can i dry hop...

[marx102]

I'm taking a keg of beer to a friends birthday tomorrow. I tasted and it lacks much flavor. I have various hops in my freezer. WOuld it make any sense to attempt to dry hop the keg in 20 hours?
thanks

 

[Revvy]

If a Randall can give beer that extra hit or hoppy aroma as you're filling a glass, you would think nearly a days worth would give you a substantial amount more.

I'm not a kegger though, wouldn't you loose the majority of your carbonation just cracking it open to add them?

 

[ReverendTenHigh]

Yes, toss em in! Go grab a nylon "paint straining bag" from the paint store, toss in an ounce or two along with a marble or a glass shot glass, tie it up and drop 'er in! Any hop bag will work too, but I would avoid those mini grain bags that are sometimes sold as hop bags. You want to keep the trub out cause you will pump it out if it is not contained.

I'm not a kegger though, wouldn't you loose the majority of your carbonation just cracking it open to add them?

Nope. You'll just use the co2 sitting at the top, which will refill once you hook it back up to yer lines. This is, assuming, the beer is already carbonated. Just like when you open a beer bottle to drink it, you don't lose all your carbonation till it has been sitting out for a while and the temperature rises.

 

[marx102]

I am assuming that the carbonation should stay in suspension while the container is open and then once returned to pressure should be okay.
So overnight hops should work, eh?

 

[Revvy]

So overnight hops should work, eh?

The other "reverend" answered the first part for both of us.

But yeah, you'll get aroma from it even for this short time. And that will contribute a lot to what you're hoping for. It may not be 100% what you hope, but it will be an improvement...I mean hops are heaven afaic.

 

[marx102]

Colombus, cascade, saaz, german traditional, hersbrucker, Yakima(something). WHats going to give me the most bang for my buck. I'm planning on serving this tomorrow at 7 pm CDT.

 

[marx102]

sanitized cheesecloth should work, eh?

 

[dutchoven]

I soak my nylon bags in starsan, then add hops and dryhop away

 

[ReverendTenHigh]

sanitized cheesecloth should work, eh?

Umm, yea. just tie it all together really nicely and make sure you give the hops some room to expand. I really wouldnt even worry about sanitizing it unless your not gonna drink the whole thing tomorrow. Theres really nothing that will happen between now and the next 24 hours to cold beer that is gonna make a flavor difference (from not sanitizing). The hops you are adding will tho!

Colombus, cascade, saaz, german traditional, hersbrucker, Yakima(something). WHats going to give me the most bang for my buck. I'm planning on serving this tomorrow at 7 pm CDT.

I've never used galaxy, they sound kinda similar to citra???...but anyway, for a pale ale, and the short amount of time you have, i'd throw in an ounce and a half or two of cascade. This should compliment the flavor of the galaxy fairly well by adding some citrus aroma of the grapefruity variety

 

[marx102]

Went with 2oz of cascade and 1 oz of columbus. Threw some marbles in and dropped it in the keg. Unfortunately it didn't sink to the bottom, though I assume it will. Also lost my my o-ring into the keg and had to run upstairs for a replacement. Not concerned about that since the keg should be empty by this time tomorrow.
thanks for the help

 

[Revvy]

Let us know tomorrow if there was any improvement, and how the party went!!

 

[Balue]

I see that he already dry hopped it but for mine and other future reference what about doing a concentrated HOP tea? Boil like a cup or two of water throw the hops in remove from heat and once cooled pour through strainer into keg then tie up strainer and add as well? Don't think this little volume would water it down enough to notice but might impart some decent flavor and aroma?

 

[marx102]

Beer ended up much better. It was quite hoppy and it wasn't hoppy at all before. Very fresh taste, would have been awesome to have had fresh hops. My wife and I were surprised at how much hop flavor ended up in the beer. The other noticeable change to the beer was clarity. I'm not a brewer who is concerned about clarity, I have so much other stuff to worry about first, but the beer got really cloudy overnight. I'd hate to conjure up the post hoc fallacy but I am assuming that the hops where responsible for this but have no understanding of why.
Party was good and beer went over well, actually the beer went over great because the people there think they know a lot about good beer, and hoppy beers are the trend today. Party was small so we ended up with a gallon or so left for us to drink at home.