JonnyO
Well-Known Member
I'm planning some future beers and don't currently use a secondary. So I was doing some research on past theads concerning dry hopping in a primary. A couple of interesting topics came up in those threads and I'd like to see some discussion on them:
1. While it seems like dry hopping in a primary is no problem, there is a big dispute between those that think it's a must that you wait until fermentation is done so as not to remove the esssential hop oils needed for aroma, and those that swear by dry hopping when fermentation is still going on (but slowed way down). Some have stated that they had poor results with harsh aromas and flavors by dry hopping any other way. This seems odd since the most common procedure for dry-hopping is in a secondary.
2. I like the idea of dry-hopping using a bag, or better yet an stainless herb/tea ball (seems like sanitation would be very easy....I'm not sure the best way to sanitize a bag). But there is some dispute between this method, which makes racking a clear bear (with no hop pieces) easier, and just dumping the hops in the fermenter to make sure you get the proper beer/hop contact.
I know there's no one right way to do this stuff, and most is personal preference, I just like to see the discussions by you folks with a lot of experience.
1. While it seems like dry hopping in a primary is no problem, there is a big dispute between those that think it's a must that you wait until fermentation is done so as not to remove the esssential hop oils needed for aroma, and those that swear by dry hopping when fermentation is still going on (but slowed way down). Some have stated that they had poor results with harsh aromas and flavors by dry hopping any other way. This seems odd since the most common procedure for dry-hopping is in a secondary.
2. I like the idea of dry-hopping using a bag, or better yet an stainless herb/tea ball (seems like sanitation would be very easy....I'm not sure the best way to sanitize a bag). But there is some dispute between this method, which makes racking a clear bear (with no hop pieces) easier, and just dumping the hops in the fermenter to make sure you get the proper beer/hop contact.
I know there's no one right way to do this stuff, and most is personal preference, I just like to see the discussions by you folks with a lot of experience.