Dry hopping in the keg/preserving the yeast cake

[Butcher]

Two questions in one, any issues with dry hopping in the keg? I think I have heard of people doing it and as long as it is in a good mesh container the hops shouldn't clog the beer line. Basically I forgot to dry hop but really would like to have the beer in the keg in the next day or two.

The yeast cake from the batch I want to keg is being used for a beer Im brewing Sunday. As long as I leave a layer of beer on top of the yeast I should be good to let it sit a day or two before putting the next batch on it, correct?

 

[pcollins]

About the yeast cake: you're fine. I've left mine just over a week and it's fine. You're exactly right, leave an inch or so of beer on top of the yeast cake and you're good to go.

 

[Nightshade]

You can dry hop in the keg but don't just leave it in there permanently.

Dry hop to taste then pull it.

 

[Butcher]

What happens if it is left in there too long?

 

[Herky21]

It'll taste like grass.

 

[djevans3]

When I dry hop in the keg I tie the hop sack to the lid of the keg. This way once I've drank the beer down after a couple weeks from carbonating and drinking it isn't suspended in the beer anymore so you don't have to open it back up. With no oxygen in the keg it doesn't get foul either.

 

[erikpete18]

It'll taste like grass.

Although from my experience, if you're doing this dry-hopping while the keg is in the fridge (ie cold) you can go a lot longer without them giving grassy off-flavors. I let some sit in a keg of IPA for a few months and they never turned grassy, so long as you keep it cool. I like the idea of tying a string to it, even if you leave it long enough that its always submerged, it will make taking it out a lot easier.

Also, definitely get one of the mesh dip tube covers. I've heard a stainless scrubby will work, or I think Austin HB was selling some for fairly cheap a while back. I used whole hops and tossed them into a sanitized grain sack. It was alright for a while, but after about a month or so I was having to clean out the "out" poppit every week or so to prevent a bunch of clogging and foaming.

 

[humann_brewing]

Although from my experience, if you're doing this dry-hopping while the keg is in the fridge (ie cold) you can go a lot longer without them giving grassy off-flavors. I let some sit in a keg of IPA for a few months and they never turned grassy, so long as you keep it cool. I like the idea of tying a string to it, even if you leave it long enough that its always submerged, it will make taking it out a lot easier.

Also, definitely get one of the mesh dip tube covers. I've heard a stainless scrubby will work, or I think Austin HB was selling some for fairly cheap a while back. I used whole hops and tossed them into a sanitized grain sack. It was alright for a while, but after about a month or so I was having to clean out the "out" poppit every week or so to prevent a bunch of clogging and foaming.

Yep, this is how I often double dry hop. One dose in the fermenter and another in the keg where it is cold and left there until the keg kicks.

 

[igotsand]

I've always dryhopped in the keg...longest was 3 months and perfectly fine..
I tie the unscented dental floss to the keg lid and also add marbles to the mesh bag to weigh it down..
Igotsand