Time to Randall ?

Going to randall an APA for an upcoming party. Curious as to when to get it all hooked up and get the hops soaking. I dont want it to get too vegetal/grassy. Typically at festivals they are hooked up just that day, but others here mention dry hopping in the keg w good results. Thinking about getting it set up the night before and letting in get good n hoppy. Keg is at ~ 45 deg F at ~ 2.5 volumes CO2. Suggestions welcome from those in the know. Thank you in advance. Cheers.

The only randalls I've seen are on the outside of the keg, where the beer goes through the randall on the way to the tap. If that's what you're taking about, it doesn't matter when you hook it up.

Yooper said:

The only randalls I've seen are on the outside of the keg, where the beer goes through the randall on the way to the tap. If that's what you're taking about, it doesn't matter when you hook it up.

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This is the only way I have seen it as well. I have a HopRocket and if you hook it up the night before and don't push beer through it than the hops will remain dry.

That being said I keep mine hooked up for days and it is damn good!

Plus, even if you have the randall full of beer all night only the first pint will have anything extra in it and the follow-on pints will be disappointing.

I wonder how it would be to fill a randall with hops the night before and transfer from one keg to the other through the randall. That way all the "goodness" of the early pints is mixed in the whole keg. You could always bring the randall with the spent hops for eye candy.

onthekeg said:

I wonder how it would be to fill a randall with hops the night before and transfer from one keg to the other through the randall. That way all the "goodness" of the early pints is mixed in the whole keg. You could always bring the randall with the spent hops for eye candy.

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Yes, or you could dryhop right in the keg, which would be the same thing.

Just not as fresh or as quick..

Sounds like a hopback is a better use for the HopRocket. It sounds like at a party where the beer is flowing fairly quickly it probably not worth it. Maybe I'll dry hop in the keg instead. Thanks to all.
cheers

505, I'm not sure you understand how the Randall works.

With the Hop rocket, you can A) Transfer from one keg to another and infuse the entire keg with hops. I've done this. You can B) Use it like a Randal and serve beer pushed through fresh hops, which give it a unique cold infusion of fresh hops. Finally you could, C) Dry hop the beer and STILL Randal it.

From what you've written, I get the impression you think the beer needs to sit on the hops for an extended period of time in order for the Rocket/Randall to work. It does not. The premise is that beer, under pressure, will grab lupins as it's pushed through the Rocket/Randal en route to your glass. The beer served will have a blast of hops even though they were not infused over time (days).

Example. I put chili's and hops in my Rocket and served a normal IPA ran through my Rocket and what did it taste like? A big IPA on chili's. It didn't need days to take the spice and hops.

I only point it out because you seem to be giving up on Randall because (it seems) you don't think your going to get a blast of hops. You will. The beer will flow quickly, and all of that beer (through the Randall) will be hoppy. If you have the time, I encourage you to dry hop the beer AND use the Randall. This is the sort of beers that commercial brewers can't sell on any sort of macro level, so if you want to impress people the best way is to produce something they can't have anywhere else.

I've got a Baby Shower coming up and I've got a DIPA that I'm going to dry hop AND serve on tap via the Rocket. It's going to be a huge party and I'm confident my DIPA on a Randall/Rocket will something that the average craft drinker has never tried before.

I understand how it works. But with comments largely saying its a waste of time leads to me to believe that you dont get the blast of aroma. Perhaps the haters are directing it more towards another expensive piece of equipment that you really don't need as insane aroma can be achieved with other methods..........rather than its effectiveness. Your reply is encourageing. I've dry hopped the APA with Centennial, simcoe, summit and Cascade already..........its hoppy......was going to randall with roughly the same. Hell its a party maybe I still will. thank you

Hey, I love a Randall beer. I am just trying to figure out how I justify it! I have plenty hops, and I am sure the beer would be good, but I like paying other people to waste hops rather than use my own.

It absolutely works. I have a HopRocket and it works like a champ. Anyone is saying it does not work has not used one.