Thoughts on when to properly dry hop?

[Burndog]

Usually, I dry hop quite shortly after fermentation concludes. But, given that fermentation causes a rise in temp and hop flavor is oil based, it seems logical we could get more efficiency if dry hopping just prior to fermentation completion.

Thoughts?

 

[hopkincr]

Why is that logical?

 

[CUBrewing]

Seems unlikely to me that having only a couple degrees more in temp would result in a significant difference in hop efficiency. Also the process of fermentation scrubs a lot of the intense hop aroma from the finished beer. Hence the reason for dry hopping in the first place.

 

[IslandLizard]

It's more logical to raise the ferm temps a few degrees toward the end of fermentation to help her finish up, and not quit early. At those slightly higher temps the yeast will condition the beer better and faster too.
Dry hop 3-7 days before packaging. Cold crash a couple days, right before packaging to drop yeast, and dry hops. Then rack clear beer off the top into a keg or bottling bucket.

 

[Jag75]

Dry hop a NEIPA on 2 day of fermentation. West coast IPA dry hop 5 days out from kegging.

 

[IslandLizard]

To get more efficiency from dry hopping, add hops loose, and agitate periodically (at least 1-2 times a day).
Prevent any air/oxygen contact or your dry hopping will be in vain, as they will oxidize. Work under CO2.

 

[bobeer]

When I bottled I waited until fermentation was done then dry hopped for 4-12 days depending on what it was. With kegging I do all my dry hopping in the keg under c02 and in the fridge. I typically use 2-5 oz's depending on the beer.

 

[lump42]

Usually, I dry hop quite shortly after fermentation concludes. But, given that fermentation causes a rise in temp and hop flavor is oil based, it seems logical we could get more efficiency if dry hopping just prior to fermentation completion.

Thoughts?

Remember these are volatile oils and increased temperatures will increase their escape from the beer into the headspace. Also the co2 being given off during fermentation will scrub some of the flavors. If any of these make a perceivable difference thats for each brewer to determine.

Why worry about efficiency more than the desired effect? I usually only add 1-2 oz after cold crashing, it sits on the hops for 4-7 days. That's what works from my schedule and I get a character that I enjoy.

 

[Burndog]

So, the general consensus is that fermentation eats up the desired hop flavors outweighing any efficiency that may come from higher temps making the hop oils more soluble.

I'll now Up my second batch of dry hops in case I lost any hop goodness putting in the first batch too close to fermentation completion. Gotta love all the subtle aspects of brewing.

 

[Smellyglove]

You can seal/spund the bucket/keg whatever and trap the aroma. However, if you get the creep (hop creep) you might not want to seal a bucket because the lid could pop open. Oils coat yeast cells, and if you drop yeast (CC'ing for example) after adding dry hops with still active yeast more oils (in theory) should be lost. If you're doing a hazy thing then you'd want that yeast in suspension though, so it will not be lost since you'll be packaging with still suspended yeast.

You can also cold crash, remove beer from yeast, and dryhop on clean beer, then the yeast will not pull the oils down with it. But this must be done in o2-free environment if you transfer. If it's not in an o2 free environment don't do it.

And if you dont have the means to rouse the hops, then it's more about contact time and temperature. Colder temperatures extracts less in the same amount of time as warmer temperatures. However, I've experienced that in warmer temperatures it's also faster to extract stuff that is not very welcome, more polyphenols, grassiness etc. It will all settle to the bottom, but then you need more time, and more time = more aroma is lost. Timing is key.

For some batches I've tried just pulverizing the hops to get faster extraction. But every time I've done it I've also forgotten to actually check if there's a noticable difference.

 

[Burndog]

Oils coat yeast cells...

Really, I did not know this. Must only be the dead ones though but still.

Thanks for the info folks. Looks like I'll up the second batch of dry hops just a bit to offset any losses from the first batch that went in at the end of active fermentation.

Also will put the Spund Valve on when that second batch goes in (Spike CF-10 Fermentor).