Dry Hopping Primary AND Secondary?

[tturner77]

Hi, I just started fermenting a DIPA, and am planning on dry hopping it. I have done it twice in the past, both with whole leaf hops in secondary, but noticed that alot of material got left in the top of the fermenter that isn't quite in contact with the surface of the beer. I was thinking about splitting up the dry hops into two 1 oz additions, adding 1 oz at the end of primary for a few days, transferring to secondary, then dry hopping again. I was wondering if anyone has tried this before? Im not sure if there is any advantage in this, but I figure brewing is all about experimentation, so might as well give it a try! As i mentioned I have only dry hopped twice, and only in secondary, so any advice is helpful. Thanks!

 

[Devin]

I have heard of double dry hopping before, but both were in the secondary. As long as your fermentation is over, I don't see a problem with dry hopping in the primary and then again in the secondary.

That said, if you are worried about some of your hops not making contact with the beer, you could put them in a sanitized mesh bag and weight the bag with some sanitized glass or stainless steel marbles such that the bag sinks.

 

[ABVIBUSRM]

I think the most important aspect to dry hopping is allowing the yeast to floc first or at least clear up a bit if not the yeast will be a crab in a barrel to those hops..i would just let the beer clear out in primary as best as you can and DH in primary but splitting the dry hops into 2 seperate additions is a common practice.

 

[tturner77]

Thanks for the advice. In case anyone was wondering I took gravity reading today (1.012, started at 1.084), and tasted it (both now and after hoping in primary). After 5 days of dry hopping in primary it was good, but not quite what I was hoping. After a second round of dry hoping in secondary for another 5 days, I am very happy with what is coming out! I did lose nearly 3/4 gal to water absorbtion of the hops, so next time Ill up the wort volume, but otherwise I am very happy. Sweet, very hoppy, but smooth and not to vegital, and very clear! While Ill keep practicing with dry hopping, I like how this came out.

 

[smancho]

Primary: efter 4 Days. Leave for like 4 Days. Transfer to secondary. Wait 2-4 Days and dryhop again.för 4-6 Days.

 

[tturner77]

Primary: efter 4 Days. Leave for like 4 Days. Transfer to secondary. Wait 2-4 Days and dryhop again.för 4-6 Days.

Nice, I didn't wait on secondary. I added CO2, then whole leaf hops, then transferred the beer straight from primary onto the bed of hops in secondary. Ill try your method next time!