Dry hopping in secondary

[Rob2010SS]

One more noob question. Assuming someone was going to do a secondary fermentation vessel with dry hopping, at what point would you add the hops? Could you have the hops in the bottom of the vessel as you were syphoning in the beer or would you syphon the beer, let it sit for a while, and then add hops? To me it would make more sense to just have them in there already when you syphon but I figured I'd better get some input on this one.

Thanks.

 

[hezagenius]

Why not dry hop in the primary?

 

[Morrey]

One more noob question. Assuming someone was going to do a secondary fermentation vessel with dry hopping, at what point would you add the hops? Could you have the hops in the bottom of the vessel as you were syphoning in the beer or would you syphon the beer, let it sit for a while, and then add hops? To me it would make more sense to just have them in there already when you syphon but I figured I'd better get some input on this one.

Thanks.

You can do it either way and the end result should be about the same. I keg my beers so I'll rack my beer into the keg then add my dry hop addition in afterwards. I use a muslin bag or a hop strainer so the hops don't clog up my dip tube when I am done dry hopping.

If you use a secondary such as a carboy, hop trub should all settle out if you drop in loose hop pellets and rack the beer on top, or simply add the pellets after the beer is in there. I am still hesitant to let those hops loose in the beer and still use muslin bags in a carboy if used as a secondary. If you use a bag, make several smallish bags so you can get them thru the neck of the secondary/carboy when they hydrate and swell. Tie some dental floss to the bag and hang the floss out of the neck secured by the bung.

Yet another way is some folks dry hop right in the primary. Multiple choices you have and they all work.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Why not dry hop in the primary?

Hezagenius, I believe I am going to just dry hop in the primary. However, I've been doing a lot of reading and this question just came up as I was reading about the people that still do dry hop in a secondary. People talk about whether or not to dry hop in the primary or secondary but they don't really talk about when they add them in the secondary. So, I was just curious really.

Morrey, thanks for the info.

 

[hezagenius]

What style of beer are you brewing?

 

[Morrey]

Hezagenius, I believe I am going to just dry hop in the primary. However, I've been doing a lot of reading and this question just came up as I was reading about the people that still do dry hop in a secondary. People talk about whether or not to dry hop in the primary or secondary but they don't really talk about when they add them in the secondary. So, I was just curious really.

Morrey, thanks for the info.

There is yet another technique for you to investigate if you are so inclined, and that is dry hopping in the primary while the yeast is still actively fermenting. This is called biotransformation and I use this technique when I am brewing New England IPA's. If you anticipate your final gravity to be a certain number (your FG goal), you'd add the dry hops in your final stages of active fermentation by checking the gravity.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Hezagenius, I'm brewing the grapefruit pulpin IPA from NB.

 

[bigdawg86]

Why not dry hop in the primary?

I am brewing Wolf Among Weeds from NB and it calls for 5oz in primary for 3 days, rack to secondary on another 3oz for another 3 days.

I think with this beer kit it's a volume thing, cause that's a TON of hops (my first IPA so it just seems like alot)

 

[hezagenius]

@Rob2010SS and @bigdawg86

The main reason I don't use a secondary for hoppy beers is that any time you rack to a different vessel, you are risking exposure to oxygen and that can kill your hop flavors.

If you are going to use a secondary for dry hopping, you want to make sure you fill up the vessel. You don't want to leave any headspace in there for oxygen.

 

[eadavis80]

His original question was whether to dry hop in secondary before or after racking his beer in there - not whether he should dry hop in primary. So, to the OP - I will put the hops in first and then rack if I'm only going to leave the beer in secondary for 1 week. If I plan on letting the beer sit in secondary for 2 weeks or more, then I'll rack first. IME, add hops 1 week prior to bottling day.

 

[ReaperOnefour]

Do not dry hop for more than 7 days. I usually add the hops 4 days before I intend to bottle. Depending on your own preference. Based on my own experience you tend to get a little grassy taste after 5 days. Which is why I add the hops at 4 days.

 

[MHBT]

There is yet another technique for you to investigate if you are so inclined, and that is dry hopping in the primary while the yeast is still actively fermenting. This is called biotransformation and I use this technique when I am brewing New England IPA's. If you anticipate your final gravity to be a certain number (your FG goal), you'd add the dry hops in your final stages of active fermentation by checking the gravity.

i have a beer in primary now which calls for a 2 stage dry hop..One being when the yeast is active like you said but i have no clue how i will get the 1st round of dry hops out of the carboy..if i just left them in im pretty sure i will have a grass bomb

 

[Morrey]

i have a beer in primary now which calls for a 2 stage dry hop..One being when the yeast is active like you said but i have no clue how i will get the 1st round of dry hops out of the carboy..if i just left them in im pretty sure i will have a grass bomb

I wont be much help here since I use fermenters and conicals with large lids/ports to simply pluck the hop bags out when done. With a carboy, I'd use several small bags with maybe an ounce each tied to floss for retrieval. I don't think 3 or 4 ounces of swelled hops would be able to come out of the small neck in one bag.