole. And whether or not they sink or swim?



I haven't used plugs for a very long time, but when I did I just threw them in whole. They naturally break in very short order once they hit the beer.


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## drsmurto (12/12/08)

Cool. How many plugs is too many?


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## newguy (12/12/08)

One more than you have.


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## scrumpy (16/7/09)

has anybody tryed dry hopping in the bottle....dropping a couple of pellets in before capping.

Is this a stupid idea? I know there would be a few floaties in the bottle, but if your not worried about that would it be benificial to the brew???? :beerbang:


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## flattop (16/7/09)

Too strong i would think, dry hopping is around 10-15gms per say 20 liters.... 10gms is probably about 15-20 pellets all different size and shape


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## manticle (16/7/09)

WarmBeer said:


> I'm about to dry hop a LCPA clone tomorrow, using 12g Chinook into my secondary fermenter.
> 
> I know the wiki article says "use a hop bag or sock", but can I just chuck the pellets straight into the fermenter and let it all settle into the trub over the week?
> 
> ...



I know you said pros and I'd like to reiterate that I am not one. However I have dry hopped a few times and I usually (read always) just throw pellets or flowers straight in, leave for a few days, let sink then rack or bottle (depending on stage of ferment).

Most sinks to the bottom. I've had very occasional hop floaties but they are minimal and inoffensive and being a homebrewer rather than a brewery and not entering comps, I don't care. Homebrew = homemade.

Throw in, let settle, you should be fine.


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## scott_penno (16/7/09)

scrumpy said:


> has anybody tryed dry hopping in the bottle....dropping a couple of pellets in before capping.
> 
> Is this a stupid idea? I know there would be a few floaties in the bottle, but if your not worried about that would it be benificial to the brew???? :beerbang:



Not a stupid idea at all. I've occassionally thought about buying a slab of Melbourne or Victoria Bitter (something quite plain) and dropping one or two pellets of a large number of different varieties into each bottle to get a feel for the difference between each hop variety...

sap.


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## chappo1970 (16/7/09)

sappas said:


> Not a stupid idea at all. I've occassionally thought about buying a slab of Melbourne or Victoria Bitter (something quite plain) and dropping one or two pellets of a large number of different varieties into each bottle to get a feel for the difference between each hop variety...
> 
> sap.



Guys tried it with very mixed success, yeah? Either it was a gusher or it was dead flat. Dry hop at fermentation after high kraussen or in the keg for the best results in my very humble opinion.

Cheers

Chappo


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## matti (16/7/09)

I tried hopping every way you can think of and it all comes down to desired /aquired taste.

Dry hopping into bottle is a bit of waste of hops IMHO.
I found it didn't do much to the beer. It was an APA and I didn't fancy having hops in the bottle when pooring.
I tried a hop pellets in a glass and it added to aroma but didn't last the whole drink.

If you want to the best results of dry hopping for either keg or bottle dry hopping into secondary fermenter is always the best.
Bottles tend to keep aroma a little longer stored correctly but kegs don't last long enough to loose aroma in my house.

Cherio


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## manticle (16/7/09)

manticle said:


> I know you said pros and I'd like to reiterate that I am not one. However I have dry hopped a few times and I usually (read always) just throw pellets or flowers straight in, leave for a few days, let sink then rack or bottle (depending on stage of ferment).
> 
> Most sinks to the bottom. I've had very occasional hop floaties but they are minimal and inoffensive and being a homebrewer rather than a brewery and not entering comps, I don't care. Homebrew = homemade.
> 
> Throw in, let settle, you should be fine.




November 2008 says warmbeer may not care what you think anymore manticle you very dumb, dumb man.

As to pellets in bottles - if you're a fan of that grassy randled taste then maybe. Could always try it in half the bottled brew and compare.


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