Dry Hopping - Newbie Question

[zmster2033]

Good afternoon,

I have recently brewed an IPA and is currently fermenting in my 6.5 gallon carboy. I plan on transferring it to the secondary in in about 14 days. The kit came with some hops for dry hopping with a hop bag. This is my first beer that has included dry hopping. I see a lot of videos on YouTube putting in the hops before siphoning the beer to the secondary, but should you use the hop bag? Is it a pain to get the hop bag out of a 5 gallon carboy? Also, is there a high possibility of getting hop residue in the beer while bottling from dry hopping? Any way around this to keep the clarity of the beer?

Thanks.

 

[bferullo]

It's totally up to you. I have done it both ways with fine results. These days I am lazy so I just dump the dry hops into the primary after primary fermentation is complete.

Getting a hop bag out of the carboy isn't impossible, but its a pain if you ask me.

In terms of hop residue, it depends on how well you siphon to your bottling bucket or if you bottle right from primary (never done, but have read people do).

For clarity, I would think most people would recommend cold crashing before bottling. I don't bother because I don't have the "cold" space to crash.

Find what works for you and run with it. That's the best advice I can give.

 

[thenugsmoustache]

I have always just thrown them in the fermentor loose and just been careful while racking. Haven't had any real issue with hop matter making it into the bottle, and what does make it into the bottle settles out just fine.

 

[slym2none]

#hopsgocommando

 

[TravelingLight]

I'm in the camp of loose dry hopping. Dealing with a bag, IMO, is an unnecessary step. However, to each his own.

 

[BuglessDuster]

Good afternoon,

I have recently brewed an IPA and is currently fermenting in my 6.5 gallon carboy. I plan on transferring it to the secondary in in about 14 days. The kit came with some hops for dry hopping with a hop bag. This is my first beer that has included dry hopping. I see a lot of videos on YouTube putting in the hops before siphoning the beer to the secondary, but should you use the hop bag? Is it a pain to get the hop bag out of a 5 gallon carboy? Also, is there a high possibility of getting hop residue in the beer while bottling from dry hopping? Any way around this to keep the clarity of the beer?

Thanks.

I use a bucket for dry hopping. I have about three buckets that I use for various purposes in the brewing process. The large opening at the top gives me easy access for dry hopping, adding oak chips or whatever. I don't see how you could use a glass carboy and a hop bag unless you're dry hopping with 1/2 oz of hops. When I dry hop an IPA, I use about 6 oz. of hops which makes the hop bag the size of a cantaloupe when I take it out. That would be difficult with the small opening in the glass carboys.

 

[C-Rider]

I just dump my hops in using a funnel right into the fermenter. Never have used a "secondary" to dry hop.

 

[Singletrack]

I dump hops loose in the primary after fermentation. After dry hopping, I put a bag on the end of my hose into the bottling bucket. The bag is weighed down with a few large marbles to reduce oxidation that could happen if the bag floats on the surface during transfer.

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

FWIW, I just dry hopped an IPA tonight. Added a sanitized paint strainer bag full of marbles (also sanitized while in the bag actually ) and about 3 oz of leaf Citra into a 5 gallon corny keg while carbing. The bag will stay in there because this keg will be gone fast (birthday party first weekend of April!)

My point, there are many different techniques of dry hopping, the most well adopted produce favorable results.

Adding to primary is fine, just make sure fermentation is complete. Racking to secondary, be careful, you are introducing oxygen to your beer, unless you have a co2 tank and purge the vessel with co2 first.

Just be careful and remember, your beer will be good!

Cheers!

 

[TravelingLight]

I dump hops loose in the primary after fermentation. After dry hopping, I put a bag on the end of my hose into the bottling bucket. The bag is weighed down with a few large marbles to reduce oxidation that could happen if the bag floats on the surface during transfer.

I like this idea of weights on the end of the hose. I will be doing this on my next beer to keep my hose from coiling up and splashing all over the place. My last beer got oxygenated AF from that. Thankfully it didn't cause any issues.