dry hopping with pellets

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dyetube

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I was wondering, has anyone dry hopped with pellets and not used a hopsack or something similar? I really wasn't thinking about the hopsacks when I bought the pellets (and I shoulda bought the whole hops instead). With my work schedule I cannot get to the brew store until next saturday and my beer is ready for secondary. The LHBS told me I could use pantyhose. But how would I sanitize it?
 
You could sanitize the panty hose just like any brewing gear- a no-rinse sanitizer would be great. I soak my hops bags (if I'm using them) in star-san before adding my hops for drying hopping. Most of the time, I don't use a hop bag, and just chuck the hops right in. I hate trying to get that big mess out of the carboy in the bag!
 
You could sanitize the panty hose just like any brewing gear- a no-rinse sanitizer would be great. I soak my hops bags (if I'm using them) in star-san before adding my hops for drying hopping. Most of the time, I don't use a hop bag, and just chuck the hops right in. I hate trying to get that big mess out of the carboy in the bag!

Last time I dry hopped a red ale and used whole hops and a hop bag (which btw I forgot to sanitize). I'd like to just throw them in without a hopsack or pantyhose but don't know how much trouble it will be (considering they are pellets not whole) to rack to bottling bucket...
 
Last time I dry hopped a red ale and used whole hops and a hop bag (which btw I forgot to sanitize). I'd like to just throw them in without a hopsack or pantyhose but don't know how much trouble it will be (considering they are pellets not whole) to rack to bottling bucket...

I don't find it any trouble. With this hops shortage, I use a mix of pellet hops and/or leaf hops. I just use whatever I can get! I have used a sanitized hops bag over my auto siphon when I had more than an ounce in the secondary, so it didn't clog up too bag. Usually pellet hops dissolve into sludge, and I haven't had a problem avoiding them. I would guess that most others (or at least a lot of them) use hops bags, though.
 
Yeah, I'm thinking I'll just put them in without a hop bag or anything... I read that pellets tend to sink and disolve somewhat and like you said, it'll just be in the sludge... Should i put them in before adding the wort and pour the wort over them?
 
Yeah, I'm thinking I'll just put them in without a hop bag or anything... I read that pellets tend to sink and disolve somewhat and like you said, it'll just be in the sludge... Should i put them in before adding the wort and pour the wort over them?

I add them first, and rack the beer onto them. They still float, though, at first.
 
I dry hop with pellets w/o a bag. I let the hops float until 2 days before kegging. I'll then swirl the carboy and all the hops drop out. No issues.
 
I was worried about this with my first brew earlier this month, but I just dropped the pellets on top after racking, and didn't look back. I bottled this weekend and had no problems, except for the cheesecloth plugging the cane. Took the filter off and every thing went fine, no sludge or any thing.
Dale
 
I dry hop all the time with pellets. No bag baby!!

Try to get them in right before the ferm is done to soak up some of the 02 you add with the hops. If you can cool your carboy they sink really well.

Ahhhhh...I love me some dry hopped beer!
 
I dry hop all the time with pellets. No bag baby!!

Try to get them in right before the ferm is done to soak up some of the 02 you add with the hops. If you can cool your carboy they sink really well.

Ahhhhh...I love me some dry hopped beer!

I am a hophead and a HUGE fan of dry hopped beers! This is my second time to dry hop. first time I used leaf hops not pellets. Which ones impart more aroma? or are they about the same?
 
I am going with about the same. I just like the ease of using pellets. Easy to measure, no bag to deal with and pull yeast to the bottom when cooled down.

Dry hop within a point or two of terminal G, let sit for a few days to a week and cool down before racking! Cooling down is huge.

Then drink and enjoy....I am right now!! Cascades and Centennials in an Amber.

Nice.:p
 
I am going with about the same. I just like the ease of using pellets. Easy to measure, no bag to deal with and pull yeast to the bottom when cooled down.

Dry hop within a point or two of terminal G, let sit for a few days to a week and cool down before racking! Cooling down is huge.

Then drink and enjoy....I am right now!! Cascades and Centennials in an Amber.

Nice.:p

Sweet! I don't bottle til wed. next week... Hard to wait! But this will be great for thanskgiving dinner with family!
 
I used to dry-hop in secondary, but lately I've been doing all my dry-hopping in the keg. An herb ball from your local kitchen store anchored to the dip tube works great.
 
For what it's worth, I dry hopped my first batch by withholding a small amount of the hop pellets that the kit supplied for the boil. I added them to the secondary about a week before I bottled, no bag. Then I siphoned into my bottling bucket right before bottling and the hops were left on the bottom. I may have lost a pint or so worth of beer, but it was a very clean process.
 
I've dry hopped with pellets without bags with no problems...I prefer plugs for dry hopping I think you get a much more flowery/fresh/in your face aroma. I put the plugs in a bag with some food grade ss ball bearings to weigh it down. The only problem with that is, and it's a big problem, getting the bag and balls out afterwards I cracked a carboy...You just have to be very carefull. I think it's worth it though, unbagged whole or plugs end up floating and only about 60% are touching the beer.
 
Bags and whole flowers are just a pain in the ass when dry hopping. In fact I try to keep them out of my supply line all together!
 
I just dry hopped a Gumball head clone yesterday. I think it was an ounce of amarillo pellets. I boiled a sack for 5 and then dipped in sanitizer. First time dry hopping so I was a little paranoid about sanitation.
 
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