Dry Hopping - How Many Days?

[benny_bjc]

Hi,

I have just downloaded the beersmith trial and am entering the details for my next brew - an AIPA.

Under Dry hopping it says ___ Days.

Firstly does this mean add the hops after ___ # days in fermenter?

Secondly when is the best time to dry hop.... im assuming when you transfer the beer from primary to secondary after approximately a week???

Thirdly... is it best to add all the hops into a plunger and steep them for 30 seconds to break them up and extract a bit, and then add the solid bits to a hop sock and chuck it in!

Sorry if these questions seem a little stupid... I just wanted to clariffy.

Thanks!

 

[buttersd70]

Dry hop X days means add the hops and leave them for X days....

Best time to dry hop is either....3/4 through primary fermentation. Or, at start of secondary fermentation. The main point being, at a point where co2 production is at a minimum. (because co2 drives off hop aroma....)

Hops can be added loose, in a sock, or steeped first into a tea. SFA difference. FWIW, I would just throw in whole. They'll sink.

 

[Screwtop]

I use a 300mm x 300mm square of swiss voile (same stuff as the BIAB boys use) tie em up using a plastic coated twist tie (like the ones that come with with bin liners) toss into the keg then when the beer tastes right (after X days) fish out the bag with a length of SS wire with a hook on the end.

Screwy

 

[winkle]

I use a tea-ball or a 'stolen' stocking, or just chuck them in usually when I rack to secondary (depending on the style/hopping) - for about 3/4 days- works so far

 

[newguy]

I just throw them in - pellets or whole. I usually dry hop once high krausen has passed and leave it all for 1-2 weeks before kegging. One thing I do make sure of is that the hops are "disinfected" with a small quantity of hard liquor - scotch, rum, vodka, even sake. I pour maybe 15-25ml of liquor over them & mix with a spoon until they're all evenly wet. No infections so far, and the quantity of hard stuff is so small it doesn't add to the flavour profile at all.

 

[Pumpy]

Hi,

I have just downloaded the beersmith trial and am entering the details for my next brew - an AIPA.

Under Dry hopping it says ___ Days.

Firstly does this mean add the hops after ___ # days in fermenter?

Secondly when is the best time to dry hop.... im assuming when you transfer the beer from primary to secondary after approximately a week???

Thirdly... is it best to add all the hops into a plunger and steep them for 30 seconds to break them up and extract a bit, and then add the solid bits to a hop sock and chuck it in!

Sorry if these questions seem a little stupid... I just wanted to clariffy.

Thanks!

Beer 007,

Use about 14 grams a batch of hops

dont bother with the plunger the pellets will break up and sink Ok

Dry hopping add pellets in the Fermenter (add towards the end of fermentation, as too early and the CO2 will scour all the aroma ) they will sink when the fermentation ceases 4-5 days

Dry hopping pellets in secondary container , Alternatively some people transfer off the yeast cake completetl into a secondary container again to avoid the yeast reducing the aroma as the active yeast attacks the hops 4-5 days.

Dry hopping in the keg with Plugs or whole hops .
ensure you use something to cointaine the plug like Screwtop suggested ( swiss voile or a white pool filter basket stocking bag, its like a ladies pop sock( steralise ) large enough to allow them to expand ,weight the bag down with SS washers steralize ,use dental floss to suspend the bag in the keg .
The reason for the dental floss is you need remove the dry hops from the keg after 5 days or the hops break down and you will get a 'Vegetal' flavour to your beer which you dont want .
You can refresh the dry hopping in the keg after the first week
Dry hopping in the keg effect only lasts s for a few days then you really need to replace ,it is a bit of stuffing around but can be worth it even if ou try it once .
Not everyone likes the flavour from dry hopping in the keg but you never know if you never try it .

Make sure you use the fine stocking so you dont get floaties in in the keg .

you may still get some dust from the hops on the first schooner dont throw that as it tastes the best the dry hops in the keg appear to add a lot of body to the beer.

The best whole hops for Dry hopping are East Kent Goldings for English Bitter ,this is one of the few styles that really traditionally is dry hopped in the English Cask ales , you would not normally dry hop German beers for example ,you could dry hop American APA but I found the Cascade plugs I used added something but not much to the final beer .

Be warned dont leave hops in the keg more than a week or you will get Vegetal flavours from the decomposing hops .

Pic of Whol hops in secondary suggest you use pellets.

other pic of guy adding EKG plug to cask ale at the Hook Norton Brewery (UK)



Pumpy

 

[SJW]

Nice post there Pumpy

 

[Pumpy]

Nice post there Pumpy

Thanks Steve I have put in a bit of effort to dry hopping it was a bit of a learning process

Pumpy

 

[brent281]

newguy, hops are antibacterial. they will not get infected so their is no need to soak them in alcohol. now, if you use a hop sack to dry hop, you will need to boil it or soak it in one step before adding to primary or secondary.

 

[newguy]

newguy, hops are antibacterial. they will not get infected so their is no need to soak them in alcohol. now, if you use a hop sack to dry hop, you will need to boil it or soak it in one step before adding to primary or secondary.

You underestimate my paranoia. I can just imagine one of the hop farm workers taking a massive crap, having his/her hand "slip" whilst wiping and then returning to the harvest without washing their hands.

I'll stick with my regime thank you.

 

[PostModern]

You underestimate my paranoia. I can just imagine one of the hop farm workers taking a massive crap, having his/her hand "slip" whilst wiping and then returning to the harvest without washing their hands.

I'll stick with my regime thank you.

Hops are dried at temperature and treated with sulphur fumes. If they're pelletised, they're even more heat treated. The alcohol you use would kill any bateria, were it still there, but it won't remove the fecal matter.

 

[newguy]

Hops are dried at temperature and treated with sulphur fumes. If they're pelletised, they're even more heat treated. The alcohol you use would kill any bateria, were it still there, but it won't remove the fecal matter.

Then it will contribute to the overall depth of flavour. :icon_vomit: At least my beer won't get infected. :icon_chickcheers:

 

[TidalPete]

Beer 007,

Use about 14 grams a batch of hops

dont bother with the plunger the pellets will break up and sink Ok

Dry hopping add pellets in the Fermenter (add towards the end of fermentation, as too early and the CO2 will scour all the aroma ) they will sink when the fermentation ceases 4-5 days

Dry hopping pellets in secondary container , Alternatively some people transfer off the yeast cake completetl into a secondary container again to avoid the yeast reducing the aroma as the active yeast attacks the hops 4-5 days.

Dry hopping in the keg with Plugs or whole hops .
ensure you use something to cointaine the plug like Screwtop suggested ( swiss voile or a white pool filter basket stocking bag, its like a ladies pop sock( steralise ) large enough to allow them to expand ,weight the bag down with SS washers steralize ,use dental floss to suspend the bag in the keg .
The reason for the dental floss is you need remove the dry hops from the keg after 5 days or the hops break down and you will get a 'Vegetal' flavour to your beer which you dont want .
You can refresh the dry hopping in the keg after the first week
Dry hopping in the keg effect only lasts s for a few days then you really need to replace ,it is a bit of stuffing around but can be worth it even if ou try it once .
Not everyone likes the flavour from dry hopping in the keg but you never know if you never try it .

Make sure you use the fine stocking so you dont get floaties in in the keg .

you may still get some dust from the hops on the first schooner dont throw that as it tastes the best the dry hops in the keg appear to add a lot of body to the beer.

The best whole hops for Dry hopping are East Kent Goldings for English Bitter ,this is one of the few styles that really traditionally is dry hopped in the English Cask ales , you would not normally dry hop German beers for example ,you could dry hop American APA but I found the Cascade plugs I used added something but not much to the final beer .

Be warned dont leave hops in the keg more than a week or you will get Vegetal flavours from the decomposing hops .

Pic of Whol hops in secondary suggest you use pellets.

other pic of guy adding EKG plug to cask ale at the Hook Norton Brewery (UK)



Pumpy

Pumpy,

Good post mate. :icon_cheers:
I normally dry hop to secondary after primary is almost over (5 days usually) but have struck a snag with my latest ESB powered by 1469 West Yorkshire Ale.
I'm using this yeast for the first time & even after 5 days the fermentation is still rocking along (1.026).

As I usually guage the time to dry hop in days & as this 1469 yeast is not ready to rack & dry hop yet I am thinking of changing my technique & gauging the correct time to dry hop by checking the FG every now & then. In everyone's experience, what is the usual FG that you rack to secondary & dry hop? ---- 1.020? 1.018?

TP

 

[shmick]

Then it will contribute to the overall depth of flavour. :icon_vomit: At least my beer won't get infected. :icon_chickcheers:

I once saw a HBS owner (not my regular LHBS luckily) take out some pellets, rub them between his hands and offer them up to customer to smell.
Fair enough I thought but he then put them back into the ziplock bag and back into the fridge. :blink:

Haven't been back

 

[winkle]

Pumpy,

Good post mate. :icon_cheers:
I normally dry hop to secondary after primary is almost over (5 days usually) but have struck a snag with my latest ESB powered by 1469 West Yorkshire Ale.
I'm using this yeast for the first time & even after 5 days the fermentation is still rocking along (1.026).

As I usually guage the time to dry hop in days & as this 1469 yeast is not ready to rack & dry hop yet I am thinking of changing my technique & gauging the correct time to dry hop by checking the FG every now & then. In everyone's experience, what is the usual FG that you rack to secondary & dry hop? ---- 1.020? 1.018?

TP

Pete,
I usually go around 1.020 (about 3/4 days with most of the yeasts I use).

 

[Fourstar]

In everyone's experience, what is the usual FG that you rack to secondary & dry hop? ---- 1.020? 1.018?

Hey Pete,

i dry hop in primary and I never go from a static gravity reading, more so on 20%~ left of the expected fermentation. Basically i guesstimate the expected app attenuation of the yeast and pitch at that gravity.

e.g. a IPA with an OG of 1.060 fermented with 1056 @ say 75% app attenuation will have an expected FG of around 1.015. Thats a gravity diff of 45. 20% of 45 = 9.

9+15 = 1.024

I do it this way just to reduce oxidisation of the beer, obviously you would loose a little dry hop aroma with the small amount of fermentation going on still but it increases the chances of a longer shelf life.

My thaught is as fermentation is slowing down @ that stage, the loss (of hop aroma and flavour) is almost negligible anyway.

Cheers! :icon_cheers: