Planning my second batch (IIPA), question on dry hopping

I found a recipe I like that looks like it should make a very bitter, tasty IIPA. The recipe calls for 1oz tettnanger dry hopping for 6 days.

My question is is this kinda thing flexible, i.e. do I *need* to remove the hops after 6 days or if fermentation isn't done yet is it ok to leave them? Or do I wait 2 - 3 days after pitching to add the hops, wait 6 days and then bottle or rack to secondary?

If I should remove them after 6 days, do I just pop open the bucket and strain them out? Or should I rack to a secondary?

(btw thanks to all the folks who take the time to answer questions from us newbies in this forum, this website has been insanely helpful to me!)

I would add the dry hops to the secondary not the primary fermenter. You can leave them in as long or short a period that you prefer. I would judge by tasting the beer every few days until it reaches the level of hop flavor/aroma you want, then remove and bottle or keg per normal.
mark
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You're going to want to dry hop in your secondary vessel. Use a muslin bag or strainer bag/ball and put the hops in that (I am assuming you use pellets). I typically don't remove the bag until after I rack from the secondary to my kegs. So the answer to, "do I need"...no, you can leave them in for as long as you want. The longer, the more aroma you will get, up to a maximum for your addition. If you tie a knot at the end of the muslin bag, add a few hops, tie another knot, add a few more hops, etc., it will be very easy to pull them out of a carboy (assuming you are using a carboy). I just reach down with a coat hanger, snag the back, and pull them right out like hop filled anal beads.

I would personally let a IIPA sit in primary for 3-4 weeks, then rack to secondary if you have one and add dry hops.
1-2 weeks in secondary is about all you would want your beer sitting on dry hops. You can search around for reasons why, but I think dry hops start to give off a stale taste if you keep your beer sitting with them for too long. I don't have experience with that happening, as I have never left beer on dry hops for any longer than 2 weeks.

Thanks everyone, secondary for dry hops it is. Glad I posted before attempting this one.

You're going to want to dry hop in your secondary vessel. Use a muslin bag or strainer bag/ball and put the hops in that (I am assuming you use pellets).

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I'm actually using loose leaf hops, does that make a difference? Could I use a carboy as primary, rack to bucket as secondary, add loose leaf hops on top, then use the bucket spigot to bottle from the secondary? Might there be yeast sediment in the bottom of the bucket that would make me want to siphon to bottles if I use this method?

I just reach down with a coat hanger, snag the back, and pull them right out like hop filled anal beads.

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lol, awesome

damdaman said:

Could I use a carboy as primary, rack to bucket as secondary, add loose leaf hops on top, then use the bucket spigot to bottle from the secondary? Might there be yeast sediment in the bottom of the bucket that would make me want to siphon to bottles if I use this method?

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My gut tells me that this plan isn't the way to go about it. How are you priming the bottles? Are you going to stir the solution into the secondary bucket? There will certainly be yeast sediment on the bottom of the secondary that would probably cause some issues. I have never bottled though (have only used kegs) so I am not the right person to ask. If you haven't brewed yet, us the bucket for primary, the carboy for secondary, & rack to the clean bottling bucket on top of the prepared priming solution.

Ahh yes, I had forgotten about priming. Thanks, I think that's what I'll do.

Dry hopping for too long an lead to off flavors from what I understand. Specifically a grassy flavor. I have not experienced it personally but some have. I did a Pliny the Elder clone and the recipe suggested that you remove the hop additions when adding another one. This can be problematic for homebrewing or so I thought till I saw this cool little gadget. http://www.rebelbrewer.com/shoppingcart/products/The-Brew-Infuser.html#. I am getting myself one for my xmas gift to myself.