Austin Brew Shop kit

[MaltedNewby]

I'm making a 20th Anniversary IPA from Austin Brew Shop. I also added the +1% abv corn solution. My OG was 1.057. I pitched the yeast last Sunday, and fermentation was pretty vigorous for 3 days. It's tapered off to about 1 click of the airlock every 60 seconds by Saturday. It seems to be done as of now.

The recipe calls to dry hop and pitch yeast. If the gravity hits 1.014, which is the projected fg, should I dry hop and pitch or just dry hop for a week or so and bottle? Aren't hops just for the aroma/preservative at this point?

 

[jbrookeiv]

You're not supposed to pitch yeast again. Just throw in the dry hops for a week and then bottle/keg. Dry hops are mostly for hop aroma/flavor.

 

[PT Ray]

Go ahead and dry hop. They're actually for aroma but I also find that dry hopping helps the beer finish a couple points lower. There isn't a need to pitch any more yeast. About a week for the main fermentation, another 10 days for dry hopping and you should be good to bottle.

 

[superjunior]

What they said ^^. Refrigerate your extra yeast and save it for an emergency

 

[unionrdr]

I like to wait as much as 3 weeks or so to dry hop. You want to reach FG,then give the yeast time to clean up after itself,& settle out pretty good. I don't dry hop till the beer has cleared to a slight haze. That way,there's less yeast to drag the hop oils out of suspension as they settle to the bottom.
You should get better aroma/flavor from the dry hop that way. Although dry hopping dissipates in the bottle over time. I understand that takes a while though. I don't think ours will last long enough for that to be too serious of a problem.

 

[MaltedNewby]

Thanks for the replies.

Should I transfer the beer before the dry hop?

 

[windbreaker123]

You can do it in the primary or transfer. It's up to you.

 

[Mparsons327]

I would dry hop in the primary.