West Coast Ale or IPA question?

This is my first batch of beer from a partial extract kit bought at my LHBS. The recipe had 4 hop additions. 3 were done during the 60 min boil and the 4th is to be added when you move to the Secondary. I didn't know that I was suppose to use the plastic Ale Pale as my primary and the glass carboy as my secondary, so I used the glass carboy as my primary and am thinking about just leaving it in the primary. My question is should I add the 4th hop addition to the primary or just leave it out and save it for another brew? What would you do?

Thank you for all of your help.
AP

I always dry hop in my secondary

So should I just leave it out or use the plastic ale pale for my secondary? If I leave it out how will it affect the beer?
Again thank you for your help.

You could do either! I think that I would put the hops in the primary (since it's a carboy) after 2 weeks or so, leave it for a week, then bottle/keg. Mainly because I would be uncomfortable leaving that much beer exposed to oxygen if you were to transfer it to the bucket (the glass carboys have that nice sloping top, and you would already have a good layer of CO2 built up in there to keep the undesirables away).

I doubt you'd have an issue either way, but if the recipe called for it, I would definitely add the 4th hop addition, regardless of whether your choose to rack into the bucket, or stay in the carboy.

The other (better) option would be to go buy another carboy, rack into that, and do your hop addition there. This option also allows you to start your next beer in the unused pail! More beer = more gooder!

BTW: if you leave the fourth hop addition out, it just won't smell as good. Dry hopping really only adds a bit of aroma.

+1 on what nakros said, wait 'til fermentation is complete and the beer clears, then you can just dry hop in the primary if you want. But it is a really good excuse to get yourself another carboy.

I have a concern though (possibly unfounded). Are you fermenting 5 gallons of beer in a 5 gallon carboy primary? If so, you should probably have a blow-off tube on there or things could potentially get messy.

Thank you very much, Nakros. I definitely agree with you "more beer = more gooder"!haha. That was funny! Good to have a Monday morning chuckle. I may have to go with the last option. I have to think about it. You said that dry hopping only adds aroma but since smell is a big part of taste wouldn't it affect the taste of the beer? It has been in the primary for a week now and active fermentation has subsided. If I do decide to rack it into another carboy should I wait another week? Oh yea, I didn't take an initial SG reading. I was just happy to get into the carboy and cap it.

GO BEER!
AP

Yes after the first night fermentation was going strong and pressure was building. I had to go to work was could not stop thinking about it. I kept calling my wife and having her check on it. She said bubbles were coming out the air lock. So all of a sudden I wasn't feeling so well and had to go home sick. (Worried sick,haha) Anyway stopped by Home Depot and bought some plastic tubing and made the blow off tube before any mess. Now I know for next time.

I vote for buying more carboys. Glass or Better Bottles (PET plastic), both have their advantages.

I have 4 glass carboys and 4 kegs and often think that I need more. If everything is full, then I have to sit on recipes even if I have time to brew. I'll only get a free weekend once a month or so (especially over the Summer), and so that brewing time is at a premium for me.

Having more equipment than you need only takes up a little bit of space and money. Not having enough equipment takes up your time. It's your call which is more valuable.


Oh, and deffinitely dry-hop it. It's fun to do and adds a lot of character to the beer.

You can dry-hop in the ale pail without too much worry or you can transfer to the pail, clean the yeast cake out of the carboy and transfer back if you want to spend the time.

My vote? Buy another carboy.

Thanks DuckAssassin and Trojan Man. Looks like I should buy another carboy. I think i'll go for a 6.5 gal this time.

apbrewing said:

I definitely agree with you "more beer = more gooder"!haha. That was funny! Good to have a Monday morning chuckle.

Click to expand...

I'm usually not so funny, but we got 50 cm (around 20") of snow today and I decided to work from home. Working from home means I get to sample much homebrew while I work!