Cold crashing before dry hopping

[The_Coesbrewery]

I currently have a batch of pale wheat with cluster and liberty hops fermenting in the primary for the past 6 days, looking to dry hop with citra hops after fermenting complete. Would it be beneficial to cold crash to around 40 degrees for 48 hours before putting in the citra hops? I don't want to transfer to a secondary because I want to keep the wheat beer characteristics. Thanks for your help in this matter.

 

[Wolfbrau]

Hello!

First, I'm one of those guys who doesn't secondary. Faggedaboutit.

Second, I usually dry hop at diacetyl rest temperature. That is, I dry hop when it's a few degrees higher than I normally start fermentation at. I cold crash about five days afterwards.

And I make a badass IPA, let me tell ya. That's why I'm tipsy right now!

 

[Teromous]

What are your intentions for cold crashing in the first place? You said that you want to keep the "wheat beer characteristics" which suggests to me you want it to be a bit hazy. Is this correct? If so, then you should just leave it alone. Also the beer is going to get a bit turbid if you dry hop anyway, especially if you use pellet hops. It is perfectly acceptable to just wait for the beer to complete fermentation in the primary and dry hop it in there.

 

[The_Coesbrewery]

Thanks for the help, what's the best temperature for the dry hopping? Any benefit to cold conditioning the bottles after dry hopping?

 

[Teromous]

Thanks for the help, what's the best temperature for the dry hopping? Any benefit to cold conditioning the bottles after dry hopping?

I just dry hop at room temperature. For me that could be anywhere from 65-70F. I'm sure there's probably a lot of differing opinions on what temperature to dry hop just like everything with this hobby haha...there's probably podcasts and youtube videos dedicated to it.

As far as cold crashing in bottles, do you mean after you bottle? When you cold crash you're looking to drop out the suspended solids to clear the beer up before you bottle. That could mean everything from the yeast you used, the hop particles from dry hopping, to the small bits of protein and whatever else might be floating around. You're looking for clear beer out of the fermenter and into the bottles. This will also help reduce chill haze. The more that drops out, the less there will be in the bottle, and the less that will make it to your glass.

But really If you're making a wheat beer I wouldn't be too worried about it. The natural flocculation from the yeast after fermentation is complete is enough. I prefer to just bottle my wheat beers after they are done without any cold crashing. This is my preference. If you do end up cold crashing you will want to make sure that you have not only given the yeast enough time to ferment out but also clean up a bit. They will go swim around and remove some of the junk that you don't want to taste in your beer. That's my scientific answer haha.

The exception to this rule is if you really need the beer to be clear, for example a Kristalweizen which is similar to a Hefeweizen but extremely clear and transparent. In the end the preference should dictate the technique, not the other way around.

 

[thegreatmaibockaddict]

When you bottle, add an ounce of your favorite hop (or two) to the boiled DME you are priming with when you turn of the flame and let the hops steep for 10 minutes with the lid on. Have a sanitized strainer ready, pour said priming sugar through strainer into bucket to remove hops and rack into bucket. All those loveli hop oils go right into the beer! Saves the dry hop wait!

 

[The_Coesbrewery]

Ok thanks for the ideas, I am just going to drop the pellets in

 

[The_Coesbrewery]

I just took a fg reading and it was 1.010 and the starting was 1.041, I saw some foam on top and beer was a little more cloudy then the last time I brewed this reciepe. There hasn't been any CO2 activity for at least 36 hours, was my fermenting done and was it ok to add my 1oz. Of citra hops for dry hopping? Or did I just fubar'd this batch?

 

[MrHopScotch]

Adding hops before the end of your fermentation won't kill the fermentation. The reason for dry hopping after active fermentation finishes is to keep all of the delicious aroma from being scrubbed out with the CO2. Your beer should be just fine.

 

[BeerLoverHere]

Hello!

First, I'm one of those guys who doesn't secondary. Faggedaboutit.

Second, I usually dry hop at diacetyl rest temperature. That is, I dry hop when it's a few degrees higher than I normally start fermentation at. I cold crash about five days afterwards.

And I make a badass IPA, let me tell ya. That's why I'm tipsy right now!

+2: I don't secondary ever (do not like the chance of oxidation) and I dry-hop nearly ever beer I make to some degree in primary; love hop aroma! i do it after fermentation is complete when i raise temps up some to finish out yeast activity; then i cold crash hard for a few days before transfer; i've dry-hopped during cold crashing before and noticed a significance in the decline of aroma

 

[BeerLoverHere]

Hello!

And I make a badass IPA, let me tell ya. That's why I'm tipsy right now!

Wolfbrau: Care to give up one of your favorite recipes? I'm going to be doing an IPA soon with some homegrown hops.

 

[The_Coesbrewery]

Thanks for the advice, I am keeping the temp below 60 while dry hop with citra for the next 5 days. If it is still too cloudy after the 5 days of dry hopping, would priming and conditioning cold help clear it up? Or should I cold crash before bottling then condition at 70 degrees?

Also looking for a digital temperature controller for a fermenting chamber if anyone has one for sale...thanks

 

[MrHopScotch]

Dry hopped beers are often a little hazier, even commercially. Cold crashing the hops out of the fermenter isn't a bad idea, but once you prime and bottle you definitely want to keep them at 70 degrees. Any colder and the yeast will go dormant and won't actually carbonate your beer.

If you really want them to clear up a little more, you can keep them in the fridge once you are happy with the carbonation. A couple weeks of fridge time can do wonders for homebrew clarity. That said, leaving a dry hopped beer alone for that long is a whole different issue...

 

[Wolfbrau]

Wolfbrau: Care to give up one of your favorite recipes? I'm going to be doing an IPA soon with some homegrown hops.

The secret is Great Western Northwest Pale Malt or Cargill Special Pale Malt. Don't mess around with fancy schmancy crystal malts. I shoot for 7%. Then I do my first hop addition at 30 mins to the end of the boil, then equal portions every 5 minutes including a knockout addition with a 15 minute whirlpool steep. Then I drop hop with either 2 or 3 ounces depending on the aroma profile of the particular hop in hand (not just variety, but that particular batch). BANG! SMaSH your way to deliciousness!

 

[BeerLoverHere]

Thanks Wolfbrau, I'll have to try that malt then and perhaps hop schedule too.

As far as getting hazy beer when dry-hopping, I've never had this issue; I ALWAYS cold crash hard BEFORE transfer, siphon out carefully, bottle/keg, and then cold condition, you should be good to go!