wentsj28

Recipes 

I'm Primary fermenting an American IPA OG 1.064 right now and I plan to dry hop 2 oz of Cascade (One for 7 days, the other for the final 3 days). My question is, should I let my yeast ferment to FG before racking to secondary and dry hopping. Or, should I wait about a week in primary, rack to secondary, and let the yeast finish with the dry-hopping going on?

Thanks!

maida7

Recipes 

no need for the secondary. once the fermentation subsides add the dry hops. leave them in however long you want then package the beer.

chanson16

Recipes 

Is a secondary ever truly needed?

terrapinj

Recipes 

if you can cold crash or get as much yeast out of solution before dry hopping you should have better results. I believe it was stone that discussed that yeast like to bind to some of the hop oils that give aroma so less yeast in solution the better

ICWiener

Recipes 

Absolutely. It's just not needed for most beers.

__________________
We need rest. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is spongy and bruised.

wentsj28

Recipes 

I may use a hop bag. Should I still be concerned with yeast sabotage?

__________________
Primary: Grey Pilgrim Pale Ale, Door County Cherry Porter
Secondary: ...nothing...
Bottled: Cream Ale
Kegged: Amber Waves IPA
On Deck: 1420 ESB, Milk Stout

chanson16

Recipes 

I have always done a secondary but have been reading on here that they aren't always necessary. I thought an IPA with dry hop additions would be a candidate for a secondary. What types of beer are best for a secondary?

Sucram2202

Recipes 

I've found that hop bags are unnessesary and counterproductive for dry hopping. If you have the ability to cold crash, just freeball those hops in the carboy. They will drop out of solution when you crash it. You may have to rock the carboy a little to break the surface tension.

LLBeanJ

Recipes 

Fruit beers are the most common type that requires a secondary. Basically, any time more fermentables are introduced after primary fermentation has ceased, you'll want to do a secondary. Also, it is common to secondary when aging the beer on wood cubes/chips.

I've not done any wood aging, but I have brewed a few fruit beers and those have been the only ones I have transferred to secondary. All other have been left in primary until it was time to bottle/keg.

wentsj28

Recipes 

Unfortunately I don't have the ability to cold crash. Also aren't you worried that rocking the carboy might lead to oxidation?

If I have no way of cold crashing is a hop bag a legitimate route? I plan on kegging and would like to avoid clogging up my keg.

__________________
Primary: Grey Pilgrim Pale Ale, Door County Cherry Porter
Secondary: ...nothing...
Bottled: Cream Ale
Kegged: Amber Waves IPA
On Deck: 1420 ESB, Milk Stout