Dry hopping in secondary...

I just brewed my IPA last night and it's sitting down in the basement at perfect temp right now bubbling away happily.

I have some hops to dry hop in secondary and I'm curious what the preferred method is here. The LHBS gave me a spare grain sock so I'm assuming that is intended to put the hops in. However, based on what I've read, I think I'm gonna skip the sock and just throw them in.

What I'm not sure of is when to put the hops in secondary. Most people say they "just toss them in" but don't mention when. Do I put them into the secondary and rack on top of them? Or do I rack the beer over and then throw the hops in before putting the cover on?

I'm planning to do one week in primary and then two weeks dry hopping in secondary, sound acceptable?

Thanks, as always!!

If I'm using a secondary for two weeks I normally dry hop a week before bottling.

I dry hop with whole hops, letting them run free in primary for a week before bottling/kegging the batch. My brew buddy dry hops with pellets, also letting them run free in the fermenter/primary. IMO (and I'm not alone here), you don't NEED to rack to another vessel just to dry hop. I need a much better reason to transfer brew if it's not going to bottle/keg than just dry hopping.

I have an English IPA that's been in primary for three weeks as of today/tonight... In another week, or two, I'll dry hop it (in primary) for a week and then keg it up. I'm still figuring out exactly how much hops I want to use in this batch, but it's going to be at least 1-1/2oz (could be three) of EKG or EKG and Fuggles...

I've come to realize that most LHBS stores sound like they know what they're talking about. But the majority are using outdated methods. There are the rare few (gems) that are current in methods and advise. Most will give you instructions that make it sound like you can dictate how long the batch will take... Hopefully, you'll learn (pretty early on) that you have very little control over how long the yeast needs to do it's job. You can do things to help it along, but in the end, it works at it's own pace. Rushing a batch just gives you a lesser result than if you had given it enough time. IMO, you're better off leaving it alone for however long it needs. Rack as little as possible too. Your patience will be richly rewarded.

Thanks, Gold.

This is only my third batch and I've gone to secondary on the first two but I've been wanting to try a long primary after all I've been reading here lately. Your advice that a secondary just to dry hop isn't really necessary has me thinking I will try it with this batch and just dry hop in the primary.

You mention that it will be done when it is done. From what I've read, when it is done is more or less when you get the same hydrometer reading 3 days in a row, is that correct? Do most people allow it another couple weeks after the fermentation completes to clear, or what? From what I've read most people leave it in primary somewhere in the 3-4 week range...and it sounds like that's a pretty safe bet, but how do you now for sure and how much of that time is post-fermentation settling/conditioning time?

Thanks!

4 weeks primary is standard operating procedure in my brewery. It is better for your beer. Just let it condition away. Be patient and you will be rewarded. I would go 2.5-3 weeks in primary before dry hopping for the last 1.5 or so of dry hopping. Just drop them in and rack from under them when you're ready to bottle (minimum 10 days for dry hopping).

Just because the FG is reached doesn't mean the brew/batch is actually DONE... It just means that all the sugars have been converted. Give it more time and you'll be amazed at what else the yeast will do for you.

Since I go a minimum of 4 weeks in primary, my brews are done fermenting long before I actually bottle/keg them up. But, it doesn't mean they're done... If you have something that finished hot, more time in primary will fix that. If it tastes 'yeasty', more time in primary will fix that. There's plenty of other things that simply giving it more time in primary will fix.

For me, my more modest OG batches (under ~1.060) get 4-5 weeks in primary. Batches from ~1.060-1.070 get 5-6 weeks. Above 1.070, they get however long they need to become great. Those are my own guidelines. They might work for you, but they might not. You really should determine your own. Best way to test, IMO, is to brew the same recipe twice (or brew enough so that you can split it in half). Use the long primary for one part, and do the secondary thing with the other. Don't assume both will be in bottles at the same time, but try each after in bottle for three weeks (or keg for two)... If there's any difference, I'd wager that the long primary batch/part wins.

BTW, I would also advise looking into using pure O2 instead of oxygenating through agitation, or a pump...

I've only dry hopped up to a week so far. You just need to be careful to not go too long there, or you'll get things you probably don't want (for flavors)... Vegetative comes to mind, if you go over two weeks (or so it's said)... A safe time frame is a week with dry hops.

Try 2 weeks in primary, your beer will benefit from an extra week with the yeast. Rack to seconday on top of hops for a week then bottle. Just did this and my beers aroma is pretty awesome

Thanks for all the great advice, guys. I'm pretty excited for this batch!

Afer all this great advice, I am regretting that I racked my blueberry wheat to secondary yesterday morning

The airlock on the IPA that I brewed on Saturday night smells AMAZING though. That baby is definitely going to go the distance in primary and I am pretty psyched to try it that way. I am going to do 4 weeks primary, with the 4 week being dry hopped.

Once again, thanks for the hospitality and advice guys!

I throw pellets right into the secondary. Rack beer onto the hops.

Thehopguy said:

Try 2 weeks in primary, your beer will benefit from an extra week with the yeast. Rack to seconday on top of hops for a week then bottle. Just did this and my beers aroma is pretty awesome

Click to expand...

This was going to be my plan. However, I took a hydrometer reading this morning and it was 1.010. Final gravity for the recipe is 1.014. Sample tasted a little dry.

Anyways, I think it is done fermenting...however there is still a krausen on it. Should I give it another week in primary to let the krausen fall, then dry hop? Give it a jiggle to help the krausen fall? Rack from under the krausen and secondary dry hop there?

This is the first time I've had a krausen that lasted 14 days so it kinda threw a snag into my plans.