Dry hopping in the keg - flush with CO2 first?

My Wookie Jack clone is coming up on 3 weeks in primary and I'm getting ready to rack it into the keg where I'll dry hop it. I was just wondering a couple things - first, after sanitizing the keg, should I flood it with CO2? Next, I assume that there will be some yeast activity after I drop the hops in - should I pull the pressure relief valve occasionally to keep the keg from naturally pressurizing? Last but not least, I am thinking I want to have the keg sitting at room temperature and not in the keezer while I'm dry hopping, would you agree?

Thanks!

Dry hop the keg in the keezer for best results. Also, purge the keg after you add the dry hops (in a nylon hop bag). Yeast activity isn't a concern IF you chill it right away. That's how I dry hop in keg at least. I also use the two weeks at serving pressure and temperature carbonation method, NOT the rapid forced carbonation method.

Thanks for the info Golddiggie - by the way, sweet keggle. I don't think I could commit to the polishing task but it sure looks awsome when somebody else does it.

I have very limited experience with dry-hopping in the keg, so please take this advice with a grain of salt: I found that dry-hopping at serving temperatures resulted in very little hop aroma in the beer. However, I may not have had the beer on the hops for long enough; I had a party and kicked the keg after only about 7-10 days of dry-hopping. When I opened the keg to clean it, I got this incredible hop aroma from the hops that had been in the keg and I wondered to myself where that aroma was in the finished beer. I put it down to dry-hopping at too low a temperature, since I've previously had success dry-hopping for 7-10 days at fermentation temperatures.

Just a single data point. Take it for what it's worth.

LarryC said:

Thanks for the info Golddiggie - by the way, sweet keggle. I don't think I could commit to the polishing task but it sure looks awsome when somebody else does it.

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The latest shiny keg took about 6 hours to get to that point. The previous one took about 8 hours. I've learned from both times, and know what I'll do different for the next one (got two 'spare' kegs in the basement ).

As for what adman posted... I would advise using the 2 week carbonation method (at serving pressure and temperature) for dry hopping in keg. I've had great results this way. If you can give it another week, or two, then it will be even better. IMO/IME one of the best reasons for doing it in keg, with the just mentioned parameters is hop flavor/aroma stability. I've found that dry hopping at room temp, then bottling, has the dry hop contribution fade really fast. I would also advise going a bit heavier in the hop addition in keg. I've found that 1oz in a 3 gallon keg is great. I would probably do a full 2oz for a 5 gallon keg.

Funny, I am currently on DH#1 of my Wookie Jack Clone in my keg and had the same questions!

I added 1 oz/each of Amarrillo and Citra to a hopbag, into the keg it went, and racked the beer ontop of it. Purged the airspace with CO2, shook like hell with 30psi for 5 minutes, and let it sit overnight at same pressure. Backed it down to 15psi and has currently been sitting there for 3 days. Snuck a taste and its pretty close! Love my the Wookie! Named this brew "Chewbacca" in honor

Tonight I plan on taking those hops out and replacing them with 1oz/each. This dual Dryhop was recommended in the recipe I followed. Is it the same with yours?



Best of luck!

Once the hops go into the keg, and the get goes into the brew fridge, it doesn't come out until empty. I don't open it to remove the hops until the keg is empty. IME, the first dry hop addition is all you'll need for the keg.

Golddiggie said:

Once the hops go into the keg, and the get goes into the brew fridge, it doesn't come out until empty. I don't open it to remove the hops until the keg is empty. IME, the first dry hop addition is all you'll need for the keg.

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Regularly, I agree with you. But this recipe calls for the first dh to go 3 days, pull, replace, and dh for 4 more days. And it also calls for removing the second dh as to avoid grassy flavors. Their method, not mine.

I was/am worried about the co2 scrubbing the aroma and flavors from the first dh while opening and removing the hops.

SoupNazi said:

Regularly, I agree with you. But this recipe calls for the first dh to go 3 days, pull, replace, and dh for 4 more days. And it also calls for removing the second dh as to avoid grassy flavors. Their method, not mine.

I was/am worried about the co2 scrubbing the aroma and flavors from the first dh while opening and removing the hops.

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at room temps or keg temps?

you won't get hardly any benefit from 3 days at keg/serving temps - those instructions sound like room temp and are pretty short DH periods even at room temp

Yes, I'm following the recipe SkeezerPleezer posted and I'm doing the two dry hoppings. From what I've read here and some things I've listened to on Brew Strong, I think I'm going with the room temp version for the dry hopping (I'm not a chemistry guy but there seems to be some science behind this). I was wondering about pressurizing the keg while dry hopping but I can't find much information on the impact that would have.

Any thoughts?

I am Dryhopping while carbonating in my keggerator. Flavor/Aroma seems minimal at this point...


In retrospect, I probably would have Dryhopped at room temp for a week, then put on CO2 and into the keggerator. Room temperatures would seem to increase the flavor/aroma dispersion in the beer.

SoupNazi said:

I Room temperatures would seem to increase the flavor/aroma dispersion in the beer.

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It doesn't increase it, but it happens faster at room temperature. The beauty is that it never seems to pick up grassy or vegetal flavors, even dryhopping until the keg is gone, while at room temperature I don't like dryhopping more than 5 days before losing some of the bright hops aroma.

Figured I'd let everyone know how things are going. I just got done racking the Wookie clone into the keg and there's two ounces of hops dangling inside. I forgot about needing a weight until I was almost done so I had to improvise - I sanitized a Ballast Point taster glass and tossed it in the paint bag with the hops and down she went. I just hope the beer doesn't eat the logo off the glass!

Thanks to all for the tips. I tasted the hydro sample (1.014 by the way for an ABV of 7.9) and it tasted excellent! Can't wait for this batch to get finished. The plan was to give some out for Christmas but I may just hog it all for myself!