Dry Hopping in the Keg - How long until drinkable?

[HopDevil7]

Question for all you dry hop in the keggers. I've always dry hopped in the secondary so first time dry hopping this way for me. On 5/27 I originally dry hopped with 2 oz. Simcoe, 1 oz. Chinook, 1 oz. Amarillo, and 1 oz. Galazy (5.5 gallons). On 6/5 (afternoon) I racked my IPA onto 1 oz Chinook, 1 oz Amarillo, and 1 oz. Galazy pellet hops (in a paint strainer bag weighed down by marbles) into a keg. I set the PSI to 30 for 48 hours then back down to 10 on 6/7 (afternoon). Around 9 PM I took a sample and the IPA tasted very earthy/planty/etc. just overall not good (very different from post-phase 1 dry hopping).

My question - When dry hopping in a keg at 41 degrees, how long do you wait before you consider the beer "drinkable" - hops fully absorbed into the liquid? I am talking strictly about the dry hopping process and not about carbing. I am also thinking the first few will be exceptionally cloudy with lots of hop residue.

 

[wishingiwasfishing]

I sample throughout and take notes. Pellet and whole cone act differently. I would suggest you keg hop and partake in one sample every day...note the differences.

In my findings, the flavor and hop characteristics changed quite a bit as time went on. There seemed to be a point when the hop character changed...but I never got to an undrinkable stage. Aroma was fantastic!


Can't wait to read about your findings

 

[shortyz]

is this keg at room temp or chilled? i find if i dry hop in a chilled keg itll taste like shat for at least a week, super grassy.

 

[HopDevil7]

The keg is chilled at 41 degrees F.

I have definitely noticed a slight improvement already from day 2 to day 3 in terms of aroma and taste. The beer still has that gritty/grassy/earthy just bit into a hop pellet taste but I can definitely tell that it's getting better. Given the low temperature I'd have to agree with shortyz assessment. I think it will be at least a week before it's almost "there". I will report back.

 

[shortyz]

ya, this is why i stopped dry hopping at chilled temps. just leave the keg out for a couple days with the hops in it, i find that tastes better.

 

[alexnova]

I crashed it, then racked to keg and let it warm up to room temp overnight. Dry hopped for 3 days, then chilled again. Sampled after resting for 2 days and it came out quite tasty.