Dry hopping in a primary.

weavka32 · Jun 2, 2012

I made an IPA 14 days ago. It has finally settled down enough to rack. I have been seeing a bunch of posts about head space in the secondary. I used my 5 gal carboy as my primary (I wanted to observe the processes) and I only have a 6.5 gal ale pale to use as a secondary. I was planning to dry hop over 2 oz of simcoe in the secondary, but would it effect the flavors to dry hop over the cake? This is my first dry hop experiment.

FATC1TY · Jun 2, 2012

Just dry hop in there. No real issues with it going another week.

Whats the estimated FG and ABV? If it's higher, it's no issue I'd think.

weavka32 · Jun 2, 2012

OG was 1.078 Expected FG should be 1.018 (I don't like to take a lot of hydrometer readings, at least not until my beer thief gets here). Should be around 7.2%

Sounds good, I had planned not to do a secondary with this batch when I started, then the recipe got modified and I decided to dry hop. Thanks. Time to move it back to the basement.

Went for added in the Simcoe last night.

ozzy4355 · Jun 10, 2012

I'm bored and thinking about dry hopping a stout, but I don't feel like racking to do so. How did yours turn out?

unionrdr · Jun 10, 2012

Dry hopping in primary will work great. I've done it a lot. Just make sure the beer is settled out clear or slightly misty before bagging & adding the hops.

smellgoats · Jun 10, 2012

I dry hopped my first ever homebrew an imperial IPA in the primary after about 9 days. I hd very similar OG and FG stats as yours and the beer turned out great after 7 days on the hops (2 oz citra whole cone).

weavka32 · Jun 11, 2012

Bottling it tonight once my daughter goes to bed. Will post the FG then, 2 weeks in primary then another 8 days on the hops. The color is a bit darker then I had planned but that's ok.

D_Nyholm · Jun 11, 2012

Doing a dry hop to mine today and tried searching the forums for dry hop and it won't search that short, so I am hoping some insight could be gained here.

Does it matter if I dry hop for 2 weeks before I bottle or should I do the kit recommended 7 days?

MetalMatt · Jun 11, 2012

I wouldn't go past 7 days. From my experience I get alot of grassy character when I leave a beer on the hops for more than a week. I dunno maybe others have had different experience?

weavka32 · Jun 12, 2012

Bottled. 8 days dry hopping. Tasted and smelled great. Missed my OG a bit but still close. OG was 1.078 and FG was 1.022. Both around 70 degrees. ABV may be be a bit lower then planned but if it tastes like good beer it is good beer. Had to get some help reading my hydrometer though. Was worried my IPA was going to land at 3%ABV! I know have my formula written down.

chiteface · Jun 12, 2012

I dry hop all the time in the primary. Just drop it in. I don't even bag mine. Also i once left then in for 50 days...no grassy flavors. Even turned entered the beer as an APA in competition. I scored a respectable 32 and the judges didn't say a thing about grassy flavors.

JHahn · Jun 13, 2012

Say you want to let the beer sit for longer after you dry hop. Could you just take the hop bag out or even transfer it? Would that have any ill effects on the outcome? I've been reading a lot of posts lately about letting it sit for long periods of time. I feel like I dry hopped too early and want to let it sit longer but don't want to get any of those grassy flavors from hops. I dry hopped after about 10 days in the primary. The OG was around 1.090 and I think it would be best to let that sit for longer. Thoughts?

BrewinHooligan · Jun 13, 2012

JHahn said:
Say you want to let the beer sit for longer after you dry hop. Could you just take the hop bag out or even transfer it? Would that have any ill effects on the outcome? I've been reading a lot of posts lately about letting it sit for long periods of time. I feel like I dry hopped too early and want to let it sit longer but don't want to get any of those grassy flavors from hops. I dry hopped after about 10 days in the primary. The OG was around 1.090 and I think it would be best to let that sit for longer. Thoughts?

Do you know what the current gravity is? If it is stable there is no problem with taking your initial course of action and package after the dry hop, or if you want to store before packaging, stick in the fridge as this slows/eliminates the grassy hop effect. If it is still fermenting, wouldn't hurt to remove the hops and go for it again with some fresh hops after you hit FG.

JHahn · Jun 13, 2012

When I added the hops it was somewhere in the 1.020's range. I forget exactly. Haven't checked it since then. The expected was supposed to be somewhere around there. So I feel like it is probably pretty close to done fermenting. I need to check it again. The dry hops have been in for about six days. I totally forgot to mention that it was a kit and it came with oak spirals to make an oak imperial ipa. I want to leave the oak in there for about a week and don't want any of the grassy flavors from over dry hopping

chiteface · Jun 13, 2012

JHahn said:
When I added the hops it was somewhere in the 1.020's range. I forget exactly. Haven't checked it since then. The expected was supposed to be somewhere around there. So I feel like it is probably pretty close to done fermenting. I need to check it again. The dry hops have been in for about six days. I totally forgot to mention that it was a kit and it came with oak spirals to make an oak imperial ipa. I want to leave the oak in there for about a week and don't want any of the grassy flavors from over dry hopping

Yeah just rerack into a tertiary, you should be fine. With oak you can over do it too, so don't leave it on the oak for too long either.

JHahn · Jun 13, 2012

How long do you recommend to leave it on the oak? It came with two pretty decent size spirals. The kit said anywhere from 3-7 days

unionrdr · Jun 13, 2012

I oaked mine for 8 days with medium toast chips & it was fairly strong. But spirals may likely take longer being a larger size. Might take a couple weeks.

Arctic-Stranger · Jun 13, 2012

MetalMatt said:
I wouldn't go past 7 days. From my experience I get alot of grassy character when I leave a beer on the hops for more than a week. I dunno maybe others have had different experience?

Is that the same grassy flavor you get from a Grolsh?

crushingblackdoom · Jun 13, 2012

Whatever you do, weigh those bastards down! I use a broken SS cleaver blade, butter knives, spoons, nuts, bolts, marbles... anything stainless steel. SS is a MUST!!! It's ideal to have your flavor enhancing things like wood, hops, fruit/berries, under the surface. FWIW....

chiteface · Jun 13, 2012

JHahn said:
How long do you recommend to leave it on the oak? It came with two pretty decent size spirals. The kit said anywhere from 3-7 days

I think 7 days max, but i bet two spirals will give you pretty decent exposure to that oak. It depends on what you want.

weavka32 · Jun 29, 2012

Just popped the first bottle. Has a huge piney flavor but tastes awesome! I am very happy with this brew. It is dark and malty but still an IPA.

Would attach but the app keeps crashing when I try.

Dry hopping in a primary.

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