# When to dry hop



## sjp770 (13/2/21)

I have a batch on at the moment that started at 1.055 into the fermenter and 9 days laterits at 1.030. How would you say it's traveling and when would be a good time to dry hop? I'm testing using a spunding valve instead of a traditional bubble trap so I can see it has a bit of pressure but not if it's actively bubbling.


----------



## razz (13/2/21)

I’d say it’s not travelling that well sjp. What yeast did u use and how much did u pitch? And total volume in fermenter. How did u measure the gravity?


----------



## sjp770 (13/2/21)

2 packs of us-05, 40L. Using a hydrometer.


----------



## razz (13/2/21)

Without using a pitching calculator I’d say you may have given the yeast a tough job. 1.055 is getting up where you need to pitch more yeast initially. You should pitch another packet if you have one. The final gravity should be approx 1.011-12. Maybe remedy that before adding dry hops.


----------



## sjp770 (13/2/21)

Ok, sounds good.. might have gone in about 24c.. could have killed some off. Should be more patient. Either that or the pressure?


----------



## razz (14/2/21)

Nothing wrong with 24 degrees initially. You can rehydrate dry yeast at 30-35 degrees so 24 is not an issue. What pressures are you fermenting at and how soon after pitching do you use pressure? Straight away by adding CO2, wait for the yeast to do it, close fermenter after several days?


----------



## sjp770 (14/2/21)

Sorry, it was a refractometer - ATC one.

Pressure is 2psi.. just because I don't currently have an old school bubbler at the moment. Let it build up gradually, no added CO2


----------



## sjp770 (14/2/21)

Riiight... So a hydrometer tells me 1.012.

So the refractometer doesn't handle alcohol well? But the hydrometer doesn't handle temps is that the way it goes? 

I'm assuming the yeast will fall out and not do much?


----------



## razz (14/2/21)

Resolved! The refractometers we use are designed for dissolved sugars, once you add in alcohol the readings are incorrect. You can use a correction table for samples that are from fermentation and Beersmith 3 and the like have a calculator to do the same. My refract is ATC but I cool the sample first. Regardless of which device you use it needs to be at approx 20 degrees. It's usually marked on the hydrometer or in the instructions for the refrac.


----------



## razz (14/2/21)

So, onto dry hopping. Get the beer off the yeast sediment and throw in the dry hops. I take a daily sample and when I'm happy with the flavour (4-5 days) I crash chill and keg.


----------



## sjp770 (14/2/21)

Yeah I don't have the space at the moment to get the beer off the yeast, that said it is a conical stainless fermenter so the area is less. I'll rack to kegs in the next 4-5 days. Thanks for the help razz.


----------



## chookherder (15/2/21)

Hi sjp, 

Looks like you guys have solved everything already but I wanted to share my usual Dry Hop process, obviously so many different ways recipes out there this is just the way I do mine.

for US-05 I hold at 18c for 5days, then raise to 20c for 2days, then Dry hop at 20c for 3more days, then crash chill for a day or two.
for S-04 I hold at 18c for 3days, then raise to 20c for 2days, then Dry hop at 20c for 3more days, then crash chill for a day or two.

I'm sure best practice is to not rush the fermentation, so longer slower process before adding dry hops would be better than what I do, but I'm thirsty dude!
The main thing is to not leave the dry hops too long. Many opinions around for best duration to leave the hops in, I think all agree no more than 9 days or they start to taste like rotting vegetables.

Plenty of brewers are adding their dry hops earlier too, in the later stages of fermentation, but I don't ferment under pressure so I don't do this. I am worried all my aroma will get pushed out with the CO2. 

One benefit of getting the yeast out before the dry hops go in (as Razz suggests) is to reclaim the yeast for future use. After you add the hops the yeast cake gets messy and harder to wash. I have stainless conicals and don't reclaim the yeast and my dry hop beers always come out good.

Cheers big beers!


----------



## Malted Mick (15/2/21)

Hope I am not derailing the thread as this is more of a how to hop question. I dry hopped a Smash brew with Atlas Latrobe & Cascade using the magnet method for the first time on day 8 in my pressure fermenter. The 100gms of pellets are floating on the surface in the bag! I thought they would have sunk with the weight of the magnet. It must be CO2 around the pellets causing the bouyancy, how do you get them to sink to get the best out of the hops?


----------



## beergee (15/2/21)

Probably a bit late to do anything now short of fishing it out and adding some weight, but when I've used magnets in the past I've put a couple of stainless steel teaspoons in the bag to weigh it down.

Unfortunately in my experience the bag does not seem to sink of it's own accord otherwise.


----------



## razz (15/2/21)

Malted Mick said:


> Hope I am not derailing the thread as this is more of a how to hop question. I dry hopped a Smash brew with Atlas Latrobe & Cascade using the magnet method for the first time on day 8 in my pressure fermenter. The 100gms of pellets are floating on the surface in the bag! I thought they would have sunk with the weight of the magnet. It must be CO2 around the pellets causing the bouyancy, how do you get them to sink to get the best out of the hops?


I haven’t tried it Mick, but thinking about it I would have used 2 magnets, one on the outside of the fermenter to drag the one in the bag into the beer.


----------



## Grmblz (15/2/21)

Next time just use some glass marbles in the bag for weight, easy to sanitise and no danger of anything nasty leaching out of them.
I use a neodymium magnet on the outside and a teflon coated stir bar in the bag.


----------



## S.E (15/2/21)

sjp770 said:


> Yeah I don't have the space at the moment to get the beer off the yeast, that said it is a conical stainless fermenter so the area is less. I'll rack to kegs in the next 4-5 days. Thanks for the help razz.


What do you mean by “don't have the space at the moment to get the beer off the yeast” if you have a conical stainless fermenter why can’t you just drop the yeast out? That’s the whole point of a conical. What space do you need? Or do you mean you have no space to store the yeast after for re use?


----------



## sjp770 (17/2/21)

S.E said:


> What do you mean by “don't have the space at the moment to get the beer off the yeast” if you have a conical stainless fermenter why can’t you just drop the yeast out? That’s the whole point of a conical. What space do you need? Or do you mean you have no space to store the yeast after for re use?


Great idea! I didn't think of that at all...

No idea why. I meant a vessel for 35L of beer. Never needed it 

Malted Mick - all good. Interesting idea with the magnet.


----------



## S.E (17/2/21)

sjp770 said:


> Great idea! I didn't think of that at all...
> 
> No idea why. I meant a vessel for 35L of beer. Never needed it


That’s the main advantage of a conical fermenter, you can remove the yeast so easily when fermentation is complete, no need to rack or leave the beer on the yeast cake. Best to get the beer off the yeast ASAP.


----------



## hopnotic (18/2/21)

Good article below








Advanced Dry Hopping - Brew Your Own


Understanding hop science and high-level dry hopping techniques allow you to lock in all that hop aroma.




byo.com


----------

