dry hop question

[walker111]

I know this has been discussed a lot but will throw it out as many of us ferment with different equipment.
I brewed an IPA saturday. Double batch and I use fermonsters with adapted lids with CO2 and gas posts with floating diptubes to try O2 free transfers , or at least limit o2 exposure.
It has been day 6 and activity has slowed so I am thinking of adding my hops soon. I know when I open the lid o2 will enter but I don't have a choice at this point with the procedure I am using.

Not sure if I want to dump 2 oz in free or use the muslin bags with a shot glass for weight ? thoughts?
When I do add the cascade I can hook my gas on the post to purge some o2 but I know some will be obsorbed in the beer.

Does this method sound ok?
Thanks

 

[RCope]

I would dump them in free. "Commando". Probably better extraction and you have a floating dip tube so no worries with clogging. And we all do the best we can with the system we have for O2 mitigation. I flow in CO2 while dry hopping quickly to minimize O2 exposure. You're method is fine!

 

[walker111]

Thanks for your comment.

 

[Golddiggie]

Do you keg your beer? Because if you keg your beer you can add the hops into the keg as it goes in to chill/carbonate. Use a bag (nylon mesh) or one of the stainless steel 'filter' items that are available to keep your dip tube clean. There's a comment in there I'm sure.

I've done this several times with my English IPA and always loved the results. I've also had the hops in there for extended times. From what I know, the cold temperatures of the beer, along with the CO2 being introduced, go a long way to making sure the hops don't go over to the dark side. Like they would do after a couple of weeks in fermenter.

BTW, I also really like leaf hops for this. Pellet works about the same, but I just really like what I get with leaf for the long term. It's one of the reasons I created the posting looking for EKG leaf. Either 2019 or 2020 harvest. Hell, I'd take some 2018 if I could get a pound or two that were still properly sealed up.

 

[McKnuckle]

^ I concur. The freshest, longest lasting hop flavor I've achieved is with this method. In my case, I put a stainless hop canister with pellet hops into the serving keg while it was being purged with fermentation CO2 from the fermenter. When fermentation was done, I performed a closed transfer into the serving keg, racking over the hops, and leaving them there for the duration. It's been in there for 7 weeks and is still fresh as a daisy.

 

[walker111]

Thanks for replies. I do keg and have done the bag of hops in the kegs before for dry hop. Actually, the best beer ( IPA) I ever made was this method. I fermented about 2 weeks and put a bag in and set it at 30 psi for a few days at room temp and then put it in keezer at 10 psi for a few days. Took it to a party and it was so bright and fresh. It was popular and I think it was the fact it was so fresh and consumed all 5 g that night. I bet there were a few headaches next day!!!!!
I don't recall it even being oxodized although I was not closed transfering beer back then. Was worried about the vegetal hop flavor.
Maybe I will do one beer with commando hops and the other let it ride another week and keg and then add in the keg for the second one. Experiment a bit!!! I think the fact I am closed transfering my first IPA that both methods should show an improvement in the beer.
Thanks

R

 

[Golddiggie]

I've had hops in keg for months with zero off flavors. IMO/IME, it's the fact that they're under CO2 pressure (O2 removed/purged) and cold that makes it so. I wouldn't bother adding hops into fermenter if I wanted the fresh flavor/aroma effect in a batch.

 

[walker111]

Sounds reasonable . I'll keg both that way.