Cider with Hops, Sterilize the hops?

[John S]

If I wanted to do a cider with Hops that I had grown and dry hopping on a second brew would I need to do something to the hops to sterilize it?
My plan was to put the hops in and just let them float for several days.

 

[501irishred]

Nah. Dry hopping is dry hopping. It’s done directly in fermenters every day in beer without issues and I’d put money your cider will have a higher ABV than many, if not most, of those beers. Between the alcohol content of the cider, and the antiseptic properties of the hops, your risk is minuscule to non existent.
If you plan on bagging your hops, you can sanitize the bag with star San first, but that’s about it.

 

[madscientist451]

You could heat up a small amount of cider to 160F, put the hops in for 10 minutes or so and then add the "hop tea" to your cider.
But I just chuck them in.

 

[OffbeatBrew]

To be clear, did you dry out the hops or are they fresh hops? If they’re still wet/fresh, you may not get the hop character you desire. Either way, risk of infection is quite quite low.