Preparing To Dry Hop

[Super64]

So this last weekend I brewed an IPA, which is in the primary and fermenting away.
My hope was to move it to the secondary once done and dry hop with 1/2 ounce of Cascade hops I grew last season.
They're in a vacuum sealed bag in the freezer right now.

Is there anything I need to do to the hops to prepare them for dry hopping?

This is my first time dry hopping.

It should come out to about 3.5 gallons with an ABV of 8.2, so is 1/2 ounce enough, I have more?

 

[GrogNerd]

homegrown leaf hops, you may want to bag them and add something to weigh them down a little. stainless bolts or ball bearings or similar. careful what they're made of though, you don't want to introduce something nasty into your beer. sanitize the bag and the weights, toss the hops into the bag, tie it. you may want to tie some dental floss to it so you have a way to retrieve it. that becomes trickier if you have a carboy, which has a more narrow opening, as opposed to a bucket.

is 1/2 ounce enough? guess it depends on what the recipe says or, if it's your own recipe, what you're looking to get out of this beer.

 

[Super64]

Thanks Grog,

I was going to bag them, thanks for the tip about a weight - didn't think of that.

It will be in a carboy.

My recipe, just trying to get a little grapefruity flavor - not a big hop bomb.

 

[m00ps]

I think youd want an oz or more, especially if they are homegrown and from last season. Depending on how well they were stored and sealed, they could be pretty fresh still or majorly deteriorated. If they dont smell pungent and fresh upon opening, they are pretty much useless for dry hopping. Then, I'd use them for anything but

About 2oz/5gal is about my standard for a bit of dry hop aroma. Definitely weigh them down anytime you try to dry hop with whole hops or +50% of the hops wont really be making contact with the beer

 

[NothingRhymesWithCurtiss]

My hope was to move it to the secondary once done and dry hop with 1/2 ounce of Cascade hops I grew last season.

Not to beat a dead horse, but it's not necessary to rack to secondary for dry hopping. So long as you're not splashing the wort and introducing oxygen, you can add the dry hops directly into your primary.

In my experience you want to transfer to secondary if you're trying to free up a fermenter, are adding something like fruit, oak..., or will be aging long-term.

 

[Super64]

In my experience you want to transfer to secondary if you're trying to free up a fermenter, are adding something like fruit, oak..., or will be aging long-term.

Interesting, I thought I should get it off the trub, if keeping it in the primary for 2 weeks or so isn't an issue, then I'll keep it there.


About 2oz/5gal is about my standard for a bit of dry hop aroma.

I am "assuming" they are good I dried and bagged them in September.
Only have 1.5 ounces total, so I put them all in.

So no need to break the hops open in any way?

Thanks for advice!

 

[NothingRhymesWithCurtiss]

In my experience you want to transfer to secondary if you're trying to free up a fermenter, are adding something like fruit, oak..., or will be aging long-term.

Interesting, I thought I should get it off the trub, if keeping it in the primary for 2 weeks or so isn't an issue, then I'll keep it there.

I've kept beer on the trub/yeast 4 weeks and didn't have any problems.