dry hopping a lager

[masaba]

Has anyone had success dry-hopping a lager. When do you add your dry hops? Do you add them to the primary after fermentation and then transfer off them after about five days before lagering? Do you add them for about five days at the end of lagering? Also, I bottle, so dry-hopping in the keg isn't an option. Thanks.

 

[kombat]

I haven't done it, but if I did, I'd do it after the diacetyl rest, before lagering. You need to dry hop at room temperature to impart the most of the aromatic oils from the hops. They don't transfer nearly as well in cold beer.

 

[wardens355]

Do you lager in bottle, or in carboy?

 

[kombat]

Kegs, if you can call it "lagering" at all. Once the fermentation has finished, I let it warm up to room temp for the diacetyl rest. A few days later, I'll rack it to a keg and put it in the fridge on CO2. A couple days later, I'll add gelatin. Then I let it sit on gas, trying it now and then to see how it's coming along. I guess it's "lagering" during this period, but I'm drinking it, too.

 

[masaba]

I have only made one lager before and for that one I layered in a carboy for about 30 days. But that was a Munich Helles with minimal hops.

I am kind of thinking I may not lager this beer. I could just add the dry hops to primary during the D-rest for about 5 days, then I could cold crash for about 4 days and then bottle. If I really want I guess I could lager in the bottles after that, so to speak.

I have just heard that dry hop aromas are fairly quick to dissipate, so I am not sure they would stick around if I do a full 30 day lagering after dry-hopping during D rest.

 

[wardens355]

I would lager in secondary carboy, then let the carboy warm up to room temp and dry hop for 5 days-ish, cold crash for several days, then bottle and carb.

 

[masaba]

I would lager in secondary carboy, then let the carboy warm up to room temp and dry hop for 5 days-ish, cold crash for several days, then bottle and carb.

I think this is what I will do. Seems like a solution that would allow a nice lager period and would add the dry hops right at the end so that the aromas don't dissipate.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I'll be brewing an IBL in a few weeks. The dry hops will be added to the keg after a 4-week lagering period is complete.