First dry hopping.

[Tidwellc]

So, I'm dry hopping my first IPA with an ounce of amarillo, and a half ounce of simcoe. I've never dry hopped before, but I usually let it sit in secondary for a week or two minimum, or however long it takes for me to get ready to bottle (3-4+ weeks)..

Anyway, would it be a bad idea to let it dry hop for that long? or should I consider racking it to another carboy after a week or two? (I want the hop aroma, but I dont want to turn my beer into hop-sludge!)

 

[Yooper]

So, I'm dry hopping my first IPA with an ounce of amarillo, and a half ounce of simcoe. I've never dry hopped before, but I usually let it sit in secondary for a week or two minimum, or however long it takes for me to get ready to bottle (3-4+ weeks)..

Anyway, would it be a bad idea to let it dry hop for that long? or should I consider racking it to another carboy after a week or two? (I want the hop aroma, but I dont want to turn my beer into hop-sludge!)

I like the effect of dryhopping for 5-7 days, although I have gone up to 10 days with good results. Longer than that, you'd risk losing the aroma (as it really doesn't stick around long) that the dryhopping provides, as well as having the beer develop some grassy flavors or vegetal character from being dryhopped that long at room temperature. (Dryhopping in the keg, because it's 40 degrees or so doesn't seem to have those side effects).

You could simply add your hops a week before bottling in whatever vessel the beer is in, although it's a PITA to get whole hops in (and out) of a carboy.

 

[Tinman13]

I like the effect of dryhopping for 5-7 days, ......, although it's a PITA to get whole hops in (and out) of a carboy.

This is a timly post for me too, I'm about a dry hop an IPA for my son, was told to add hops in a hop bag w/a ss spoon (something to weight it down) add a light string and lower into the 2ndary. Question I need to star san the spoon, string and hop bag right?

 

[Yooper]

This is a timly post for me too, I'm about a dry hop an IPA for my son, was told to add hops in a hop bag w/a ss spoon (something to weight it down) add a light string and lower into the 2ndary. Question I need to star san the spoon, string and hop bag right?

Yes, anything you put into your beer should be sanitized, although I've never done a string and a bag and a spoon!

 

[flyingfinbar]

Might as well jump in too...

Could I just put the hop pellets in a sanitized hop sack and drop it, or do I really have to weight it down or tether it?

 

[Yooper]

Might as well jump in too...

Could I just put the hop pellets in a sanitized hop sack and drop it, or do I really have to weight it down or tether it?

I've never weighed a bag down, and I've never tethered one, and I dryhop most batches. I sometimes use a bag, and if you're not proficient with racking a bag may be a good idea. But normally, I just add the dryhops (loose) about 5-7 days before packaging the beer and then rack out of the fermenter and avoid the hops debris. Some people have trouble with racking like that, and so they use a bag for the hops.

 

[flyingfinbar]

I've never weighed a bag down, and I've never tethered one, and I dryhop most batches. I sometimes use a bag, and if you're not proficient with racking a bag may be a good idea. But normally, I just add the dryhops (loose) about 5-7 days before packaging the beer and then rack out of the fermenter and avoid the hops debris. Some people have trouble with racking like that, and so they use a bag for the hops.

Cool, thanks!

I've come to the conclusion that I'm not gonna bother racking just to dry hop...just gonna get it done in the same vessel!

 

[Tinman13]

I was in my LHBS, asked a few questions and everyone had to add, I loved it!
Most used marbals as the weight, others used SS Nuts, and the lone lady added use a spoon
The tether sounds better that a string, is so you can get the hop bag our

 

[Tidwellc]

I just threw all mine in loose and they turned to mush and floated to the top, heh. I suppose that's normal though? I am prepared to rack out of it.

I already added the hops when I went to secondary on Monday, and I'd like to let it sit in secondary for more than a week, so I guess my best option is to rack it to a third container after 5-7 days and let it sit after that? (shoulda waited to put the hops in, got too excited I guess and didn't think about it )

 

[Tinman13]

I have to say the spoon did not work, our teaspoon was too large to fit in my carboy
so it was just hops in a hop bag

 

[Robin0782]

I always just toss my pellets into the secondary loose, and when I rack to my keg I sheath the siphon with a fine mesh nylon bag. Works really well. By then I've cold crashed several days and most of the hops have fallen to the bottom.

 

[Tidwellc]

I always just toss my pellets into the secondary loose, and when I rack to my keg I sheath the siphon with a fine mesh nylon bag. Works really well. By then I've cold crashed several days and most of the hops have fallen to the bottom.

I don't really have the means to cold crash it, but I'll try sheathing the siphon tube like you said, sounds like it would work pretty well.

 

[Yooper]

I don't really have the means to cold crash it, but I'll try sheathing the siphon tube like you said, sounds like it would work pretty well.

Biermuncher has a photo of the way he does it with pellet hops, maybe in his profile.

I've never had luck with a straining bag on the racking cane, and managed to clog it up each time I tried. But many others do that with good results.