Can you dry hop in the keg instead of the fermenter to save time?

[hezagenius]

If you are going to dry hop a beer and then keg it, would it make more sense to just dry hop directly in the keg so that you can carbonate and dry hop at the same time? Does dry hopping at room temp extract more aroma than dry hopping at fridge temp?

 

[LandoLincoln]

Yes, you can do that. No, I don't think that dry hopping at serving temp makes a difference vs. dry hopping at room temp.

Obviously you're going to get some hop gunk with the first few beers but provided you don't move the keg around it should be okay after that.

There may be some concerns with a "grassy" flavor coming through since the beer will be in contact with the hops for an extended time, but...give the process a go and see what you think.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Absolutely. For my DIPAs I dryhop twice, once in the fermenter, and once in the keg.

 

[bmiller8]

Read message wrong. Are you taking hops out at some point?

 

[dobe12]

Sure, but I don't like to dry hop in the keg with pellets. I've had clogged a dip tube before. I prefer to use whole leaf hops, in a muslin bag, weighed down with marbles or something similar. I usually notice a bit of a green hop bite for the first 2 weeks or so, but it fades and the hop flavor and aroma are great for the duration of the keg.

 

[lousbrews]

I use pellet hops in a muslin bag and just tie to the dip tube. No issues to dates. Hell the most Ive done is 3oz at once in a keg using 2 bags.

 

[hezagenius]

Read message wrong. Are you taking hops out at some point?

I was planning on doing what lousbrews said. I was going to put the whole leaf hops in a hops bag, tie it tight, tie some dental floss around it and loop it around one of the posts on the top of the keg. The seal should be OK, and at some point, the beer will fall below the hops so it won't get overexposed.

 

[JonM]

Yep, just put them in a sanitized hop bag and toss it in. It helps to really tie the bag up tightly. You can attach the bag to a loop of plumbers tape and use that to pull the hop bag out if you want to. You can shut the lid with the plumbers tape between the lid o-ring and the lip and it won't interfere with the seal.

Or you can get one of these fancy do-dads. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/stainless-dry-hopper-keg-431628/

 

[bmiller8]

That works...listened to an old episode of brew strong and they recommended not keeping hops in contact the whole time, but you're covered from your plan then

 

[Homercidal]

Dry hopping at serving temps seems to keep the grassy flavors from showing up for a long time. At least in my experience. I did the dental floss thing and it worked great. I've now switched to a SS tab welded to the underside of the lid.

 

[NathPowe]

I always dry hop in my kegs. I use pellets in paint strainer bags. I usually dry hop at room temp for 3 or 4 days, pull the hops out, and then pop the keg into the kegerator.

Works well for me.

 

[Natdavis777]

I always dry hop in the keg more for ease of getting the damn hop bag out afterwards. I prefer a 5" opening compared to 1" any day, esp after they swell


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[hezagenius]

Is one hop bag generally enough to keep the hop leafs from clogging the dip tube? I was thinking of maybe double bagging, just to be safe. Sometimes you need that extra protection...

 

[Spartan1979]

I use a bag. Add some weight to it and throw it in. If I want to remove it, I just fish it out with a long handled SS spoon.