Dry hop question

[Hallowed]

Hello all,

I just brewed my second AG batch on tuesday, and it's currently in primary bubbling away... well actually, the bubbling is starting to subside now, but I digress. It's a strong IPA, maybe getting into the realm of a IIPA, but without an insane hop rate. OG was 1.080.

Anyways, when I ordered my ingredients from Northern Brewer (no LHBS here in WV ) they had run out of the whole cascades I wanted for dry hopping. I had to get pellets. What are the pros and cons of dry hopping with pellets? I've only ever used whole hops for this purpose... I was thinking they might settle out and won't get as good of contact with the young beer, getting caught up in fermenter sludge. Anyone have experience using pellets for a dry hop addition?

Thanks a lot!

Matt

 

[Brew-boy]

I always just put my pellets in loose when I dry hop, they will sink to the bottom. I perfer pellets over cone myself for dry hopping.

 

[RICLARK]

Pellets are way better for dry hopping. Whole hops break apart and plug siphoning as well as absorb your beer.

 

[wildwest450]

I was thinking they might settle out and won't get as good of contact with the young beer, getting caught up in fermenter sludge. Anyone have experience using pellets for a dry hop addition?

I keg, so I always dry hop with pellets in the cornie. I would put pellets in a 5 gallon carboy and rack the beer when finished on top. If they don't all settle you can gently swirl the carboy.

 

[joety]

Do you guys do anything to the pellets to sanitize them (microwave?) or just drop them in. I bought one of those torpedo looking cages for adding stuff to the secondary, would that help keep down some of the sludge or will the pellets get through the screening anyway?

 

[Evan]

Do you guys do anything to the pellets to sanitize them (microwave?) or just drop them in. I bought one of those torpedo looking cages for adding stuff to the secondary, would that help keep down some of the sludge or will the pellets get through the screening anyway?

i dont do anything to them, and most probably dont. if i'm dry hopping and bottling, i'll clean a secondary, toss the hops in, rack the beer ontop. let that sit a week or up to two weeks. then bottle. i normally use whole hops, but i've used both, i just have a ton of cascade whole hops. i ususally like pellets for everything. i think they stay fresher longer, and they settle out while dry hopping better.

 

[DinoCow]

Is it okay to put whole hops in cheesecloth or muslin bag for dry hopping? And will there be any big complications if I dry hop in the primary fermenter? (I don't have a carboy yet...)

 

[HotbreakHotel]

Pellets settle out, but in my experience it takes 7-10 days. Even then I use a hop filter bag on the siphon hose, but I'm a worrier. IMO leaf hops are easier, but pellets are OK too. Pellets have good contact -- they sit on top and the oils infuse down, and they don't fall into the sludge for days. I agree leaf hops will soak up more volume than pellets.

Do you guys do anything to the pellets to sanitize them

I never have.

Is it okay to put whole hops in cheesecloth or muslin bag for dry hopping?

I heard on Brew Strong radio that you might want to increase the amount because they don't infuse as well as when you just drop them in.

And will there be any big complications if I dry hop in the primary fermenter?

I've never done it, but I think you might want to wait until the fermentation is getting close to complete. (Don't know why, maybe someone else knows more about it.)