Do you dry hop in the primary or the secondary?

[Mozart]

Anyone notice a higher levels oxidation when dry hopping in primary? Each individual pellet that breaks the surface of the beer is also bringing oxygen with it. Using a secondary seems to be a gentler way of introducing hops to the beer to me. But I'm just assuming.

I turned to this thread because I'm considering brewing my first IPA, and have never dry-hopped before, so take this for what it's worth...

Yes, I would think that pellets that break the surface are going to bring oxygen with them.

That said, racking to secondary is, I think, likely to introduce some oxygen as well. There is inevitably going to be some small amount of surface agitation in the secondary no matter how gently one racks the beer into it, and unless one is purging the secondary with CO2 beforehand, this is going to lead to some small amount of oxygen being introduced.

That said, I don't think either method is going to introduce enough oxygen to be concerned about, or else nobody would be using them.

Just a newbie's speculation.

 

[kal]

I would think that dry hopping in the secondary would introduce more oxygen as fermentation should be 100% complete plus some extra time.

I dry hop mostly in the primary near the end of the fermentation. Fermentation's not 100% done so CO2 is still being driving off (a bit). I would think that this outgassing of the fermenter would help drive off any oxygen that was brought in accidentally, no?

I know a lot of commercial brewers with big hoppy beers do it various ways so both probably work well.

My last beer (a clone of Pliny Younger) actually combines it all with 4 stages of dry hopping:

1. Primary dry hop
2. Secondary drop hop
3. Keg #1 dry hop
4. Keg #2 dry hop

Vessels were completely purged with CO2 or topped up with CO2 every time the lid was opened to make sure that oxygen contact is minimized.

Kal

 

[hops2it]

I've dry hopped toward the end of primary and directly in the keg. Can't say I've noticed much difference either way and since the latter is easier/safer IMO, I go that route exclusively now. Especially good if you use low and slow (2 week) carb method as it gives the hops time to impart flavor.

 

[Danbreeze]

I have always racked the beer onto dry hops in a secondary which I swirl every couple days until botling.

For those adding dry hops in primary, are you also swirling the hop bag around to get even dry hop flavor through the beer? Are you stirring up the yeast cake as well?

 

[Stauffbier]

From what I've read hop aroma and flavor are better when the yeast has dropped and the beer has cleared, so for that reason I certainly don't stir the yeast cake. I don't use a bag either. I just drop the pellets in the bucket, and after 7 days most of the hops has dropped out. I don't cold crash. I carefully rack to keg or bottle bucket while trying not to pick up much hop debris. A little gets through, but not enough to be concerned about. In my experience I get fantastic aroma and flavor from this method, and it's also super simple.

 

[Calichusetts]

I do both and have done with many batches. I found there is no real difference and if there was, I would say the secondary got the job done better but not by much. Understand that cold crashing can drop out some of the hop oils so I usually cold crash the primary first then add the hops at room temp. Oxidation is really not an issue with either method though, as some are pointing to with concerns.

 

[AnOldUR]

Understand that cold crashing can drop out some of the hop oils . . .

Interesting. Source please.




edit:
From what I've read, hop oils can cling to the yeast in suspension and drop out with it, but I don't see cold crashing as contributing any more loss than refrigerating your bottles or kegs. Seems like, unless you're drinking your beer warm there is a certain amount of unavoidable loss due to chilling. The challenge is to use enough hops at the right time to get your desired aroma and flavor at serving.

 

[gometz]

I only do primary for ales, so... that's where I dry hop.

 

[Yooper]

From what I've read hop aroma and flavor are better when the yeast has dropped and the beer has cleared, so for that reason I certainly don't stir the yeast cake. I don't use a bag either. I just drop the pellets in the bucket, and after 7 days most of the hops has dropped out. I don't cold crash. I carefully rack to keg or bottle bucket while trying not to pick up much hop debris. A little gets through, but not enough to be concerned about. In my experience I get fantastic aroma and flavor from this method, and it's also super simple.

That's what I do too.

I normally dryhop for 5 days, right before packaging the beer.

 

[Calichusetts]

Interesting. Source please.




edit:
From what I've read, hop oils can cling to the yeast in suspension and drop out with it, but I don't see cold crashing as contributing any more loss than refrigerating your bottles or kegs. Seems like, unless you're drinking your beer warm there is a certain amount of unavoidable loss due to chilling. The challenge is to use enough hops at the right time to get your desired aroma and flavor at serving.

I am at work so I can't find the source but its exactly what you are saying...they cling to the yeast then drop out. You then rake away the beer and leave it behind. I want to avoid this as much as possible so I simply crash first then add the hops...still gets crystal clear. I'm not saying its a HUGE difference but it seems logical so I do it.

There is stuff over at probrewer on this topic along with filtering beer having the same affect and there was an article in Zymurgy by Stan Hieronymus talking about attenuation and dry hopping as well. Don't recall if it was exactly science or just his own reasoning on it

 

[Homercidal]

Generally I just dryhop in the keg. 1-2 weeks primary, transfer to keg, tie the hop bag to the lid and place in kegerator. 1-2 weeks later the beer is ready. I even spot welded an attachment point to my lids, but you can buy lids with them installed online. I *think* Morebeer has them.

Previous to that I have dryhopped in secondary and primary and it didn't seem to make much difference in hop flavor and aroma either way. I preferred to dry hop in secondary, though, cause I disliked having to rack under the hops with all of the yeast mixed in with it.

 

[Fireguy94]

I noticed while reading this thread that those who dry hop in the secondary do it mostly cause they want to save the yeast. A suggestion and something I've just started doing is top cropping to save the yeast. Its actually really easy and you get the best viable yeast you can. Once this is done let it finish out and then dry hop in the primary. You get the best of both worlds.

 

[ryan_george]

For the first few years of brewing I always dry hopped in secondary. From what I remember this is "what was done" and I didn't question it. Recently I've started brewing bigger batches (>15 gal) and don't want to deal with the extra cleaning of secondary vessels. If I'm kegging into 1/2 bbl sankes I'll just toss the pellets into the primary and filter them before kegging. If I'm going to age something like a barley wine, I'll spend the time and put them in secondary carboys, then add the dry hops a week or two before kegging.

 

[jamorgan3777]

Primary. I usually dont secondary and just cold crash it. I have had some really clear beer with that method.

 

[jflongo]

I use to ALWAYS dry hop in secondary.

I just did a 11 gallon batch of the Blonde Ale, let it ferment out, so after 10 days, I just added hops to both fermenting buckets in primary. So much easier than going into secondary, hopefully it turns out great.

 

[skw]

For you primary dry hoppers: do you re-pitch in the same yeast cake and if so is there anything you do to prevent the hops from accumulating in the yeast eg using a hop sock?

I have repitched the same yeast cake and kept the dry hops in a mesh bag. Some hops particles get out and end up in the yeast cake, but I'm not worrying about them. There are still plenty of things that are more important and not fully under control, such as my mash and fermentation temperatures. Only when I have those down to perfection will I start worrying about a few particles of hops.

 

[mxrob]

Secondary. Especially for a big hoppy Imperial IPA. Much greater chance of plugging the big blow tube with all the hops present in the primary. I like nice clear brews.... part of the experience is enjoying the beauty of the brew... even if it looks like used diesel engine oil... or like this:

 

[kbowman]

What about cold crashing? Before or after dry hopping?

 

[Clef051]

I skip secondary most times, so primary for me.

 

[BassBeer]

What about cold crashing? Before or after dry hopping?

I've tried everything and have personally had the best results with cold crashing before dry hopping, then transferring to a keg and hopping there. If you don't keg I'd try crashing primary before the dry hop, then warming it back to room temp for dryhopping, and crash again after. Good luck!

 

[smccarter]

Ferment 1 week, dry hop 1 week in primary. Rack to secondary for 2 weeks, bottle.

 

[kbowman]

BassBeer--I just started kegging. Do you leave the hops in the keg or remove after a few days?

 

[BassBeer]

BassBeer--I just started kegging. Do you leave the hops in the keg or remove after a few days?

I transfer to the keg, warm back to room temp, dry hop for 5-7 days in a hop bag tied to the keg handle with dental floss, remove the hops then chill. I've read good things about adding another addition before chilling but haven't tried it yet. Might on the next batch.

 

[beauvafr]

Dry hop in primary if you don't have a good reason to do a secondary. Then cold crash 3-5 days. Then you avoid risk of infection and save time, and you'll also have a clear beer.

 

[Natdavis777]

I dry hop in the seconday, but I use a keg as a seconday bc it's easier to clean. Plus, once I transfer from primary to secondary keg and drop in my hops, purge with some co2 and let her ride. When I'm ready to cold crash I throw it In the kegerator for a few days and transfer to serving keg. Force carb and enjoy

 

[fartinmartin]

I dry hop after four days in FV, convinced that all that bubbling gas is taking the aroma away that I am dry hopping for ! You just have to be around and remember to do it. I don't secondary. I get results that I am delighted with.

 

[Sbarnard80]

I dry hop in the secondary. Since I'm already there transferring the beer, I just toss in the additional hops.

 

[PetitChouffe]

I dry hop in primary after fermentation is complete. I rarely do secondary for anything that's dry hopped anyways. In fact, I rarely rack to secondary at all. Maybe it's laziness, but I haven't noticed a problem yet.

 

[J-Pizzel]

I dry hopped in the primary and then realized that I just ruined any hopes of harvesting my Conan yeast.... curses!

 

[sybesbrew]

I dry hopped in the primary and then realized that I just ruined any hopes of harvesting my Conan yeast.... curses!

you could rinse the yeast - decant off the clean yeast from the hops and the trub.