Dry Hopping Cold

[Novims]

Juste another piece of advice: do it.

My IPAs always lacked the hoppy goodness I was looking for. They were hoppy, for sure, but they all tasted the same. Then I started dry hopping short and cold: bingo! I brewed the Pliny clone from this site (2019 version) and it's the first time I actually enjoyed the taste and aroma in one of my IIPAs. It almost tastes like Heady Topper (ok, maybe not as good, but seriously, I would like to do a side by side): there's actually layers of hops, and you could almost tell the hops I used.
The aroma is different from anything I've brewed, maybe less intense, yes, but you get all the sweetness and the nuances of the hops, just like a good Heady.

Also, I used to hate US-05 in anything hoppy because it tasted chalky and muddy for ever in the keg. This time, the beer is good right out of the tap, 2 weeks after kegging.

Compared to a NEIPA I brewed the old way (dry hopping 3-5 days at ferm temp with about the same amount of hops), this one is smooth, tasty; the NEIPA is hoppy for sure, but rather unidimensional and harsh -and I know it's not pH related.

If you're afraid to loose some of the hop aroma you know and like, then try dry hopping 2 oz in primary at ferm temp and the rest (2 to 4+ oz) cold after a proper cold crash (for 5 to 6.5 gallons batch). This may well be the new definition of double dry hopping!

 

[CascadesBrewer]

A little too early to make a definitive conclusion but I have had a split batch in the keg for about 1.5 weeks. This was a batch very similar to a prior batch of an American IPA. The last time I dry hopped the batch cold and thought it was wonderful.

This latest batch was a 5 gallon batch split into two fermenters. What I did was:

• Fermentation was a little slow, fermented at 64F, bumped to 66F on day 5, 68F on day 8, 70F on day 9
• Day 13 - 8 PM - Dry hopped the "warm" batch with 1 oz each of Centennial and Chinook pellets (still at 70F)
• Day 15 - 5 PM - Cold crashed both to 45F
• Day 15 - 8 PM- Dry hopped the "cold" batch with 1 oz each of Centennial and Chinook pellets (added at 45F, set controller to 40F)
• Day 17 - 10 PM - Cold crashed both to 32F (there was still a bit of hops floating in both)
• Day 18 - Kegged (closed keg transfer).

So the Warm batch was dry hopped at 70F for 2 days, crashed to 40F for 2 days and crashed to 32F for 1 day (5 days total hop contact time). The Cold batch was dry hopped at 40F for 2 days, crashed to 32F for 1 day (3 days total hop contact time).

The Warm batch just has more hop flavors. Both batches had a rather harsh bitterness that leaned toward astringent when I took samples during the first week. This astringent bitterness was more pronounced on the Cold batch. While the batch is a bit more bitter than I recall/enjoy, the astringent part has faded. The beers now have more of a clean bitterness, though still a bit too bitter.

I evaluated them yesterday to see which one I plan to submit for a competition and I plan on entering the Warm batch.

Maybe I should have dry hopped the Cold batch a bit warmer, maybe left it at 45F or 50F. I am pretty sure the last time I dry hopped around 40F (though I cannot find my sheet with actuals and notes for that batch).

Edit: Maybe next time I will try @couchsending's process "soft crashing to 55, remove yeast and dry hop around 58".

 

[Beer666]

Has anyone dry hopped when adding gelatin?

 

[DannyBoy270]

Glad somebody's had success with dry hopping cold lol I did not enjoy the results I got and will not be attempting it again anytime soon lol

Has anyone dry hopped when adding gelatin?

If you want the brilliant clarity you get with gelatin, dry hop first and the add finings. I've done it the other way too and thought it was fine, but you will get a touch of haze from the hops if you add the gelatin first.

 

[Consigliere]

I don’t have split batch comparisons here but I continue to have success with batches that are dry hopped at 3-4oC in keg and keeping the hops in the kegs until the keg kicks. I keep my Keezer at an average of 4oC to get into the glass at 7oC. No off flavours and great hop aroma and flavours throughout. This might not be available to everyone but it is my go to method now for dry hopping when possible.

the most recent batch I did when dry hopped in fermenter, which was done at 15oC, was the famous Julius clone recipe was also great without keg hops. Next time I do it am going to hop in keg and see if there is a difference but won’t be a head to head tasting. Just by memory.

 

[Consigliere]

I have been a proponent of keg hopping cold on this thread. Recently I brewed an IPL and keg hopped. After about a month on tap the keg was down to the last 4-5 pints. The beer at that point became very grassy and lost the nice hop flavours. So, I think this would say that there are styles of beer which keg hopping can cause some issues for.

hazys, amber ales and a saison I have Not had issues with any off flavours from keg hopping but this one the last few pints were not good due to off flavours from the hops.

 

[Unicorn_Platypus]

I’ve tried it twice which was 2 too many times. Not a fan of the hop character at all. Had many of the Tree House Juice Project beers that are also dry hopped cold and don’t enjoy that hop character either.

soft crashing to 55, remove yeast and dry hop around 58. Done it hundreds of times while every now and again trying a different temp/method.

Personally I keep coming back to DH around 58-60 after removing yeast. Biggest impact, most True to Type flavor and aroma. No Hop creep.

How many hours are you dry hopping for at those temps?