Dry Hopping - How long do you dry hop?

I am always curious how long different people dry hop, and if there is a significant difference in the final product. Does longer dry hopping extract more oils? Flavor? Or is there a time utilization point where longer exposure to the hops adds no more benefit?

I usually dry hop for 5-10 days, depending on style. More than 2 weeks and you start running the risk of getting nasty vegetative flavors.

Berserker_Brew said:

More than 2 weeks and you start running the risk of getting nasty vegetative flavors.

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That's a hugely general statement. Hugely.

wildwest450 said:

That's a hugely general statement. Hugely.

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I know. But I said you "start to run the risk". I know that it is possible to have hops in the beer for a long time ( re: months) with little issue, as I have done it on accident with a keg of IPA I keg-hopped. But, then again, sometimes 2 weeks is all it takes. Not saying it's a rule, just when I start viewing it as risky.

Also, IMO, when you do dry hop over two weeks, in myexperience it has nothing to do with recipe, but just forgetting! Ha! I have never made a recipe that needed to be on the same hops for more than 2 weeks.

depends on the temperature for me. It is the cold season and I tend to dry hop a little colder so I leave it longer. I am drinking a IPA right now that was dry hopped for 4 weeks in the 50s and it if freaking amazing :rockin:

humann_brewing said:

depends on the temperature for me. It is the cold season and I tend to dry hop a little colder so I leave it longer. I am drinking a IPA right now that was dry hopped for 4 weeks in the 50s and it if freaking amazing :rockin:

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Good point, temperature makes a huge difference.

Berserker_Brew said:

Good point, temperature makes a huge difference.

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It seems to. I've left tea balls in the keg for a month with no ill effects.

Usually leave em in the keg until it kicks. However last batch with Cascades from Hopsdirect gave me an almost undrinkable brew after 2 days. I pulled them and it faded after a few weeks and now is excellent and almost gone.

Moral of story is know your hops.

I usually do 7 days. I dry hopped and MO/Centennial SMaSH for two weeks and it came out Grassy as hell. Like others have said already, temperature & type of hop make a big difference.

Seven days, if it needs more I'll replace the hops at that point.

My LHBS guy told me dry hopping just imparts the hoppy nose, is that true in your opinion?

I just did my first brew a BB hopnogg and it tastes good, but i do miss that hoppy nose which i'm sure i can get from dry hopping. will likely try that next time around, so just put the hops in the secondary for a week in a tea bag is my understanding. Do the pellets work okay or must I get hops in their original form?

slouch said:

Dry Hopping - How long do you dry hop?

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Different beers different times.

Most APA IPA I dry hop in the keg till it kicks, other times its for 2wks +/- in the carboy before getting kegged. Now with my Houblon clone its 3wks while lagering before getting kegged and/or bottled.









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Looks like most are at about a week to 2 weeks...

There was a mention of temperature differential, has anyone tried microwaving the hops before they go in the carboy?

7-10 days depending on the beer and I do it warm 70ish deg with no vegetative flavors. Sometimes several additions during that time and swirl the fermenter a little.

SourHopHead said:

Sometimes several additions during that time and swirl the fermenter a little.

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If not using some type of bag, gentle swirling is a must every now and then. Really helps them settle out, pellets that is.

one week at 20C ish or 70 ish. then i remove the stocking with hop pellets and let the carboy sit another week before bottling.

I just read something that compared dry hopping short term 2- 3 days vs 2 weeks and took from it that shorter is better. Also I came across the idea of doing a 2 stage dry hop. I am going to do 1 ounce for 3 days and a second ounce for 4 days to give me a total of 7 days on the original ounce. I use hop pellets so I will then cold crash to clear the beer and off I go. It takes at least 6days for hop pellets to settle out if you do not cold crash .

According to this article, almost all of the hop oils are extracted within the first 24 hours and then actually start decreasing after day 4.

Which kind of makes me wonder where they go... ¯\_(&#12484_/¯