Dry hop question

[Just-a-Guy]

Sorry, I'm sure this has been answered 1000 times, but the forum won't let me search the words "dry hop" (because they are too "common").

I'm about to rack an IPA kit (grains plus DME plus LME plus hop pellets) to a secondary and I want to dry hop with some whole leaf Cascade hops. I have a mesh bag. I plan to boil a stainless steel bolt and put it in there to hold it down into the beer.

Question: Should I briefly steam the bag and hops together before putting it into the secondary to sterilize?

The hops have been in the fridge in a freeze-dried package, but I opened the package three weeks ago and used about half of it in a boil (same beer). I then put it into a ziplock and back in the fridge. Smells nice...

 

[Captain Damage]

Don't steam the hops. Infection from dry hopping is virtually unheard of. I usually soak my hop bag briefly in sanitizer.

 

[Just-a-Guy]

Don't steam the hops. Infection from dry hopping is virtually unheard of. I usually soak my hop bag briefly in sanitizer.

Thanks, Cap'n.

 

[RandomBeerGuy]

Remember your yeast have created alcohol and alcohol kills bacteria If your using a bucket then you can use a hop bag. I just dump the whole leafs right in the carboy. Just make sure to get all the hop wet with beer and sit back and enjoy.

 

[Just-a-Guy]

Yeah, something tells me I did this wrong (first time trying to dry hop). I sanitized the mesh bag, racked the beer into the secondary (carboy)...then struggled with getting the hop leafs into the (now wet) bag.

Then came the real fun...trying to stuff the stupid bag into the carboy. I washed my hands thoroughly, but this required a lot of "finger work" to get the darn thing in there.

Now, it also looks like I didn't put enough weight in the bag (one 5/16 ss bolt with three nuts on it, boiled for 10 mins). It's just floating there.

I swear, every time I do something I end up feeling like an idiot. But I guess I'm learning.

Do most people who dry-hop in a carboy just dump the stuff right in?

Pic of where it now stands:

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Do most people who dry-hop in a carboy just dump the stuff right in?

i do. i use whole hops 90% of the time, put 'em in a sanitized carboy, rack beer on top, 4-7 days later, rack the beer from under the floating hops into the bottling bucket or keg.
ya think that bag o' hops was hard to get in the carboy.......? just wait til you want to get it back out. tried it that way once, had to cut up a once used mesh bag to let the hops fall out so i could get everything back out of the carboy.

 

[unionrdr]

Yet another reason I don't like carboys. That skinny neck has got to be a pita to work with. I like my ale pale/micro brew FV's. Plenty of room to work with. Gunna duplicate my bottling bucket in a lower volume version for a secondary.

 

[RandomBeerGuy]

Yes next time just drop them straight in. I see in your picture, looks like more than half of the hop bag is not in the wort. Did you push them down so all the hops get wet? Just trying to help.

 

[Just-a-Guy]

Yes next time just drop them straight in. I see in your picture, looks like more than half of the hop bag is not in the wort. Did you push them down so all the hops get wet? Just trying to help.

I was thinking of doing that. I figured I'd let it soak for a while, thinking maybe it would sink a little bit on its own. I guess I'll spray some StarSan on a bottling wand and try to poke it down in a bit.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[RandomBeerGuy]

I was thinking of doing that. I figured I'd let it soak for a while, thinking maybe it would sink a little bit on its own. I guess I'll spray some StarSan on a bottling wand and try to poke it down in a bit.

Thanks,

Mark

NP, hops only sink with either sometype of weight or during cold crashing.

 

[GASoline71]

I just huck the hops in the empty fermenter and then rack the beer in after that. They'll suck up a little of your brew and start to sink a little. But they'll still be floating on top.

You'll lose a tad bit of brew if you use whole hops. As they tend to absorb a little...

Gary