Dry Hopping and Cold Crashing

[BKBrews]

Apologies if this has been covered, but I searched and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.

How does everyone count the number of days they dry hop for? Do you count it as:

a) X days after putting them in the fermenter until the beer is racked to bottles/kegs, or
b) X days after putting them in the fermenter until you begin to cold crash

I have just bumped my brew that was fermenting at 18 up to 21 for a diacetyl rest as it is down to 1.017 from 1.042. For this one, I plan to let it reach terminal gravity prior to dry hopping. I will probably then dry hop, let sit for 3 days and then do a 2 day cold crash.

 

[mtb]

I go option A, mostly because I believe cold crashing limits the effects of dry hopping.

 

[BKBrews]

I go option A, mostly because I believe cold crashing limits the effects of dry hopping.

Wouldn't that mean you use option b? You put them in for say 5 days and THEN cold crash. Option a is the camp who believe the 2 day cold crash is part of the 5 day dry hop.

 

[mtb]

Yes BKBrews.. you're absolutely right. My dailysex dyslexia got the better of me.

 

[barls]

cold crash then dry hop. this gets the yeast cell count down to reduce the hop oils being absorbed and dropped out with the yeast

 

[labels]

Apologies if this has been covered, but I searched and couldn't find exactly what I was looking for.

How does everyone count the number of days they dry hop for? Do you count it as:

a) X days after putting them in the fermenter until the beer is racked to bottles/kegs, or
B) X days after putting them in the fermenter until you begin to cold crash

I have just bumped my brew that was fermenting at 18 up to 21 for a diacetyl rest as it is down to 1.017 from 1.042. For this one, I plan to let it reach terminal gravity prior to dry hopping. I will probably then dry hop, let sit for 3 days and then do a 2 day cold crash.

It doesn't really matter if it reaches terminal gravity before you dry hop, in fact there are advantages to dry hop near the end rather than at the end and that is more CO2 will be produced after you refit your airlock.

Dry hopping has very little effect on very cold beer so it need to be done while the beer is warm, I usually do it for around 48-72 hours before dropping the temp. Some people use a hop bag or something similar and pull the hops out after they're done, I just chill down to 0C where they stop working and rack the beer to a keg when it's conditioned - about one week later - give or take.

 

[BKBrews]

cold crash then dry hop. this gets the yeast cell count down to reduce the hop oils being absorbed and dropped out with the yeast

Mmmm just not sure about that one. Part of my theory about waiting until terminal gravity is that at least some of the yeast will be dropping out, compared to when I've added dry hops previously at around 1.020. Interesting though.

 

[contrarian]

Is agree with barls here. The yeast will definitely absorb hop oils as well as other added flavours. We were having this discussion about oak in beer and the advice was that yeast will absorb up to 30% of the flavour compounds.

Ideally you would probably finish fermentation, transfer to secondary add hops and allow to slowly warm up, add a few charges of dry hops at different times and then chill again before transfer to packaging.

In reality I am way too lazy for that shit so I normally add them when I drop the temperature for 3+ days until I get around to kegging!

 

[barls]

Mmmm just not sure about that one. Part of my theory about waiting until terminal gravity is that at least some of the yeast will be dropping out, compared to when I've added dry hops previously at around 1.020. Interesting though.

its how it is done commercially, well at the brewery where i worked.
we use to reach fg then chill, yeast off and then dry hop.

 

[BKBrews]

its how it is done commercially, well at the brewery where i worked.
we use to reach fg then chill, yeast off and then dry hop.

When you say chill, do you mean a full crash down to like 1 degree? Or do you mean you used to drop the temp a little and then dry hop?

I'd be interested to try it for sure, but not on this batch. Learn something new every day though. Stuff like that makes me want a conical even more so I can dump yeast and trub.

 

[barls]

nope it was drop to 1 then a day or so later was yeasted off and dry hopped.

 

[BKBrews]

You would have been able to blast CO2 from the bottom and keep the hops in suspension though? I can see how it would work if you've already dumped the yeast and are able to keep the hops in suspension, but in a homebrew setup I feel like they'd just fall out and mix with the cake at the bottom, never to be seen again. I often find my dry hops buried in the layers of the cake after a cold crash.

 

[barls]

blasting co2 through is a great way to strip hop flavour and aroma.

 

[BKBrews]

blasting co2 through is a great way to strip hop flavour and aroma.

I've been doing a bit of reading and that's how some craft breweries are doing it. Can't tell you where I read that, but I read it in the last few days. Anyway it's an interesting concept, one that I will definitely try when I get a conical.

 

[Brewnicorn]

Almost every thread I read here I learn something about process. Explains my hopless zero flavour IPA...

 

[BKBrews]

Almost every thread I read here I learn something about process. Explains my hopless zero flavour IPA...

Care to share how you've been doing it thus far?

 

[Brewnicorn]

Care to share how you've been doing it thus far?

Sure. I read up about cold crashing and I've only done it once so far since I got back into home brewing.

I'd already dry hopped pre cold crash less than 12 hours) and then popped it in the fridge dropped out the yeast and bottled. The smell of the beer pre bottling was pretty nice, but evidently all in the aroma.

FYI I'd also used Jarrylo hop pellets. I've got a tasteless IPA. The threads I'd read here and elsewhere didn't mention that yeast taking over hop oils nor the affect chilling has on hop aroma/flavour retention. Live and learn. Anyone in Melbourne was a tasteless IPA? Only 16 left...

 

[lukasfab]

so dry hopping in the keg at serving temp does nothing?

 

[Brewnicorn]

I can't speak for a legging process personally.

 

[peteru]

so dry hopping in the keg at serving temp does nothing?

It does plenty and quickly too.