dry hopping

[Greg1820]

I'm planning to dry hop my current batch using leaf hops in a bag. I'll do this in the secondary and then blow in CO2 to reduce oxygen levels.
Do I need to worry about sterilizing the hops by dropping them into boiling water?
Or do I just sterilize the bag, insert hops, and put into the secondary?

Thanks!
G

 

[duboman]

Not the hops, just the bag you're putting them in.

Since you mention co2 I'll guess you keg? If so why not just dry hop in the keg

 

[BrewCityBaller]

I was going to make my own dry hopping thread, but since you got this started maybe I can hijack it...

Anything wrong with tossing pellets straight into the beer if I am going to rack it into a bottling bucket in five days anyway?

 

[ArcLight]

Anything wrong with tossing pellets straight into the beer if I am going to rack it into a bottling bucket in five days anyway?

Thats exactly what I did, but it was only three days. By the time I racked the pellets had dissolved and sunk into the trub.
I added them at room temperature and proceeded to cold crash.
I'm not sure how much additional aroma came through, maybe I shouldn't have cold crashed while dry hopping.

 

[BrewCityBaller]

Thats exactly what I did, but it was only three days. By the time I racked the pellets had dissolved and sunk into the trub.
I added them at room temperature and proceeded to cold crash.
I'm not sure how much additional aroma came through, maybe I shouldn't have cold crashed while dry hopping.

Alright awesome! That's approximately what I would have expected, but I wanted to make sure. I am going to dry-hop for five days, then bottle. It has been sitting for weeks so it is pretty well cleared up on it's own. Thanks for the input.

 

[THEBIX18]

I added my dry hops right before I pitched the yeast. I have since read that I shouldn't have done that since the CO2 production from fermentation can affect the quality of the dry hop. Two questions 1. Did I ruin the beer by dry hopping too early? 2. Should I do another dry hop before bottling to really get that effect into the beer?

Thanks

 

[duboman]

I added my dry hops right before I pitched the yeast. I have since read that I shouldn't have done that since the CO2 production from fermentation can affect the quality of the dry hop. Two questions 1. Did I ruin the beer by dry hopping too early? 2. Should I do another dry hop before bottling to really get that effect into the beer?



Thanks

So basically you dry hopped the wort since it's technically not beer until it ferments

Once it reaches FG take a sample and see how it tastes/smells...my guess is you'll want to dry hop it again at that point


Sent from the Commune

 

[ArcLight]

I added my dry hops right before I pitched the yeast. I have since read that I shouldn't have done that since the CO2 production from fermentation can affect the quality of the dry hop. Two questions 1. Did I ruin the beer by dry hopping too early? 2. Should I do another dry hop before bottling to really get that effect into the beer?

Thanks

The beer is certainly not ruined.

How long did you leave the beer on the hops?
The longer you dry hop the more you can pick up a grassy/vegetal taste.
If it's for 7-=10 days, it might be minor. Maybe for several weeks it would be noticeable. (but not ruined)

The yeast may interact with the hops compounds so this is an interesting experiment.

Worst case - the beer isn't quite as good as it could be, but it's not ruined.

Best case - you like it that way

 

[experimike]

+1.

Let the beer finish fermenting and you may need to dry hop (at a reduced quantity) to bring back the hop aroma.

 

[adixon3]

To get big hop aroma and flavor without the vegetable/chlorophyll effect in the shortest possible time. I find a “Hop Tea” to be far more effective than dry hopping, as well as using 1/2 -2/3 less hops.
I make up a wort of between 1.005 – 1.015, boil and transfer it to a french press in which I steep the hops, once the wort temp drops to 70C. I let it stand for 30 mins minimum before chilling in an ice-bath then pressing off the hops and adding the “tea”.
I leave it for a day or two at ferment temp for the added malt to ferment then keg as per usual.
I find not only the aroma and flavor to be cleaner and pronounced, but more stable, too. Lasting weeks longer than expected.

 

[fartinmartin]

If you put the hops in loose during early fermentation they form a floating raft above the krausen, providing you have room that's no problem, once the krausen weakens they sink into the brew on about day three.
Worrying about oxygen getting in with the hops is not necessary providing that you still have an active fermentation going , the yeast will deal with the oxygen.
If in a bag, it should be wieghted, with a spoon or a marble or three all sanitised, the hops don't need saitising.
If you ferment in glass it's great to watch the hops during the active fermentation , they really get a wild ride.