I had a batch of pale ale ready to be racked to secondary today, but after reading this thread decided to keg up and dry hop!
I dry hop in the keg for a few reasons...
Firstly the keg is full to the lid and under pressure so it eliminates hops floating completely.
Secondly the volatile oils are released slower so a cleaner aroma and flavour is achieved. Also the slow release of the oils means that I have a better chance of catching the beer right where I want it, just before it goes grassy...
Finally, kegging allows me to taste the beer in exact serving conditions, in my opinion the hop character changes with carbonation..
That's just my opinion, and not everyone kegs their beer either.. If that's the case I would at least get your fermenter as cold as you can (in a fridge possibly) before you dry hop.
I dry hop in the keg for a few reasons...
Firstly the keg is full to the lid and under pressure so it eliminates hops floating completely.
Secondly the volatile oils are released slower so a cleaner aroma and flavour is achieved. Also the slow release of the oils means that I have a better chance of catching the beer right where I want it, just before it goes grassy...
Finally, kegging allows me to taste the beer in exact serving conditions, in my opinion the hop character changes with carbonation..
That's just my opinion, and not everyone kegs their beer either.. If that's the case I would at least get your fermenter as cold as you can (in a fridge possibly) before you dry hop.
