Cold crash/ Dry hop

[aavila890]

So i'm dry hopping a pale ale that i brewed a couple weeks ago and i wanted to dry hop for about 10 days. My first time cold crashing and i was just wondering if I should dry hop 6 days and then cold crash for 4 days for a total of 10 days or dry hop at room temp for 10 days and then cold crash? I'm on the 6th day of dry hopping today so quick feedback would be much appreciated!!

cheers

 

[deBrouwer]

I've been told cold crashing while dry hopping is actually good for hops utilization. However, as lots of things homebrew related, it's just word-of-mouth about what works. I haven't heard a scientific explanation. No one has told me to dry hop and cold crash separately, but you could probably find someone who'd say that!

I'm not an expert by any stretch (only brewed 2 batches ever; dry hopped the last one & cold crashed the last 2 days...seemed to work), but since no one has replied yet I'm putting in my two cents. If no one convinces you otherwise, just do what gets you drinkable beer the fastest!

 

[aavila890]

I've been told cold crashing while dry hopping is actually good for hops utilization. However, as lots of things homebrew related, it's just word-of-mouth about what works. I haven't heard a scientific explanation. No one has told me to dry hop and cold crash separately, but you could probably find someone who'd say that!

I'm not an expert by any stretch (only brewed 2 batches ever; dry hopped the last one & cold crashed the last 2 days...seemed to work), but since no one has replied yet I'm putting in my two cents. If no one convinces you otherwise, just do what gets you drinkable beer the fastest!

Thanks for the reply! yea i'm probably just gonna throw my brew in the fridge today and see how it turns out. I figure if the hops are still in there why would the dry hopping process stop? unless the temperature drop has an affect on the process.. I guess I'll just have to wait and find out. I'm dying to try this beer as it is also my first all grain brew too.

cheers

 

[duboman]

Some will tell you crashing after dry hop pulls aromas down with the yeast. I've done it both ways and have not noticed a difference YMMV


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[dobe12]

I personally cold crash after dry hopping. I want the hops to drop sooooo, it just makes sense to me.

 

[Natdavis777]

Cold crash after dry hopping. The cold beer poorly extracts hop oils and you wont get the same results with warmer temps. That comes from personal experience as well as from a good friend who is a commercial brewer. Id say dry hop for a week and then cold crash for a week.

 

[aavila890]

Thank you all for all the feedback, it is much appreciated!



Here's a pick of my beer right after racking to secondary.



and this is what it looks like today (6th day)
It has cleared significantly but i'm going with the cold crash to finish the job. Noticed a bit of yeast stuck to the ridges of my carboy, I'm hoping it'll drop with the cold crash or at best that it'll stay stuck to the ridges. I've decided I'm going to wait another day and then stick it in the fridge for a week. Again thank you all for the feedback and advice!:rockin:

 

[petrolSpice]

I cold crashed before dry hopping to remove some yeast which apparently can take the hop aroma out of the beer. Then I dry hopped for 6 days, then cold crashed again for 3 days.

I've heard that if the beer is cold then dry hopping is less effective, but probably still happens. So maybe assume that dry hopping cold is half as effective? Dry hop for 8 days and cold crash for 4 days (for a total effective dry hopping of 10 days)? Just throwing out ideas. No matter what you'll get good beer.

 

[aavila890]

Well here it is guys! Decided to dry hop 7 days and gonna cold crash for another 7.. Took a whiff of it and it smell in****ingcredible so i like where this is going. took my airlock off so no starsan gets sucked into my beer.. Just sprayed down a paper towel with starsan and covered it with plastic wrap. good thing i have no food and had room in my fridge for my brew.

cheers

 

[deBrouwer]

Who needs food?

Looks great!

 

[chainlife]

What about cold crashing your primary and rack onto hops in the secondary for a week or two, then you could even cold crash for a day before bottling to get the hops to drop. I'm going to try this on what I have in my primary soon


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[petrolSpice]

What about cold crashing your primary and rack onto hops in the secondary for a week or two, then you could even cold crash for a day before bottling to get the hops to drop. I'm going to try this on what I have in my primary soon

That would work, but I wouldn't dry hop for 2 weeks or else you might get some grassy flavors.

 

[brewkinger]

I agree with the dry hop and then cold crash method.

On an unrelated topic, but nonetheless IMPORTANT...

I would strongly advise against using one of those carboy handles on a full carboy. A full carboy can weigh upwards of 50# and that amount of stress on the neck of the carboy can be an invitation for disaster.

I personally learned this about 2 yrs ago on the VERY FIRST time that I used one of those handles.

Thankfully, it was only filled with 5gallons of water AND
more thankful that I was moving forwards when the neck snapped and the carboy hit the garage floor and shattered!

Glass shards in every direction and complicated by the force of rushing water, I was still finding pieces of carboy months later underneath cabinets and tool boxes.

Just my .02, but I would hate to see a fellow human gashed wide open by shattering carboy glass.

 

[Fat_Maul]

That would work, but I wouldn't dry hop for 2 weeks or else you might get some grassy flavors.

I you cold crash after a week are you effectively stopping the dry hopping process?

 

[dobe12]

I doubt it. I've read dry hopping warm is more effective.... something about extracting the oils at warmer temps, but I'm sure there is still some exchange going on even if the beer is cold. I've dry hopped in the keg a few times for the duration of the keg and the flavor was fantastic. I only do it with whole hops, but I've never noticed any grassy flavors. I believe it's possible, but also believe that theory to be grossly over exaggerated.