Dry Hoping/Secondary Fermentor Situation

Alright, I'm still new so you'll have to excuse me.

I'm on my 5th batch of malt extract brewing. Starting to try tougher recipes including grains and what not.

I'm about to try a Sierra Nevada Clone that calls for dry hopping in the secondary when fermentation is complete. Seems to make sense to me, the problem is I'm going to be traveling while this is fermenting so I'm going to have to ask my girlfriend to add these for me.

I've never used a secondary before. I've had fine results just leaving it in the primary for 1 month then transferring to a bottling bucket right before bottling. Can I get away with her just dumping the dry hops into the primary 2 weeks in? Will she need to transfer to a secondary and then add the dry hops? Or can I add them after 1 month when I'm back and ready to bottle, and if I do that should I wait even longer to give the dry hops some time?

Thanks for any advice!

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think having her dump them in the primary 2 weeks in would be the way to go. I believe the focus is more on "when fermentation is complete" than it being done in the secondary. The thought is that putting them in before or during fermentation would carry away some of the aroma with the escaping gas.

You don't want to leave the dry hops in your beer for much longer than 10-14 days. You could have her just dump the hops into Primary 7-10 days before you return.

Explain sanitation and have a spray bottle for her to use. (I spray the heck out of airlocks and carboy tops or bucket lids before removing the stopper. I use a sanitized funnel to get the hops into my carboy if hopping in one. I know I'm anal, but that's alright with me.)

Thanks guys.

That's what I'll do. I'm sure she'd have no problem racking to a secondary if I really needed her to, but it's good to know this should be alright. She's actually going to be leaving also and meeting me but the timing should work out perfect for her to get these in right before she splits. And when we both get back we'll bottle.

mikeinternet said:

Alright, I'm still new so you'll have to excuse me.

I'm on my 5th batch of malt extract brewing. Starting to try tougher recipes including grains and what not.

I'm about to try a Sierra Nevada Clone that calls for dry hopping in the secondary when fermentation is complete.

Click to expand...

I brewed this same kit a week ago (also my 5th batch but first Austin kit) and threw my hops into the primary yesterday. Not planning on a secondary and when I asked the question a couple days ago, most said it's not necessary. Of course, I won't really know for sure until I can taste it.