dry hopping more than 14 days

[TacoGuthrie]

Hi all,

I racked to a secondary exactly 14 days ago and dry hopped with 1 oz of Centennial pellets. I would like to keep it in the secondary another week as the temperature of the brew room has been on the low side of fermenting temp range of the yeast at around 58.

My question is if i do keep it in the secondary for another week will there be any ill effects from the hops? I've read a few threads on it and get varying opinions such as "I don't dry hop more than 7 days for fear of grassy flavours" to "I leave them in there a month".

 

[double_e5]

It sounds like you have your answer.

My opinion:

I don't dry hop for more than 7 days because there is no point. In my experience 3-7 days does the same thing as longer periods of time.

 

[Dougan]

It sounds like you have your answer.

My opinion:

I don't dry hop for more than 7 days because there is no point. In my experience 3-7 days does the same thing as longer periods of time.

x2. I sometimes like to dry hop for only three days to add some hop flavor and avoid the grassy flavor. I've dry hopped for 7 days before and it was very grassy compared to three. I would guess that the difference between 7 and 20 is much smaller than the difference between 3 and 7. If it's been in there 14 days, I don't think your flavor is going to be changed much by another week on the hops.

 

[rsmith179]

Agreed. If you still need more time, I would try racking off of the hops into a clean carboy. You can still bulk age in the carboy, but it's best to go no more than 7 days with dry hopping. "Grassy" is the only flavor or aroma I can think of to describe beers that have been dry hopped for much longer than 7 days.

 

[TacoGuthrie]

Ok, thanks for your help everyone.

I think to play it safe I will rack off those hops to another carboy for another 5 days. I hope those grassy flavours haven't already happened.

hey maybe i'll add another oz for the last few days!

 

[ArcaneXor]

FWIW, my experience with dry hopping is very limited, but I had an IPA on an ounce of Cascade pellets for about three weeks, and there were no grassy flavors detectable - just grapefruity goodness.

 

[bull8042]

I have gone 2 weeks with no ill effects, but YMMV. I would rack off of them just to be on the safe side.

 

[Ridge Runner]

FWIW, my experience with dry hopping is very limited, but I had an IPA on an ounce of Cascade pellets for about three weeks, and there were no grassy flavors detectable - just grapefruity goodness.

Yeah me too. I regularly dry-hop my IPA for 2 weeks and I've never detected grassy flavors. Don't worry. It'll probably be fine.

 

[simps984]

I would rack, and if you wanted to really kick it up, drop in another batch of fresh dry hops!

 

[ifishsum]

I would rack, and if you wanted to really kick it up, drop in another batch of fresh dry hops!

I like this answer

Dry hopping to me seems to have the most flavor effect when done for the last 7 days or so, immediately prior to bottling. I have done it longer, and I have tasted those grassy flavors (not every time though), now I wait until it's been in secondary for a week before dry hopping. That way if I do wait a little longer to bottle, it's still not too long.

 

[TacoGuthrie]

that is it, I am gonna borrow a friend's carboy to rack to and drop another oz of centennials in there for the last week. give it an extra grapefruit kick!

I wonder if the grassy tastes come from certain hops? perhaps those with a mild grassy aroma to begin with get pushed forward more if they are dry hopped for longer periods.