kombat
Well-Known Member
I know that current wisdom says that you don't need to employ a secondary fermenter, but they usually include a caveat such as "unless you're dry hopping or using fruit to flavor the beer."
My question is, what do they mean? In what order? Do you rack from the primary to an empty carboy (secondary fermenter), then add the hops/fruit? Given that the advice is not to dry hop for more than 7 days, how do you then cold crash and clarify (with gelatin), a process which itself usually takes 4 days? Do you throw in the hops, then 3 days later start the cold crash? If I just added hops a few days ago, will the cold crash/gelatin combo still be able to clear the beer?
Or do you add the dry hops to the primary (after fermentation has died down), wait the 7 days, then rack to a clean, empty carboy (secondary), after which you can take your time aging/clarifying the beer (because it's no longer in contact with the dry hops)?
The bottom line is, I don't want to dry hop for too long (the 7 day max), but I still want to end up with crystal clear beer using cold crashing and gelatin. What's the proper order to do things here?
Do I add the hops to the primary, wait 7 days, then rack to secondary, leaving the hops behind? Or do I rack the beer to secondary (off the yeast/trub), dry hop for 7 days, then ... what? Rack again and age? Bottle/keg?
My question is, what do they mean? In what order? Do you rack from the primary to an empty carboy (secondary fermenter), then add the hops/fruit? Given that the advice is not to dry hop for more than 7 days, how do you then cold crash and clarify (with gelatin), a process which itself usually takes 4 days? Do you throw in the hops, then 3 days later start the cold crash? If I just added hops a few days ago, will the cold crash/gelatin combo still be able to clear the beer?
Or do you add the dry hops to the primary (after fermentation has died down), wait the 7 days, then rack to a clean, empty carboy (secondary), after which you can take your time aging/clarifying the beer (because it's no longer in contact with the dry hops)?
The bottom line is, I don't want to dry hop for too long (the 7 day max), but I still want to end up with crystal clear beer using cold crashing and gelatin. What's the proper order to do things here?
Do I add the hops to the primary, wait 7 days, then rack to secondary, leaving the hops behind? Or do I rack the beer to secondary (off the yeast/trub), dry hop for 7 days, then ... what? Rack again and age? Bottle/keg?