Dry hopping, what would you do?

[JeffLacoy]

So I brewed last Monday, a 6.7% ipa, second beer, first time brewing alone. Dry hopped it this past Saturday in primary fermenter. Pulled a gravity of 1.012. I've read on the forums, and it all seems to be personal preference, but unfamiliar with how different hops are going to perform. Put in 2oz each of Amarillo, citra, galaxy. Used a bag, which I now regret since it's a bloated ball floating on top of the beer, even with a glass shot glass as a weight, so I'm probably not getting very good usage of them.

Forgot my wife had a trip planned for us from this Thursday til Sunday afternoon. Conflicted on pulling the hops at day 4.5, or letting them sit til day 8 and transfer to a keg Sunday. I've read of vegetal off flavors, which is my main concern, but don't know if that will be an issue at day 8. So I'm semi conflicted, do I just let it ride, and it should be no issue, or do I assume after 4-4.5 days I've gotten most of the usage out of the hops, and just cold crash while I'm gone, and it's ready to keg when I get back? Or leave them in and cold crash anyways?

Sorry, newbie jitters. ☺️

 

[Pantherjon]

I would let it ride til Sunday and then cold crash..If your worried about poor hops utilization the extra time will allow for that.

 

[JonM]

The vegetal thing is just hype. The official Pliny the Elder recipe that comes from Vinnie Cilurzo himself calls for two weeks of dry hops. Many of us leave dry hops in the keg until it kicks - months! and no grassy/vegetal flavors.

Just leave it be. It'll be fine.

 

[JeffLacoy]

I kind of figured as much, just needed some reassurance. �� I'm impatient, and thought my uncarbed sample was so good I'd have drank it without the dry hops!

 

[drgonzo2k2]

I do 2 day dry hops in all my non-sour beers, so I would advocate for pulling them early; however, you're not going to really get any difference at 4 days versus 8 days, so whatever works best for you.

 

[schatzke]

Let it ride. I leave a dry hop bag in the keg until it kicks which is usually a month

 

[JeffLacoy]

I do 2 day dry hops in all my non-sour beers, so I would advocate for pulling them early; however, you're not going to really get any difference at 4 days versus 8 days, so whatever works best for you.

Like I said, I'm fairly impatient, so a little nudge in this direction doesn't hurt. Wouldn't mind having it keg-ready when I get back!

 

[drgonzo2k2]

Like I said, I'm fairly impatient, so a little nudge in this direction doesn't hurt. Wouldn't mind having it keg-ready when I get back!

I try to get clean beers through the pipeline as soon as (is reasonably) possible, so 2 days versus 5-7 days in dry hop can make a big difference.

Recent studies have shown that you absorb all of the things you're looking for in a dry hop by 48 hours. I've done side-by-sides of 2 day dry hops and beers I used to dry hop for 5 and couldn't tell any difference, so I've gone with 2 day dry hops since.

 

[motosapiens]

I try to get clean beers through the pipeline as soon as (is reasonably) possible, so 2 days versus 5-7 days in dry hop can make a big difference.

do you find temperature to make a big difference?

I only just started controlling my temps more carefully, and it *seems* initially like dryhopping at 70 degrees really pulls a more aromatic and delicious flavor than at the ambient temp of 64 or so. but i might be imagining it, since i'm comparing different beers and different times and so forth.

 

[drgonzo2k2]

do you find temperature to make a big difference?

I only just started controlling my temps more carefully, and it *seems* initially like dryhopping at 70 degrees really pulls a more aromatic and delicious flavor than at the ambient temp of 64 or so. but i might be imagining it, since i'm comparing different beers and different times and so forth.

Honestly, every single dry hop I've ever done has been at 65F. I've been doing that for so long now that I don't even remember where I read that was the best practice. Thinking about it now, I should probably do some research in this area.

 

[JeffLacoy]

I've been at 66 for the past 3 days with 1318, didn't really see any reason to go any higher, as it hit fg in 5 days anyways.

Everything is an experiment at this point anyways. Gonna try to be drinking this next week. Lol.

 

[Transamguy77]

John M beat me too it, just let it ride. Next time try dry hoping in the keg, I've never had grassy flavors from leaving them in the keg.

 

[kh54s10]

IMO, if you get grassy it is either from the type of hop, or many months. I have done a couple in the keg, not removing until the beer was gone. No grassy. Since you are worried that the floating bag will not utilize the hops well, why not give it a chance and leave it for the 8 days? I always dry hop 5-7 days and have left some for two weeks without issue. I would say, if the hops are not packed tightly and are fully wet it will be OK. I have never used anything to weigh down my hop bag. I just push it under the surface and swirl it a bit until all the hops are wet then I leave it alone.