Do Dry Hops swim?

[JJ900]

Hi Everyone,
I brewed a 5gal IPA extract kit and after 11 days in the fermenter did a dry hop 4 days ago. Most of the pellet hops sit soaking at the top of the wort, some flecks I see sinking down to the bottom which seems normal but I also see bits of hop floating upwards as if on a mini jetstream. Could this mean that the yeast is still quite busy to the point that I shouldn't even think about bottling or is hops moving up normal behavior? Just hitched a ride on some CO2?

I took some frustrating hydrometer readings before dry hopping and the best I can say is that I was at the 1.020 wall give or take .002. I was willing to call it done as in ready to dry hop etc. so I did dry hop. But the dry hops moving up, although fun to look at, makes me cautious about moving on to bottling.
thanks!!

 

[Calder]

The hops provide nucleation sites for the CO2.

Fermented beer contains a certain amount of CO2. This can be released when it finds new 'rough' surfaces. Sam Adams laser etches the bottom of their glasses to provide nucleation sites, which release a stream of CO2 in the glass.

When the hops drop, they can allow CO2 to be released. The CO2 latches to the hops debris, and lifts it up the beer. I think this is what you are seeing.

Interesting thought - Is the entrained CO2 in dry hopped beer lower than normal beers - So; should we be compensating when priming?

 

[Paps]

I think they only `dog paddle`

 

[dnslater]

Be patient. Many here do a 4 week primary, myself included. Beer will be better for it. You can dry hop safely for 7-10 days. What temp is it?

 

[JJ900]

its been at 69F for the last week. This is a Furious IPA clone from midwest. I do try to listen to the good advice given here on HBT about patience, but for this clone I am trying to stay close to the instructions, they have the total ferment time between 12-17 days. Several reviews seem to have followed this short schedule with good result. But you're making me think this over at least!

 

[histo320]

JJ900 - trust the posters here on HBT. I always ferment for 4 weeks and I have had great luck. 12-17 days is probably enough for the beer to ferment out but that last week will leave you with a cleaner tasting and possibly clearer beer.

 

[Yooper]

its been at 69F for the last week. This is a Furious IPA clone from midwest. I do try to listen to the good advice given here on HBT about patience, but for this clone I am trying to stay close to the instructions, they have the total ferment time between 12-17 days. Several reviews seem to have followed this short schedule with good result. But you're making me think this over at least!

That's pretty much what I do with that beer, too. Ferment until clear (and it clears quickly with the suggested 1335 yeast), dryhop and package.

Once the beer is done, and clear, it's not going to get "doner". It's fine to dryhop if it's clear, no problem.

 

[JJ900]

To follow up, I bottled on day 18 which while not exactly patient, is on the patient end of the kit instructions. Thanks for everyone's advice...

Paps I enjoyed imagining the dry hops doggy paddling!

I think hearing Yooper confirm she follows a similar schedule to the positive reviews of the kit was enough for me to bottle now but I do intend to be more patient with 'generic' recipe that isn't a clone kit from midwest or NB. Anyway,
I don't know if this should be a new thread but I left at least 3-4 beers in the better bottle as I couldn't get my autosiphon to work when the volume got that low. Do people get every last drop? I am thinking next time I'll try using just the racking cane when the volume is really low (inside of a paint strainer bag). I did pour out two beers from the top of the better bottle strained and drank them while bottling and they were really good!

 

[jfk69]

I always love the "longer is better" threads. I have no doubt that works for folks. For me, I control ferment temperatures. I prefer fresh beer. I rarely bottle/keg later than three weeks after brewing. Usually, I find two weeks to be good, with 17 days being right around my normal packaging time. I may go longer if I dry hop, or if real life gets in the way. However, as an experiment, I once did three batches of the same pale ale, bottled at 14 days, 1 month, and three months. I personally found no difference at 14 days or 1 month in taste, and I had bottles of all available at the same time. I thought the three month beer tasted a little "off". That was mostly due to undercarbonation. I think my yeast viability went down, and I should have pitched some yeast at bottling but I didn't. If the hydrometer says it's done....it's done. JMO and worth what you paid for it!

 

[flatlanderHQ]

I too don't understand the overly long primary. Like Yooper so astutely phrased it: "it won't get doner". From what I have read--Zannaisheff for example--two days is enough for the yeast to clean up any byproducts of a normal fermentation. That is to say, a fermentation that had enough healthy yeast pitched, good temperature, control, etc.
A basic example is English Ales such as Brown or Milds where you are looking for that English yeast character. Here long primaries are absolutely detrimental to the finished beer.


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