Dry hopping in kegs--timing question

[jsguitar]

I've never dry hopped in the keg before but I'm going to with the IPA and pale ale I have going. I'm going to get some of those sure screens and just throw some whole hops directly in the keg.

Since they're ten gallon batches and I'll be kegging them in five gallon cornies, should I hold off on dry hopping 1/2 of each batch while I drink some of the first 5 gallons? I'm wondering how the dry hop flavor will be if I dry hopped both kegs at the same time and didn't start drinking the second until after finishing the first. Will the dry hop flavor get too strong?

If I did carb the one keg without the dry hops added, will the carbonation make it harder to do?

 

[cruelkix]

I've never dry hopped in the keg before but I'm going to with the IPA and pale ale I have going. I'm going to get some of those sure screens and just throw some whole hops directly in the keg.

Since they're ten gallon batches and I'll be kegging them in five gallon cornies, should I hold off on dry hopping 1/2 of each batch while I drink some of the first 5 gallons? I'm wondering how the dry hop flavor will be if I dry hopped both kegs at the same time and didn't start drinking the second until after finishing the first. Will the dry hop flavor get too strong?

If I did carb the one keg without the dry hops added, will the carbonation make it harder to do?

I use a thin mesh hop sack, just like one you would use in your boil kettle. I sanitize it and throw some sort of Stainles Steel weight (like a nut or some sort of fitting) in there.

GET READY!! When you drop the hops in, if the beer is already carbed, it is going to foam like crazy. Get the lid back on the corny fast and seal it up!

I would hold off on dry hoping the second one. Hops degrade quickly, and even as you drink the first one you will see a noticable change in hop flavor from the first pint to the last. I love it 2-3 days after I dry hop, but I LOVE hops. Most people like it like 5 days after from my experience with my friends.

Have fun!! What kind of hops are you going to dry hop with? BTW it doesnt take much. 1 oz in 5 gallons is a pretty big punch depending on which hops you use of course.

 

[jsguitar]

GET READY!! When you drop the hops in, if the beer is already carbed, it is going to foam like crazy. Get the lid back on the corny fast and seal it up!

Have fun!! What kind of hops are you going to dry hop with? BTW it doesnt take much. 1 oz in 5 gallons is a pretty big punch depending on which hops you use of course.

Thanks. I wondered if it would be hazardous!

The IPA is loosely based on a Two Hearted clone. I'm planning on throwing an oz of Centennial in each keg for that one.

The Pale Ale is something I just came up with. I'm planning on using 1/2 oz of Cascade in each keg for that one.

 

[Yooper]

In my experience, dryhopping at fridge temps doesn't seem to have the same "grassy" effect that dryhopping at room temperature does, so I've left my hops in for the life of the keg without any off-flavors. But if you're keeping one keg at room temperature, I'd probably only dryhop for 10 days max and then pull the hops.

 

[jsguitar]

Thanks Yooper. I'm actually going to have them all in the keezer at the same time so would you just dry hop them all at the same time then?

 

[Scallywag]

I brew and keg 10 gallon batches. I always dry hop both 5 gallon kegs at the same time, before carbonation. Never had bad results.

 

[jsguitar]

Ok, thanks Yooper and Scallywag. I think I'll go ahead and just dry hop the whole thing and see how they progress since grassiness doesn't seem to be an issue at the cold temps. I can always try it the other way another time. Easier sounds about right right now.

 

[cruelkix]

I brew and keg 10 gallon batches. I always dry hop both 5 gallon kegs at the same time, before carbonation. Never had bad results.

Yeah There would be no bad flavors from it. The reason I suggested waiting was because I'm a hop head and if the hops are sitting in the keg for the entire life of the first keg (3-4 weeks at my place) before I even get to the second one, the hop flavor bomb will have calmed down a bit

But it will be totally fine either way.

Like Yooper, I leave my hops in for the entire life of the keg and have never had any off flavors from it. Always in the keezer of course.