Secondary and Dry Hop

I am on my second Home brew, A Fuller's ESB Clone. All went well in the primary fermentation. I racked fromthe fermentor to the carboy, and was waiting for a little activity, but I haven't seen any. My questions are two fold.
How long should I let the beer rest before priming and bottling?
and
When should I add the dry hops?

If you completed fermentation in the primary, you will not see much if any activity in the secondary. I have seen people point out that the term "secondary" is a bit of a misnomer, as there should be no fermentation going on there. A more proper term has been suggested as a clearing vessel.

As far as dry hopping, I usually put the hops in the secondary, and then rack on top of them. A week or two seems to work for most people, depending on the level of hop aroma and flavor you want in your beer. Some do multiple additions of hops over a 1 - 4 week period. There is no "correct" answer, but many right ones .

I would say give it a week or two on the dry hops, then bottle.

Thanks I think I will add hops today and then bottle in a week

Oops
I just relased the hops in the container and then read the bag that said to drop hops in boiling water then add to beer. Any idea what my outcome will be?

You're fine! That's what we all do- just chuck them in, or place them in a sanitized bag and drop them in. No boiling is necessary, or even recommended. You don't' want to boil off those aromas!

Whew, I was nervous. This beer should turn out great and I was afraid i ruined it

No, you're fine. I've never done anything but dump the hops in (except put them in a hop bag from time to time, but not in a long while).


TL

When you guys drop the hops in without any type of bag do you just leave them in for the rest of the time the beer is in the secondary or how do you separate the hops from the beer once you are finished dry hopping?
Or is it much easier to use some sort of bag? I am just getting ready to do my first dry hop as well.

I just leave them in there for the rest of the time they are in the secondary. So, if I am going to leave them in there for a week, I add them a week before I keg.


TL

sansbrew24 said:

When you guys drop the hops in without any type of bag do you just leave them in for the rest of the time the beer is in the secondary or how do you separate the hops from the beer once you are finished dry hopping?
Or is it much easier to use some sort of bag? I am just getting ready to do my first dry hop as well.

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Either way will work. When I dry hopped, I just dumped them in. When I went to transfer the beer from the secondary to my bottling bucket, I put the tip of the racking cane inside my nylon steeping bag so it wouldn't get clogged.

TexLaw said:

No, you're fine. I've never done anything but dump the hops in (except put them in a hop bag from time to time, but not in a long while).


TL

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I always use a hop bag except the last time. What a PIA it was putting the hops(leaf) into the fermentor. A bunch ended up on the floor! you must use pellets? How can someone use whole hops, not use a bag AND still get most of them into the carboy? Charlie

Yes, I use pellets.


TL

I've used pellets and plugs. I think I prefer the plugs. I cut them in half or quarters, and then once they are wet, they act like whole leaf hops (because the are).

+1 on putting the steeping bag over the racking cane when you transfer to the bottling bucket. That is a slick trick!

If I'm using a lot (more than .5 oz.) to dry hop with I'll either use leaf or use a 6.5g carboy for secondary. I found out a long time ago that dry hopping with pellets doesn't work very well in a 5 gallon carboy that's almost full to the lip.

ohiobrewtus said:

If I'm using a lot (more than .5 oz.) to dry hop with I'll either use leaf or use a 6.5g carboy for secondary. I found out a long time ago that dry hopping with pellets doesn't work very well in a 5 gallon carboy that's almost full to the lip.

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I learned that lesson yesterday when I filled (a little too full) my 5G carboy with 2oz of Cascades and RyePA. Came back 20 minutes later to an airlock full of beer, and the tshirt covering the carboy dripping wet with precious precious beer.