What's your traditional IPA fermentation/dry hop schedule?

[Jtvann]

Hello all. Writing this thread to find out what the majority of you do with traditional IPAs (not NEIPAs).

I've always heard that you should dry hop when theres about 5 points from final gravity. I've got a tilt hydrometer, so this is very easy to measure accurately for me. With most yeasts that I use for IPAs, WLP001, WY1318, Safale 05/04, they are most all done fermenting after 3 or at most 4 days. When I mean they're done fermenting, I mean they have reached final gravity. That means I'd be dry hopping somewhere around the end of day 3.

I typically dry hop for 4 days, then cold crash for 2 and immediately keg. This schedule, if I were to follow it, would put me from brew day to keg in 10ish days.

I read just as many threads saying that folks spend 10 to 14 days in primary (secondary not being needed) before they dry hop, cold crash or keg.

Not trying to beat a dead horse as these "how long do you ferment" threads are out there adnausem, but the two trains of thought don't match up. I would either have to dry hop long after final gravity is reached, or dry hop for way too long at warm temps thus risking the grassy flavors to follow both of these rules.

 

[Qhrumphf]

For a *non-NEIPA* IPA, for a ~5 gal batch, and depending on setup (ie can the *whole batch* be chilled simultaneously and do you have to/want to whirlpool

Assuming you can chill everything at once...

~1 oz 15 mins
~1 oz 5 mins
~1 oz flameout and then chill to...
~2 oz at ~180F hopstand for 20 mins
and then 3 oz dry hop for 3-4 days.

I'll then adjust bittering addition based on my goals, gravity and the alphas of whatever I'm using. If I'm going West Coast, I'll maybe aim 1.2:1 IBU:GU. If I'm going old school East Coast, closer to 1:1.

If I can't chill everything and have to whirlpool (ie plate chiller) I only add late hops in whirlpool. But otherwise bittering and dry hop is the same.

I like to dry hop about 0.004 above FG and then cap/spund the fermenter, I find it helps more quickly deal with any hop creep, prevents volatile loss from nucleation, and generates a bit of carb. Can't be safely done in a bucket/carboy/anything that can't safely handle ~1 bar of pressure.

 

[bobeer]

I put all my IBU's in at FWH. Then I don't put anything in until flame-out and whirlpool. I usually dry hop 7 days into fermentation if I'm not kegging it. I let it sit for 10-12 days on the hops, cold crash, then bottle.

If I'm kegging it I cold crash then add the dry hops to the keg when I force carbonate and leave them in there for the life of the keg.

 

[Jtvann]

Haven't really experimented much with dry hopping in the keg. I usually have the temp up in the 68 degree range while dry hopping. Do you get the same flavor when dry hopping at keg temps?

Do you feel like you get any grassy flavors from dry hopping for 10-12 days?

 

[Jtvann]

For this thread I'm not really concerned about recipes or pre fermentation hop schedules. I'm mostly looking for when do you dry hop, for how long, and what total length in fermenter before keg or bottle.

 

[tjmac5071]

I rarely dry hopped my beers because I always felt like there was a bite that took too long to go away. I relied on a ton of whirlpool hops which gave me a fantastic hop flavor, which I was after more than smell anyway. Recently I have done a couple dry hop during active fermentation batches that have turned out great. This is for neipa, heavily hopped pale ale and brut IPA. I would give that a try and see what you think. Another thing I am planning to try soon is a 1 day dry hop to see if I can avoid the hop bite and get that aroma and some flavor.

 

[tjmac5071]

To add on my timeline. My pale ale was always a 3 week then keg schedule which was perfect for me (what I've done with standard ipas too). Recent brut IPA was 1 week "primary' 1 week with glucoamylase and dry hops, keg after 2 weeks and it was great after 1 day on 45psi. .

 

[RM-MN]

For this thread I'm not really concerned about recipes or pre fermentation hop schedules. I'm mostly looking for when do you dry hop, for how long, and what total length in fermenter before keg or bottle.

Beer has a time necessary for maturing with darker and higher alcohol beers taking longer for that than a light color, lower alcohol beer. Great, lets bottle as soon as the beer is ready and let them mature there. Hmm...IPA's are better fresh as the hop aroma fades away with time so lets just give them the minimum time and start drinking them. Hmm....the two ideas just don't fit together. Ok, lets give the beer more time in the fermenter and let it start maturing there, then dry hop and bottle. That's what I do. 3 weeks (or 4 if I forget) in the fermenter, 3 to 7 days (or more if I get too busy to bottle right away) and then bottle. Give the beer a minimum of a week in the bottle or you don't get much heading, 2 is better.

 

[thehaze]

I dry hop once fermentation ( usually 9-11 days with a few days of letting the yeast clean after itself/D-rest ) is finished for only 2, maybe 2 and a half days, at which point I point cold crash - sometimes - and bottle. Ready to drink in 6-7 days.

 

[bobeer]

Haven't really experimented much with dry hopping in the keg. I usually have the temp up in the 68 degree range while dry hopping. Do you get the same flavor when dry hopping at keg temps?

Do you feel like you get any grassy flavors from dry hopping for 10-12 days?

Taste wise I feel I get the same flavor as dry hopping at a higher temp.

I have left hops in the keg for almost a month and didn't get any grassy or off flavors. I probably wouldn't leave them in for longer than that but my kegs usually don't last must past a month or so anyway. Just put the hops in a muslin bag and leave plenty of room for the hops to expand!

 

[Jtvann]

So with dry hopping in the keg, what's your keg purging technique? I normally fill with starsan then purge with CO2.

Do you still do that and then open the lid to put in the hops?

 

[GPP33]

I quit dry hopping in the keg in favor of doing it in primary. I now add dry hops at about 9 days, cold crash under CO2 pressure at 12 days and keg at 14 days. I use 3oz in the IPA recipe I’m currently playing with variations of and the aroma is over the top.

 

[Jtvann]

That sounds exactly like what I'm going to try to do next.