Dry Hopping - when, how much and how?

[Xander]

I'm reading some different things on the forums. When should I dry hop?
The guy at the brew store told me to dry hop on the third day of fermentation, but others are saying to do this in the last 3-4 days.

I think my fermentation would take about 2 weeks.

Any and all help is appreciated.

Cheers.

 

[sav]

I'm reading some different things on the forums. When should I dry hop?
The guy at the brew store told me to dry hop on the third day of fermentation, but others are saying to do this in the last 3-4 days.

I think my fermentation would take about 2 weeks.
Any and all help is appreciated.

Cheers.

Mate you are better off dry hopping when ferment is slowing down. You will be surprised that a dry hop will bring a new release off oxygen too your wort.
Sav

 

[Yob]

later in the ferment for best results, ive been known to dry hop during cold conditioning with good result

 

[manticle]

I prefer last 2-3 days of cold conditioning but I have heard people speak well of dry hopping once early in ferment and again later.
Something you need to try for yourself because preferences differ. I'd suggest 1g per litre for 2 days when the brew is chilled and work up from there if you want. Depends a little on hop choice too. Some hops don't bring nice things when added dry in my experience.

 

[///]

One of the main things is not Alpha Acids, but the oils in the hops. These dissolve in an acidic environment, a fermenter beer, and dissolve quicker in a warmer beer (standard stuff). Some hops have suprising oil amounts, such as Aussie grown Cascade and Super Pride. The oils are the stable constituent for dry hopping.

We use alot of dry hops, around 5-6gm/l for our IPA for example. We go in at the 2nd day ferments have stopped (check by our lovelly Anton Par), which is also our diacetyl rest. When we get a pass on diacetyl, we rest for 2 days warm (20 odd degrees), then crash chill for 4-5 days before we pull the tank bottom and process.

Anyways, at home, it is a case of checking when activity stops, wacking in the amount for 4-5 days then racking off/and/or chilling.

 

[superstock]

How important is it to sink a hop bag? Eventhough I have a 25mm marble in mine it has stayed on the surface.

 

[Goose]

How important is it to sink a hop bag? Eventhough I have a 25mm marble in mine it has stayed on the surface.

bad idea. Invites infection unless you sanitise the bag first by boiling, and in my experience significantly reduces contact with wort, ie inferior "utilisation".

unless you want to re-use the yeast cake and don't want to be arsed with washing, I'd lob them free into the fermenter at the above recommended dosage rates about 5 days from racking.

 

[superstock]

Bag and marble both boiled. So should put 2 x 25mm marbles to sink the next one? Want to be able to pull the hops after 4-5 days.

 

[Yob]

Just a tip, get some stainless fittings if you want to weight down a hop bag, much better than marbles

 

[QldKev]

Kittens don't weigh down the hop bag well, they always climb out the airlock

 

[Gigantorus]

I generally bottle at the 14 day mark and dry-hop at 7 days through to the 14th day (a full week of dry-hopping). Has always given me a good result. One thing that I was told in the beginning was to wait until fermentation was virtually finished or a lot of your hop aroma would disappear out of the fermenter with the Co2.

The one time that I have peaked inside the fermented a couple days after adding the hops I didn't see the hop bag - so believe the bag had falled to the bottom (or was somewhere in between). If the bag had sat on the top the hops would still do their work and also particles of the hops will fall out of the bag and fall to the bottom anyway. So still getting coverage.

I like using the hop bag, as I can contain the spent hop mass after bottling. Also the bag would reduce the amount of hop particle that would be in the liquid - making for a clearer liquid in the bottle. I did try using a fine tea strainer as a filter when bottling once but the hop particle was much finer and the tea strainer didn't collect anything. Also ttried using a paper coffee filter shaped in a cone to filter out hop particle when bottling, but this made the bottling process really slow - but it did work though. So if you ever have a really silty liquid you can use the paper coffee dripilator papers in a funnel on top of your bottle.

Just my experiences here.

Cheers, Pete

 

[Gigantorus]

Seek your advice on a related topic. Am about to do a simple 23 litre batch of Coopers Pale Ale recipe, which is:

• Coopers Australian Pale Ale can
• Coopers Brew Enhancer 2 (or 500g Light Dry Malt + 250g Dextrose)

I have a fair bit of hops pellets in the freezer and want to use as much of this as I can. I have:

2 x 50gram Amarillo
2 x 50gram Centennial
3 x 50gram Galaxy
2 x 50gram Citra

I like a nice hoppy beer. Have never used Centennial or Amarillo before but have been looking forward to.

Want to do a solid dry-hop on the Pale Ale. What would your suggested mix/quantity be thanks?

Cheers,

Pete

 

[Dan Pratt]

Thise hops make for a great combo late in the kettle and dry hopped.

here is the link of the recipe that uses that combo, Ive made it twice and both times it was great.

http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24947

Do a hop burst into the back of the boil ( not sure what the bitterness will already be from the can of goops ) and just use the 10m and 0min addition ( make the 0min a 5 to 10min hopstand after flameout)

Amarillo/Centennial 28g each @ 10m & the another 28g of each @ 0m

Dry hop with the Citra after 5 days of fermentation - Id use 50g for 7days @ 20c and you will get a huge citrus aroma.

Keep the Galaxy and on the next batch swap out the Citra for the Galaxy but for only 4-5days :icon_drool2:

 

[superstock]

Just a tip, get some stainless fittings if you want to weight down a hop bag, much better than marbles

Thanks. I've got the marbles, S/S fittings entail a 50km drive before I even start looking for source.

 

[Dan Pratt]

Thanks. I've got the marbles, S/S fittings entail a 50km drive before I even start looking for source.

or you could just add them without a bag and cold crash 24hrs before packaging?

 

[Gigantorus]

Thise hops make for a great combo late in the kettle and dry hopped.

here is the link of the recipe that uses that combo, Ive made it twice and both times it was great.

http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=24947

Do a hop burst into the back of the boil ( not sure what the bitterness will already be from the can of goops ) and just use the 10m and 0min addition ( make the 0min a 5 to 10min hopstand after flameout)

Amarillo/Centennial 28g each @ 10m & the another 28g of each @ 0m

Dry hop with the Citra after 5 days of fermentation - Id use 50g for 7days @ 20c and you will get a huge citrus aroma.

Keep the Galaxy and on the next batch swap out the Citra for the Galaxy but for only 4-5days :icon_drool2:

Thanks, Pratty.

I'm a simple home brewer and I have not progressed to the boiling on the stove level yet.

My question was relating to dry-hopping only. Though I was also thinking about steeping some hops in some hot water and adding that to the mix at the beginning to drive some bitterness. Maybe use the Galaxy for this?

I guess in the back of my mind I was thinking of dry-hopping with 50 grams of each the 4 varieties. But was wondering if this would be enough/too much/just the right amount? I love my hoppy IPA's etc.

Thanks,
Pete

 

[wereprawn]

+1 for dry hopping cold. I put a hop sock (with whatever amount of hops i deem enough ) in a cold keg of beer for 4 days. Personal preference , but the hop aroma stands out more and it reduces infection taking hold IMHO.

 

[Dan Pratt]

Thanks, Pratty.

I'm a simple home brewer and I have not progressed to the boiling on the stove level yet.

My question was relating to dry-hopping only. Though I was also thinking about steeping some hops in some hot water and adding that to the mix at the beginning to drive some bitterness. Maybe use the Galaxy for this?

I guess in the back of my mind I was thinking of dry-hopping with 50 grams of each the 4 varieties. But was wondering if this would be enough/too much/just the right amount? I love my hoppy IPA's etc.

Thanks,
Pete

Hi Pete,

Time to get a Big W 19lt pot then

Dont use Galaxy for anthing but very late in the kettle or dry hopping, you will get bitterness from the CPA, from what i read it should be about 40ibu

Id say start with 100g of Citra(7-10days) then on the next beer 100g Galaxy (only for 4-5days) Maybe then try a combo of Amarillo/Centennial.

You can try a 4way combo but it really pays to get a clear aroma from just one hop before mixing them.

 

[moodgett]

I personally have found too much grassiness when dry hopping. I now just stick to larger flameout additions for my apas ands ipas. That said most of my hopping is at 15 - flameout depending on the recipe

 

[Dan Pratt]

I personally have found too much grassiness when dry hopping. I now just stick to larger flameout additions for my apas ands ipas. That said most of my hopping is at 15 - flameout depending on the recipe

Hi Moodgett,

I used to get grassy, that was when i added them either too early, for too long or at the wrong temp. It depends on the hop too.

Now I just get huge aramotics and resinous flavours into the beer from dry hop additions :icon_drool2:

What hops were you dry hopping, what time during fermentation, how long and at what temps?