Double Batch of IPA and the Freshness Conundrum

[TAK]

I'm gearing up to make my first double-sized batch of IPA. As such, I'm pondering the best way to keep the second keg as fresh as possible. These are some thoughts on how I think I might approach it. Of course, I'm interested in feedback, other ideas, etc.

I am able to keep the second keg in cold storage while the first keg is on tap. I always dry hop in a keg, and then jump to a new keg for serving. I figure it's probably better to forego dry hopping the second keg until after the first keg kicks. That way, the dry hop is as fresh as possible when it goes on tap.

I do see a dilemma though. I need to keep a seal on the keg, of course, thus it needs some head pressure. That combined with cold storage equals carbonation. Putting hop pellets into carbed beer sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

I have a nitro/beer-gas set up. So, I was thinking I may hit the second keg with a burst of about 30 PSI of beer gas before it goes into cold storage. Since the Nitrogen shouldn't go into solution (much, at least), I think that should keep a seal without needing to have a constant application of head pressure, and it should keep it mostly un-carbed until I'm ready to dry hop it. Does this sound like it'll work?

 

[hobomoto]

I keg hopped my carbonated beer a week ago with zero problems.

I too had the fear of a volcano. Reports online were mixed. I think the key is to make sure the beer is very cold so the co2 doesn't come rushing out of solution. My hops were also frozen and thus very cold. They were pellets too in a mesh bag.

I had my co2 hooked up and ready to seat the lid just in case but it was fine!

 

[TAK]

I keg hopped my carbonated beer a week ago with zero problems.

I too had the fear of a volcano. Reports online were mixed. I think the key is to make sure the beer is very cold so the co2 doesn't come rushing out of solution. My hops were also frozen and thus very cold. They were pellets too in a mesh bag.

I had my co2 hooked up and ready to seat the lid just in case but it was fine!

That actually gets me thinking about another point I hadn't thought of. I do think there's value in dry hopping at room temp, as opposed to fridge temps. I'm curious, did you start the dry hop with cold carbonated beer, but then let it free rise to ambient over the dry hopping phase, or was it kept cold for the entire dry hop?

 

[benner_28]

That actually gets me thinking about another point I hadn't thought of. I do think there's value in dry hopping at room temp, as opposed to fridge temps. I'm curious, did start the dry hop with cold carbonated beer, but then let it free rise to ambient over the dry hopping phase, or was it kept cold for the entire dry hop?

I've never done it, but if you always transfer to a serving keg anyway, how about running the 2nd batch through a hop randall? Nice and freshly hopped when you're ready to drink it.

 

[Cbaddad]

Just turn CO2 down a bit so it isn't totally carbonated. I find that when you jump a keg over it is best to not have it fully carbonated anyway.

I once tried to drop pellet hops in a mesh bag of fully carbonated beer.

Total volcano as you mentioned. The fear is real.

 

[hobomoto]

I dropped my hops into my keg as the beer was right out of the fridge. Then left it for a week at ambiant temp. Then back into the fridge.

Not sure why some people get volcanos and some don't. My theory was beer temp but now that I think about it, my beer may have not been up to a full 2.5 vol of co2 yet, although it seemed pretty well carbonated.

 

[hobomoto]

I did get some foam btw. But not enough to cause issues. I had a little more headspace since I had been sampling my beer. Might have made the difference also.

 

[hobomoto]

So last thought... I'm thinking the level of carbonation you would get just from the head pressure used to seal the keg would be pretty minimal and this would also make your chances of success much much higher.

 

[beerkench]

I've heard of breweries wetting the hops first with some beer.

 

[TAK]

I've never done it, but if you always transfer to a serving keg anyway, how about running the 2nd batch through a hop randall? Nice and freshly hopped when you're ready to drink it.

Do you mean between the keg and the faucet? Probably would be interesting, but I'm not sure it'd replace a dry hop. That's something that I'd see being done in addition to a dry hop. You probably wouldn't want to leave the same hop charge in the randle for the duration of dispensing a whole keg.

 

[TAK]

Thanks for the feedback. The suggestions are still ways to deal with dry hopping a carbed, or lightly carbed beer though. I'm still inclined to hit it with a burst of nitro beer gas mix at about 30 psi. The CO2 in the beer gas would go into solution as it finds equilibrium. The amount in the headspace would have a negligible effect on the carbonation though, but it'd drop the headspace pressure a bit. However, the N2 in the headspace shouldn't really go into solution, and thus it'd leave a good seal, probably at least 20 psi, I'd think, without needing to reapply head pressure during the cold storage.

Has anyone any experience with that technique?