dry hop in primary vessel

[lestershy]

I recently made a black IPA and want to dry hop it before bottling. The question is, does anyone just add the hops to the primary fermentor after fermentation has finished? Would this cause any off flavors or aromas?
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks.

 

[gstrawn]

From my experience it doesn't cause off flavors but the one issue is that siphoning has the additional complexity of avoiding both grub and hops. Id recommend using a hop bag

 

[Revvy]

Quite a few folks, including myself, who opt for month long primaries dry hop in the primary. If I'm leaving my beer in primary for 4 weeks, I just add the hops on day 21 and bottle on day 28.

 

[Yooper]

I almost always dryhop at the end of primary- about 5-7 days before packaging. It works great! No bags for me, but I'm very proficient with a siphon as an old winemaker.





I start in the middle, under the floating hops and way above the trub and settled hops and just lower the siphon until the top and bottom meet. Some people can get clogged siphons, though, so use a bag or something over the racking cane.

The beer usually is in the fermenter 14-21 days before racking for packaging. I dryhop about 5-7 days before packaging.

 

[lestershy]

Awesome! I guess is revvy and yooper do it I can proceed without worry. Thanks for the quick responses!

 

[solbes]

I've dry hopped twice in secondary (no bag) and twice in primary (w/ hop bag). I much prefer the primary dry hop using a hop bag. I try to time so that I add the hops right when the yeast is giving it's last air lock activity. Usually ceases after adding them.

 

[Fritobandito]

I add my leaf hops in a bag to primary 10 days before I bottle/keg.

 

[mkravitz13]

I almost always dryhop at the end of primary- about 5-7 days before packaging. It works great! No bags for me, but I'm very proficient with a siphon as an old winemaker.

The beer usually is in the fermenter 14-21 days before racking for packaging. I dryhop about 5-7 days before packaging.

I've noticed a clarity difference in transferring to secondary over dry hops in the final product. ive dry hopped ALL of my beers in secondary with pretty nice results.

but now im feeling the dry hop in primary more and more!!!!!

after reading revvy's extensive testimony about losing the seconday, i'm confident i can dry hop in the primary and still get clear beer into the bottling bucket.

in fact one of my best beers ever was allowed to ferment in primary for 3 weeks.

with 3 days left to go in the 3 week primary, im going to add my dry hops through the neck of the carboy without changing the temperature of my water bath (at 66). after 3 days, rack to bottling bucket as per usual and bottle.

however, i have the ability to cool my fermenter to mid 50's if i'd like to after primary (its still winter here in VT). yooper and revvy, are you suggesting that crash cooling isnt even neccessary at this point considering that the yeast cake will be tight on the bottom of the fermenter? lots of major dry hop monsters (like vinnie and mitch) crash cool before and after dry hopping to drop the yeast...

 

[Salamander]

How about dropping pellets directly into the primary to dry hop?

 

[RacingRam]

I dry hop in secondary so I can harvest the clean yeast from the primary. For those who dry hop in primary, do you not harvest yeast, or do you just harvest with hop trub in it?

 

[Callacave]

I've noticed a clarity difference in transferring to secondary over dry hops in the final product. ive dry hopped ALL of my beers in secondary with pretty nice results.

Just to put your fears to rest about clarity when dry hopping in the primary, my last IPA was dry hopped in the primary for 7 days and dry hopped again in the keg. I just leave the hops in the keg the whole time.

 

[Revvy]

How about dropping pellets directly into the primary to dry hop?

That's all I do.

This isn't rocket science here, people don't need to over think this....You drop the hops in the beer, and a week later you rack carefully the beer, leaving the hops and trub behind...

That's it.

AND yes, you can harvest the yeast....if you're washing the yeast, then you're washing away the hops and rest of the trub....Again, none of this is all that complex.

 

[mkravitz13]

Just to put your fears to rest about clarity when dry hopping in the primary, my last IPA was dry hopped in the primary for 7 days and dry hopped again in the keg. I just leave the hops in the keg the whole time.

looks very clear awesome! no crash cooling or anything before (or after) adding dry hops into the primary vessel?

 

[Callacave]

No crash, just time in the keg. My keezer temp is set at 50F. I would say after about two to three weeks in the keg it was like this.

I used all leaf hops, and I have a sure screen on the end of my dip tube.