Can you dry hop in the primary?

[deadcactus]

With the popularity of long primaries vs transferring to a secondary, what's the reason to transferring to a secondary for dry hopping? Why not just throw the hops into the primary after fermentation is mostly complete?

 

[shamrockdoc]

You are correct. Wait until fermentation is mostly complete or aggressive fermentation is done...usually 3-5 days. Then dry hop. I have been doing this for the last X amount of beers and I have not lost any hop aroma or flavor due to co2 "scrubbing". Maybe my palette isn't as sensitive and refined as others but YES you can dry hop in primary.

 

[pksmitty]

I'll let the beer sit in primary for 2-3 weeks, then dry hop right in primary for another 10 days. No drawbacks, don't lose any flavor or aroma, and it forces me to leave the beer in primary longer, which produces better beer anyway.

 

[EricCSU]

Once the krausen falls, hop pellets go in.

Eric

 

[jackers252]

I primary for 3 weeks and for the 4th week, I cold crash. I drop in the hop pellets right when I put the primary in the cold chamber.

 

[troub]

Thanks for asking this, I've been wondering for a long time and forgot to ask.

I would assume if you're adding fruit and things like that, primary wouldn't be ideal just due to the sheer amount of solid material that will accumulate, correct (not much of a concern with an ounce of two of hops)? The "CO2 scrubbing" comment gives me a clue -- is there a thought that suspended CO2 somehow carries away the aroma, and racking to secondary somehow purges this CO2? That sounds kind of like bunk.

 

[EricCSU]

Thanks for asking this, I've been wondering for a long time and forgot to ask.

I would assume if you're adding fruit and things like that, primary wouldn't be ideal just due to the sheer amount of solid material that will accumulate, correct (not much of a concern with an ounce of two of hops)? The "CO2 scrubbing" comment gives me a clue -- is there a thought that suspended CO2 somehow carries away the aroma, and racking to secondary somehow purges this CO2? That sounds kind of like bunk.

If there is a concern about CO2 release decreasing your hop aroma, just add more hops!

Eric

 

[buzzkill]

the only time you would want to transfer to secondary to dry hop is if you want to re use the yeast.

 

[aidan]

glad I read this thread - just reminded I need to dry hop my batch. It's my first time dry hopping, I think I'll put my pellets in a bag.

 

[aidan]

the only time you would want to transfer to secondary to dry hop is if you want to re use the yeast.

I was thinking of reusing my yeast and I'm dry hopping in primary. If I use a bag should it be ok to reuse the yeast?

 

[shamrockdoc]

Thanks for asking this, I've been wondering for a long time and forgot to ask.

I would assume if you're adding fruit and things like that, primary wouldn't be ideal just due to the sheer amount of solid material that will accumulate, correct (not much of a concern with an ounce of two of hops)? The "CO2 scrubbing" comment gives me a clue -- is there a thought that suspended CO2 somehow carries away the aroma, and racking to secondary somehow purges this CO2? That sounds kind of like bunk.

You can add fruit and things to the primary as well. The 'scrubbing" IMO bunk. I have added vanilla beans, cacao, and fruit to my primary all with no discernible loss to flavor.

 

[jldc]

You can add fruit and things to the primary as well. The 'scrubbing" IMO bunk. I have added vanilla beans, cacao, and fruit to my primary all with no discernible loss to flavor.

I would think that if you dry hop a beer that is still actively fermenting, that all of the CO2 bubbling away would indeed carry away a lot of the aroma. I don't think that you get the same aroma from an ounce of Cascades at flameout that you do when you add that same ounce to primary at two weeks (which is how I dry hop).

L

 

[buzzkill]

I was thinking of reusing my yeast and I'm dry hopping in primary. If I use a bag should it be ok to reuse the yeast?

you can still reuse the yeast, you may have a green layer on top. but a bag will help alot.

 

[shamrockdoc]

I would think that if you dry hop a beer that is still actively fermenting, that all of the CO2 bubbling away would indeed carry away a lot of the aroma. I don't think that you get the same aroma from an ounce of Cascades at flameout that you do when you add that same ounce to primary at two weeks (which is how I dry hop).

L

That is why you wait until active fermentation has ceased textbook answer is 3-5 days or until the krausen begins to drop. My2cents I may be wrong.