Dryhopping, aging, filtering and force carbing for maximum quality

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saq

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I'm brewing an IIPA for some competitions this weekend, I think I've got a killer recipe and I should have just enough time to get this bad boy ready before I send it out so the fresh dryhop flavors/aromas should be near peak condition before I need to set it out, I'm just having some trouble deciding on what order I should do it in and so I'm seeking opinions.

The equipment
Primary: 7g blichmann conical
5 gal cornelius kegs
This beer filter Beer Filtering Kit | MoreBeer
a fermeezer for temperature control of primary
a kegorator for temperature control of carbonation
blichmann beergun for bottling, plus freezer for freezing bottles
Need to send beer off before 4/3/09, giving me about 6 weeks

The beer is going to be around 1.094 OG, mash at about 155 for 60 min, and will be fermented with a very healthy large pitching of WLP001.

My initial plan for fermentation and dryhopping etc was like this
7 days initial fermentation @ 65f, then add first 2oz batch of dryhopping for 14 days (total of 21 days in primary), transfer to corny keg for an additional 2oz 2 week dry hopping, put it in the kegorator to drop temp to 35f overnight, filter it in the morning, and then force carb at 35psi for 2 days @ 38f and then drop it down to 10.2psi for about 5 days before bottling and shipping.

I was planning on putting the hops into the primary without a hop bag, and putting the hops in the secondary in some large hop bags for the maximum amount of room.

I've contemplated changing it up and doing the primary and secondary dry hopping in the conical all at the same time for 2-4 weeks and then just filtering and carbonating. I'd like to hear some thoughts on this.

Comments? Opinions on any and all stages?
 
Based on discussions with OhioBrewtus on this topic, I'd just throw in all the hops once the bubbling slows to 1-2 per minute and leave it on the hops as long as you can before filtering and kegging.

To force carb I chill overnight, set the regulator to 20psi and shake for about 2 minutes. Then I dial down to 14psi and leave it on the gas for a week. 48 hours at 35psi also does the job according to other folks.

Good luck. I think filtering is the way to go with WLP001. It's a great yeast for a quick beer if you can filter it out since it doesn't flocc worth a damn.
 
I've 'step' dry hopped a few times and it seemed to me that I was only getting the last addition in the nose. I've found that I get best dry hopping results tossing them all in at once and leaving for 7-10 days.

Your results may vary.
 
Just an idea, but you might consider filtering the beer, kegging it and then dry hopping in the keg. Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River believes that you get better taste and aroma from dry hopping when the beer is clear, since it's easier for the hops to have full "contact" with the beer when the yeast is gone.

I've tried it a few times, and though I haven't done a side-by-side comparison, it does seem to have a better aroma. If you're looking to try something new, give it a shot.
 
I've considered dry hopping post filtering, but part of the reason I plan on filtering is having some really clear beer, and I don't know if I want to filter twice as it adds additional time. Maybe for my next beer.
 
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