Dry hopping Ger Pils?

[Bobcatbrewing42]

I got distracted during the end of my brew day. A moose was eating my spent grain just outside of the garage door. I brew with a manual HERMS system with propane so the door was wide open. I dumped the grain into a snowbank.
I forgot my final hop addition. It was supposed to be 2 0z of Hallertau Mittelfrau at whirlpool. Everything else went well and my two 5.5 gal fermenters have a perfect krausen at 52deg.
I used Diamond dry yeast in one and Saf 23 in the other. 2 pkg in each, rehydrated.
I expect the ferment to slow in 5 days or so and then will raise the temp for a diacetyl rest. I don't secondary but just keg for an extended lagering period.
Should I dry hop during primary ferment, during the diacetyl rest or wait until kegging for best flavor?

 

[SanPancho]

During the d rest, and limit oxygen as much as possible.

 

[IslandLizard]

I'm with @SanPancho ^

Since you keg, and have CO2 around, flush the headspace with CO2 after adding the dry hops.
Depending on your fermenter, you could flow CO2 into the headspace instead, while adding the dry hops to keep air from coming in. If in doubt, flush again afterwards.

I drilled a 1" access hole into my bucket lids, opposite the airlock hole. It's plugged up with a universal bung. I stream CO2 in through the airlock stem at a slow rate while tinkering with the beer.

 

[Bobcatbrewing42]

Thanks you guys. I will dry hop during the d rest. I have this lager in better bottle fermenters and I can easily dryhop while adding CO2. I use those nylon disposable socks that shoestores use for dry hopping. I just soak them with some vodka to sanitize, stretch them over a small glass, add the hops and tie a knot. They drop right into any fermenter or keg and don't leak hop bits at all. I save my yeast often so I don't want hop plant material in the yeast.

 

[IslandLizard]

I use those nylon disposable socks that shoestores use for dry hopping.

Don't constrict the hops, beer needs to be able to flow through to extract the hop oils.

Maybe add a few glass marbles to the bag and tie a string to the top so you can pull/dunk them to refresh the inside. Basically they need to 'bloom' during the dunking motion.

I've tried about every which way, and prefer to toss them in loose, and give them a gentle stir once or twice a day, while flowing CO2 into the headspace.

When I want to harvest the yeast I strain the leftover slurry through a large, fine mesh hop bag placed into a large funnel. Most hop and trub stays in the bag while suspended yeast flows through into the jar. It's almost perfect.

 

[SanPancho]

If you’re using noble hops they definitely don’t like o2. Flush well.

Agree w @IslandLizard that hops deserve to be free range. Let em swim. As for yeast, you can try and filter out the gunk. You can also use something tall and narrow like 1qt mason jar to let it all settle.

Best solution is to just oversize your starter. Then keep some of it stored for future starter use. You’ll always have clean yeast.