Cold Crashing vs Dry Hop schedule

I've got a DIPA in primary right now and have already done the first round of dry hopping (14 days before bottling). The second round of dry hops is supposed to be 4-5 days before bottling but I'd also like to try cold crashing.

Should I dry hop on schedule and just plan to cold crash two days before bottling or should I dry hop and then cold crash, pushing back my bottling date a couple of days? FWIW, I'm using hop bags for the dry hops so I can pull those out easily if needed, but the beer is still on the yeast cake and trub.

 

I can understand the interest in clearing your beer but in my personal experience cold crashing after dry hopping can really reduce the flavors you hoped to achieve through dry hopping. I typically don't cold crash my hop forward beers but if I wanted to start again I would cold crash then dry hop.

 

If you raise the temp after cold crashing, does the sediment come back into suspension?

 

It shouldn't unless you move the fermenter.

 

So, to answer your question, add the dry hops for the 4 days or so that you mentioned and then cold crash, pushing back your bottling date a couple days.

I would also mention a couple of other things. A 14 day dry hop is exceedingly long. A lot of research has come out over the past couple of years indicating that most of the benefit to dry hopping is achieved within 24 hours. Still, most hop-forward breweries dry hop in the 2-4 day range. When you approach 2 weeks you start to risk vegetal flavors from the plant matter.

I've personally never noticed a difference in hop aroma/flavor when cold crashing, however I have noticed a difference when using gelatin to fine the beer. Using the gelatin makes for a crystal clear beer but robs probably around 10-15% of the flavor.

 

What about cold crashing and gelatin prior to kegging and dry hop in the keg. This way the dry hopping is the last thing done to the beer and may impart the freshest possible hop aroma.

Personally I am willing to sacrifice some hop character by dry hopping cold wort for clearer beer. Although I know with IPA some hop haze (not sure if that's the correct term) is acceptable and within style guidelines.

I have not dry hopped in the keg yet but will next time I need to. Dry hopping in the fermenter prior to cold crashing did not give me the aromatics I wanted.

Disclaimer: I have minimal experience although I do recall Yooper mentioning in a prior thread that dry hopping should be the last thing done to the beer prior to serving. I hope I have not misquoted her. Apologies if I have.

 

He's bottling, otherwise this would be a decent way to go.

 

OK, so the 1st round of dry hops went in 5 days ago, so I'll pull those out in a day or so and throw the 2nd round in. I'll give them 4 days, pull them out and then cold crash without gelatin to avoid any flavor loss. Does that sound like a good plan?

 

Sounds good my man. Enjoy.

 

This is using nature to cold crash my IPA for bottling tonight. Current temp is 5.9F
with wind chill -14F

Take about an hour or so?

 

Sorry about that. I should have read the thread more carefully.