Dry hopping technique?

What do you guys use to dry hop your hops in? I made the HUGE mistake of just tossing some cascade pellets into my secondary IPA and its looking like its going to be tough to siphon without sucking a bunch of them up.

Also, do you guys think an autosiphon will filter out the hops without dragging them into my bottling bucket, or should I use something to act as a filter sheath over it?

Greg

Many will tell you taht just tossing them in works fine; they will settle out eventually.

I prefer to use a modified grain bag. Get as small of one as possible, cut it down to fit 2 ozs. pellets, and stitch up the top to hold a drawstring. When the time comes, boil the bag for 15 min, add hops, and insert into carboy.

Good Luck!

I use a sanitize stainless herb ball when I keg it. This rocks.



I just drop it down and it sits down there by the pickup tube of the keg. No floaties at all. Just clear beer.

Here's my Stone IPA clone that was dry hopped in the keg with an ounce of Centennial. Mine is on the right and a real Stone IPA is on the left.

Are there any commercial bags available? I am going to search AHS and Northern Brewery.

Hey Ed,

Your a show off My Ed Wort IPA (Cobble Stone IPA) is in the secondary and I am thinking of not only doing your dry hop but also throw in some gelatin to try and clear it. I dont have the facilities to crash cool.

Greg

SW Brewer said:

Hey Ed,

Your a show off My Ed Wort IPA (Cobble Stone IPA) is in the secondary and I am thinking of not only doing your dry hop but also throw in some gelatin to try and clear it. I dont have the facilities to crash cool.

Greg

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Thanks, I know. I love my digital camera.

When I toss em in loose, I try to rack off as cleanly as possible into the bottling bucket and I use some screening over the bottling port if there is lots of debris. I have bagged and weighted pellets in the past but pref tossing loose leaf for dry hopping.

Your pellets will settle out. I dry hop with pellets thrown in loose. It takes time. How long have they been in there?

Usually takes about 2 weeks. I used to throw them in when I transfer. I am going to be trying tossing them in to the primary (after about 10 days) next time as I am forgoing secondary now.

If you can cold crash it that will help them settle out faster if you want. I think 2-3 weeks they should be good and settled though.

I do the same as EdWort. Those tea balls rock. I use 3 - 3" balls in an IPA. Got mine on eBay. They fit just right through the top of a corny. Only problem is that the hinge pin for the clasp might not be 100% stainless on mine as it has weakened and now broken. The clasp still holds without the pin just fine.

If you are concerned about getting hops in the bottling bucket, you can put a sanitized hop bag over your racking cane to act as a filter. Sanitized pantyhose would work as well. I wouldn't worry though as whatever makes it out of the secondary most likely will not make it out of the bottling bucket.

Ed, do you use whole hops in that tea ball or pellets? How big is that tea ball?

Bearcat Brewmeister said:

If you are concerned about getting hops in the bottling bucket, you can put a sanitized hop bag over your racking cane to act as a filter. Sanitized pantyhose would work as well. I wouldn't worry though as whatever makes it out of the secondary most likely will not make it out of the bottling bucket.

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I have tried filtering the cane w/ p-hose and had clogging & flow issues w/ loose pellets....found that fine mesh screening over the inside of the bottling bucket spigot worked much better for filtering out lots 'o hop matter.

I've dry hopped before and didn't have any trouble syphoning out through the layer of hopps. You just have to be gentle when you move and when you put your cane in. if you want, you can steralize some cheeze cloth and affix it to the tip of your cane. I've heard that works (although i've never done it, only dry hopped once)

Bearcat Brewmeister said:

Ed, do you use whole hops in that tea ball or pellets? How big is that tea ball?

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I got large balls. Picked em up at AHS. The large ones are 3" in diameter. I put pellets in them. They have a very fine stainless mesh. I had to crip the closer to make sure the two halves of the ball sealed together tightly and it works great. I started with one ball, but now doing 10 batches, needed another so I picked up my second one which gave me a pair of big ones. :cross:

So now you have a pair of 3" balls? I have 3 of them - probably why I walk a little funny.