How long for fermentation?

[Hollywood260]

So, I brewed my IPA (Gumballhead clone with Wyeast London Est 1968) on Sunday. Monday morning I had fermentation in action. Tuesday, it blew my bubbler out of the carboy, So, I bought a copper line and put it into the mason jar trick. As of this morning I still have fermentation going on, but it has slowed down dramatically from Tuesday (day 4).....I want to dry hop my beer with 2oz. of Amarillo for around 5 days. Do I........

1. Wait a full 24-48 hours after it stops bubbling, transfer to secondary, cold crash and dry hop for another 5-7 days, then keg?
2. add dry hops now, and in 5-7 days transfer to secondary and cold crash another week then keg?
3. any other viable option......?

 

[peterj]

I would wait until fermentation is done (krausen dissipates, yeast is flocculating, beer is clearing) then dry hop. I always dry hop in the primary and I almost never transfer to a secondary at all. Then keg it once you have consistent gravity readings a couple days apart. I would definitely give it at least a week before you think about dry hopping it though.

I'm not sure, but from the first part of your post it sounds like you're using copper tubing as a blow off tube? That seems expensive and unnecessary. You can just use sanitized vinyl tubing.

 

[Kharnynb]

wait for about 9 days, drop in hops, cold crash after another 5-7 days, bottle.

Don't bother with secondary.

 

[unviewtiful]

If it's a new recipe, I would wait to make sure it's pretty much done fermenting. 3-4 days doesn't quite seem like long enough to be finished fermenting. Bubbles are not necessarily a good indication of fermentation.

What I would do is add the dry hops after 7-10 days, let it sit for 5, then cold crash for 1 or 2. Unless you're trying to harvest clean yeast from your fermenter, there's no reason to transfer to a secondary.

 

[Hollywood260]

I would wait until fermentation is done (krausen dissipates, yeast is flocculating, beer is clearing) then dry hop. I always dry hop in the primary and I almost never transfer to a secondary at all. Then keg it once you have consistent gravity readings a couple days apart. I would definitely give it at least a week before you think about dry hopping it though.

I'm not sure, but from the first part of your post it sounds like you're using copper tubing as a blow off tube? That seems expensive and unnecessary. You can just use sanitized vinyl tubing.

I had copper tubing laying around, so I used it. No other reason.

If it's a new recipe, I would wait to make sure it's pretty much done fermenting. 3-4 days doesn't quite seem like long enough to be finished fermenting. Bubbles are not necessarily a good indication of fermentation.

What I would do is add the dry hops after 7-10 days, let it sit for 5, then cold crash for 1 or 2. Unless you're trying to harvest clean yeast from your fermenter, there's no reason to transfer to a secondary.

I don't think its done fermenting neither....I was going to wait until atleast Sunday (7 days) to dry hop it.

Which raise's another question.....if I dry hop it for 5 days, then cold crash it for another 2 days....will cold crashing stop the dry hopping process or atleast slow it down? OR by the time the 5 days is up, I've gotten all the aroma out of the hops I can get and it won't matter?

 

[Sailingeric]

I find most of my beers need at least 10 to 14 days to be done. Don't rush it! Once you have a pipeline going the waiting wont be so hard and if you get second fermenter you can always be brewing and bottling every weekend! :rockin:

 

[brewprint]

It depends how fast you want to drink it. My beers finish fermentation around 5 days so I would say throw the dry hops in now if you want to drink it asap.

No secondary. Dry hop 5 days and keg. Or just keg and dry hop but I would dry hop in primary to let more sediment fall. No cold crash either.

It's an IPA and doesn't have to 'finish,' or 'age.' Drink it man.

 

[specharka]

I had copper tubing laying around, so I used it. No other reason.







I don't think its done fermenting neither....I was going to wait until atleast Sunday (7 days) to dry hop it.



Which raise's another question.....if I dry hop it for 5 days, then cold crash it for another 2 days....will cold crashing stop the dry hopping process or atleast slow it down? OR by the time the 5 days is up, I've gotten all the aroma out of the hops I can get and it won't matter?

Yes, diffusion of aromatic compounds from hops depends on the beer temperature. Cold crashing will cause the hops to sediment out of solution and stop the diffusion process. Five days is usually sufficient to dry hop, especially the hops are pitched directly into the beer.

 

[C-Rider]

I"m never in a rush. I'd let it sit 3 weeks then take my first FG reading. Then I'd dry hop for a week and then cold crash for another before bottling.

 

[beerkench]

The problem with dry hopping so soon without transfer to a secondary is that the flocculating yeast and the yeast cake strip away the hop oils. If you're not going to drink it fast you will possibly find that the hop flavour fades very fast.

 

[Hollywood260]

The problem with dry hopping so soon without transfer to a secondary is that the flocculating yeast and the yeast cake strip away the hop oils. If you're not going to drink it fast you will possibly find that the hop flavour fades very fast.

I'd really like to get this kegged and carbed by Christmas eve to share with family. Thats another 2 full weeks. I don't think it'll last honestly. I think I'll push the timetable out as long as I can and let the fermentation process do its thing.

 

[GHBWNY]

I would wait until fermentation is done (krausen dissipates, yeast is flocculating, beer is clearing) then dry hop. I always dry hop in the primary and I almost never transfer to a secondary at all. Then keg it once you have consistent gravity readings a couple days apart. I would definitely give it at least a week before you think about dry hopping it though.

Yup.