dry hopping

[skyebrewing]

I love to dry hop and until now, i just dump the pellets into the secondary. I have read how hops work better if at the bottom of the fermenter and putting the pellets in a hop sock with some marbles to have them sink to the bottom will improve taste. My question is, does this actually make a marked improvement and has anyone actually experimented to see the difference?

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

Where did you read this at? Putting pellets directly into the fermenter without a sack would allow them to be fully immersed in beer after they sink. Putting them in a hop sack clumps them all together and I've never thought I get the same hop flavor that way.

I've tried both ways and prefer just dumping them in there. Unless it's a lot, and then I put them in a hop bag to prevent a ton of sludge.

 

[cactusgarrett]

I dry hop in the keg with whole hops. I use a hop sock and a handful of marbles, as you describe. However, even with the marbles, 2oz of whole hops don't sink, as a good portion is still suspended on the top. I would imagine a sock would reduce the dryhopping effect compared to just throwing them in loose as Suthrn suggests. However, i rationalized using a sock by convincing myself it's easier to pull out a bag to remove dry hops than fish out 2oz of loose hops.

To get the most of my dryhops, too, i would vigorously swirl my keg ever time i walked by it, as well as squeezing the hop bag to get out all the "juice" when i pulled the bag.

 

[BenAthar]

Not to mention that when using a carboy and a hop sock, you sometimes have a hard time even getting the D@#$ sock out of the carboy! When using a carboy I just throw them in. When using the self-siphoning cane to transfer to the bottling bucket or keg, it keeps it in the carboy.
Use whole hops or at least the leafed variety to make a hop bed when siphioning. Pellets tend disolve fine and can get in your finished beer. At least from my experience.

 

[skyebrewing]

I maybe get a little piece in one or two bottles, nothing real bothersome though. I always end up with a nice layer on top so its hard to rack it all without taking a lot to the bucket. I wish i could remember the site, ill look around again and see if i can figure it out

 

[samc]

I've had the situation of too many hops in too small a bag. After two months in the serving keg the hops in the center of the bag were still bone dry. So obviously I did not get the full hop aroma on that batch. I now use a larger bag or less hops per bag. I don't like marbles however since I've had them crack apart and I prefer to use a shot glass or some SS fittings.

The last time I used pellets my first glass out was pure sludge. I let the keg sit for a week longer and had a nice clear hoppy beer.

 

[Jcmccoy]

I put my hops in naked in to the secondary drop them right on top of the foam that is left from star stan. Let it sit for 10 days +- a day or two. I ferment in an extra fridge so I just turn it down to 40 degrees and cold crash the beer for a day or two. That will drop out a lot of the hops. Some people rubber band on a hop sac to the auto siphon to prevent some hops getting in. I just cold crash the beer for a day or two and when I am ready to bottle I move my carboy to the place I am going to siphon at a hour or two before I siphon.