In Keg Dry Hopping

Im trying this method for the first time but am having an issue with the keg sealing properly.

Ive put hop pellets into a mesh hop bag and then tied a length of 10# fishing line around the bag leaving a long enough tag end to hang outside the keg. My intent was to have an easy method to retrieve the bag after the dry hop period is over. I also wanted to carb the beer at the same time but the keg does not seal at the point where the fishing line meets the o-ring on the lid.

Is there another product anyone knows of that will allow me to run the retrieval line while not breaking the seal?
Should I forget about trying to carb and dry hop at the same time?
Should I forget about the retrieval line and just let the hops sit in the tank until the keg is kicked?

Thanks guys and gals

dental floss

and keg lube

I only dry hop and carb at the same time.


As stated, dental floss.

My buddy dry hops in the kegs. He has great turn over as his house is basically a bar with 8 taps. He had the same issue you were. His solution is that he zip ties the bag of hops to his dip tube. Pulls all the beer by it when serving.

I have never noticed it getting grassy or anything either.

I don't tie my bags with anything. I sanitize the bag (a tightly woven mesh bag for pellet hops, and/or a "tea ball" for leaf hops), and drop it in. No ties, dental floss, string, etc.

I use the flat tape type dental floss unflavored works great

Thanks all, Im going to try the dental floss. I can see how that might compress better than fishing line.

Follow up question for those of you who are leaving the hops in the keg the whole time.
Ive read about off flavors from leaving hops in too long, grassiness espescially. I assume your not getting this. How long does a 5G keg typicly last you?
I've generally got 3 beers on tap plus some bottles so for me and SWMBO a keg will take 8+ weeks to kick. That seems like a long time to keep hops in the beer.

Yooper said:

I don't tie my bags with anything. I sanitize the bag (a tightly woven mesh bag for pellet hops, and/or a "tea ball" for leaf hops), and drop it in. No ties, dental floss, string, etc.

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+1 on this. I use 1 gallon paint strainer bags, soaked liberally in starsan, drop the hops in the sack, drop the sack in the sanitized keg, and rack on top (just make sure the keg is empty of starsan or whatever you're using to sanitize. Got in a hurry a couple of weeks ago, dropped 2 oz of Centennial in the keg, then went to pick up keg for the fill, only to then notice a half gallon or so of starsan in there. DOH!). Keg usually lasts 4-6 weeks depending on how well it came out and whatever else I've got on tap, and I have not noticed or had anyone comment on any vegetal or grassy flavors.

the_trout said:

Thanks all, Im going to try the dental floss. I can see how that might compress better than fishing line.

Follow up question for those of you who are leaving the hops in the keg the whole time.
Ive read about off flavors from leaving hops in too long, grassiness espescially. I assume your not getting this. How long does a 5G keg typicly last you?
I've generally got 3 beers on tap plus some bottles so for me and SWMBO a keg will take 8+ weeks to kick. That seems like a long time to keep hops in the beer.

Click to expand...

I think the only time you'll get grassy flavors is when you use certain variaties of hops, and also only when you leave them sit for too long at room temperature. At kegerator temperatures, that has never happened to me.

I sometimes kick a keg in 3 weeks, but sometimes much longer, depending on what we have. Right now, I'm in Texas and one keg at home has had dryhops in it since about Jan 15. I should be home at the end of March to drink it. I have dryhops in a keg here in Texas that I dryhopped about the same time. It tastes great!