Dry hopping in primary, seeking advice

[jfish1183]

I have been dry hopping in my keg with pellets inside stainless tea balls which I leave in the keg the entire time, which has produced good aroma and flavor. But after reading some other threads I do not think I am getting the full potential out of my dry hopping. Someone else mentioned that the lower the temp the longer it would take for the hops to produce their full aromas and flavors. I put the hops into the keg, purge, then rack onto pellets within tea balls and carb immediately. My concern is that the hops are only exposed to cold conditions and I might not be getting as much out of dry hopping as I could with another process. I will usually, it's hard not to sneak a cup or two, let the beer sit for 7 days before drinking.


I liked the keg dry hoping method because it requires less transferring and I can carb and dry hop at the same time. Instead of doing the previously mentioned method, does anyone have an opinion on dry hopping in the primary? I don't want to transfer to my secondary in order to dry hop, I was thinking of dry hopping in the primary as soon as it reaches FG, letting it sit for 7 days, then racking and using gelatin in my keg to gather whatever hop material or other material might have gotten sucked into the keg. The guy I buy my grains/yeast from here in town said to use the gelatin in the keg, says first couple cups may be hazy buy after that its good to go. I never asked him about this recent idea of dry hopping in the primary.

Any comments?

 

[Yooper]

I sometimes dryhop in the keg, and sometimes dryhop in the primary. Both work well. If you want to dryhop in the keg, but want "more" out of the dryhops, why not keep the keg at room temperature for 3-5 days and then cool and carb? That seems like it would work perfectly for you.

But if you want to dryhop in the fermenter, just add the dryhops about 5-7 days before kegging. You can always add more dryhops to the keg, if the first round of dryhopping isn't enough.

 

[ron,ar]

So if I want to dry hop in the primary, I can use the tea ball after it reaches or is near FG without using a secondary? I want to dry hop for 7 days then bottle, I am concerned with hop material from the dryhopping ending up in the bottles. Should I use a secondary or maybe just allow more time in the bottling bucket to allow hop material to settle? I have never dry hopped before.
Thanks

 

[Yooper]

So if I want to dry hop in the primary, I can use the tea ball after it reaches or is near FG without using a secondary? I want to dry hop for 7 days then bottle, I am concerned with hop material from the dryhopping ending up in the bottles. Should I use a secondary or maybe just allow more time in the bottling bucket to allow hop material to settle? I have never dry hopped before.
Thanks

I wouldn't hop the minute it reaches FG- the hop oils can cling to yeast particles and give you less hops flavor and aroma. Wait until a week before packaging, and when the beer is fairly clear. If you're worried about hops debris, you can use a bag or a tea ball. Then rack to the bottling bucket for bottling.

 

[Stauffbier]

ron,ar do you have the ability to cold crash your primary? I dry hop with pellets in my primary. I just dump them in with no bag or anything. After 7 days I cold crash for 2-5 days, and it drops everything out nice and clear. Then package.

 

[ron,ar]

Yes, I have a fermentation chamber that I can cold crash with. I never have, but from what I have read I think maybe that will help with the hop material. Thanks

 

[jfish1183]

I sometimes dryhop in the keg, and sometimes dryhop in the primary. Both work well. If you want to dryhop in the keg, but want "more" out of the dryhops, why not keep the keg at room temperature for 3-5 days and then cool and carb? That seems like it would work perfectly for you.

But if you want to dryhop in the fermenter, just add the dryhops about 5-7 days before kegging. You can always add more dryhops to the keg, if the first round of dryhopping isn't enough.

Good idea