Anyone dry-hopping in primary? Would you share your process?

[p_p]

If you are dry-hopping in primary and are happy with the results, would you mind sharing your process?

Things like what kind of vessel you use, at which point you start dry hopping, pellet/leafs, bag/no-bag, etc...

Help appreciated!
Thanks
p_p

 

[55x11]

I do this all the time. Better bottle makes it easier than glass carboy because of larger opening. I like using a bag but have gone commando too. As long as you cold crash it and careful with transfer should not be a problem. I put pellets into the synthetic mesh bag, weigh it with a sterilized metal spoon so it sinks, tie it off with floss and throw it in. Keep floss end on the outside tied to the neck if you want to retrieve it. It will swell up though so it may be more difficult depending on the hop amount and neck opening on your carboy. I keep hops there for 2-4 days then cold crash, gelatin and transfer to keg. You can even dry hop in the keg but then definitely use a bag otherwise your dip tube will get clogged forcing you to take it out and clean it (introducing oxygen) or transferring to another keg. Also dry hopping at cold temperatures takes longer and gives a different flavor. But advantage is that you can taste the beer as it is dry hopping and stop any time you want.

 

[Natdavis777]

I exclusively dryhop in my primary. I use glass carboys. Once my krausen starts to fall, I ramp my temp up to 68-70F. One the krausen is gone (yeast dependent, 001 take a few days longer than 002) I add my dry hop additions and let sit for however long I want to dryhop (usually 5-7 days). I then bung the carboys, cold crash, gelatin if I wish, rack to keg, pressure, then serve.

I use 002 and 007 most of the time, so fermentation is usually wrapping up within 72 hours. Therefore, beer is never in the primary 3 weeks. The pale I have on tap now took 14 days before going in the keg. Im only bringing up time lengths if beer sitting on the cake is something you are concerned about (which I wouldnt be)

 

[kh54s10]

I use Better Bottles also. I use 1 gallon paint strainer bags. I put one ounce in each bag. More than that makes them swell too much. Sanitize the bags, tie shut with a piece of cord as high up as possible. Drop them in. When done I siphon the beer out then remove the bags.

 

[fatherdan]

7.9gallon fermentr(bucket)
2 weeks at prescribed temp(i'll get my first gravity reading here)
4 day dryhop(you can ramp temps a few degrees here)
3 day cold crash

keg-30 psi for 48hrs - drink

 

[jerbrew]

http://homebrewacademy.com/experimental-dry-hop-technique/

good article. Fairly recent too.

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I only primary so I drop the hop bag (pellet or leaf) in at about two weeks in. Let it sit for a week then keg.

 

[p_p]

Thanks for all the replies.

The steps I follow are not much different from what you do, perhaps you can help me understand why I am not obtaining that strong fresh, crisp smell that I usually get on commercial examples (apologies I have asked this before, still looking for more opinions)

I use a plastic bucket, which is fitted with an air lock.
Yeast is WLP007, which usually reaches FG within the first 2-4 days of fermentation having started on a typical 1.055 pale.
Temp is ramped towards the end of fermentation and usually hops do not go in until day 7-10.
Leaf hops are bagged (loose) and stay in the bucket for 7 days at ~19-20°C (66-68F).
Cold crash and then bottle directly from primary using a wand, no flushing with C02. I use carbonation drops.

The beer is nice, but does not smell super fresh and crisp

It was suggested to me that the bucket is to blame, but I don't understand why.
I appreciate bottling may be the issue, but then again, the beers I buy that have great hop aroma come in bottles ..

Thanks again.

 

[Double_D]

Post a recipe/hop schedule?

 

[Jimbodaman]

At 14 days in the primary I will dry hop with whole leaf hops, pour the hops in and gently push down with a sanitized spoon to make sure all the hops are wet. 5 days later I gently scoop the hops out with a big spoon with holes in it. I've had an infection when using a hop bag so I stopped. I should say if I'm going to dry hop I make sure I ferment in a bucket.

 

[Spartangreen]

After 2 weeks I drop the hops in the primary, no bag. Let sit for 5 days.
Rack to Keg.

Make sure you are using enough hops to get the aroma you want.

 

[kh54s10]

Make sure you are using enough hops to get the aroma you want.

I was thinking this also. Enough hops and ones that are known for giving strong aroma.

 

[hezagenius]

I brew almost strictly super hoppy IPAs so take that into account for my method.

I toss the 1st round of dry hops into the fermentor around Day 5. Fermentation is close to being done at that point. I toss the pellets in loose and let them float around. The remaining amount of fermentation should help scrub some of the oxygen out of the hops. I gently swirl the fermentor once a day to help the hops get down into the beer.

I rack to a keg with more dry hops on Day 10. It takes some time to get it done without clogging. I'm thinking of using one of these inside the fermenter on racking day to act as a filter for the racking cane.
http://stainlessbrewing.com/Dry-Hopper-with-twist-cap-_p_155.html
You could also put the hops in this but you'll still have to worry about picking up trub so it might make more sense to let the hops float free and use this filter around the racking cane.

I let that keg sit for 3 days and then transfer to a serving keg.


Now for buckets and bottles, I'd do a dry hop near the end of fermentation (maybe 3-5 points above where you expect it to finish). Let those go for 3-5 days. If you want to add more hops, do it again for maybe 3 days tops. Then rack to the bottling bucket. I'd definitely use some kind of filter on the intake of the racking cane. Not sure what would work best. Maybe a combination of a racking cane screen and a hop bag zip tied over that.

If you are looking for big hop flavor, the quicker the better.

 

[hezagenius]

I also do 6 to 8 oz dry hops per 5 gallons.

 

[Lazer Wolf Brewing]

Are you doing big whirpool additions after the boil? Many commercial breweries are no longer adding ANY hops during the boil, and just doing one massive whirpool addition. This provides much of the hop flavor we are now accustomed to in IPAs - and does lead to a little aroma as well. Then they all do massive dry hops on top of that.

As far as process for dry hopping in the fermenter, you got good advice above. I will ask the same question Double D did, what is your hop schedule during the actual brew?

 

[jmitchell3]

I do this in primary also with pellets usually. Once active fermentation is done, I throw in the hops. Easy peasy. Cold crashing 10-30F from the final fermentation temp helps get some of the hop material to drop but it takes another day or two. I just try to minimize the amount of hop gunk that makes it into my keg so it doesn't clog my dip tube.

 

[p_p]

Post a recipe/hop schedule?

Here is a recipe in which ended up with a rather dull hop aroma (not fresh as what you feel when you smell raw hops straight out the bag).


Light MO 84%
Wheat Malt 7%
Carapils 3%
Dextrose 5%
about 0.8% of crystal 90 for color

US-05, 2x packs.
OG 1.068
FG 1.008

Magnum 12% 20gr 90 min
Simcoe 14% 28gr 15 min
Centennial 10% 20gr 0 min
Simcoe 70gr 0 min

Dry hopped for 9 days. Kept swirling the bag pretty much every day.
Simcoe 60gr
Centennial 35gr
Crystal 15gr

I reckon the water was around 100ppm Ca, 35ppm Cl and 200ppm SO4

The beer has plenty of hops flavour but lacks the aroma I get in, for example, a Brewdog Punk IPA, which according to the community uses less hops on the dry hop side.

Thanks for the help.

 

[EtchyLives]

I also have a better bottle. Once the krausen drops I wait a day or two, put some marbles in a bag, sanitize it, add the hops, tie it off and drop it in. Even if I don't have enough marbles to weigh the bag all the way down usually by day 3 the hops absorb enough wort to sink them under the surface. I wait another couple days then cold crash, use some gelatin to clear and rack around the sunken hop bag. I've pulled the bag in the past in order to help clarity but have found that this method still results in clear beer and good hop aroma.

 

[hezagenius]

How long are you bottle conditioning?

Sounds like you have beer in the fermentor for 2 weeks minimum before bottling. And then probably at least 2 weeks conditioning. You're losing a decent amount of hop aroma during that time.

My recommendation would be to shorten your dry hop period to like 4 days and maybe bump up the amount of hops you are using. You've got ~4oz right now. Maybe up that by 50% to 6oz.

I'd try to get those hops in when your beer hits FG, if not a little before. And gently swirl the bucket each day to help those hops get maximum exposure to the beer.