Dry hopping

[Terek]

I getting ready to dry hop a brew and was wondering if anyone does any kind of sanitation to the hops. I'm using leaf. Was kind of thinking about steeping in boiling water for a few secs. To kill any nasties on them. Is this necessary or can I just toss em in? Never dry hopped before

 

[Beergnomes]

Hops do not need sanitizing, they have a natural astringent quality.

 

[JoseLima]

It all depends how your hops are stored. If you have your hops just throw in a open container in your fridge just hanging out with all other food and nasties then you need to throw them away and use other ones that have been stored properly. If you are dry hopping and if you stored hops in airtight or somewhat container with lid then all you so is just toss them in the flat beer. One good thing about flat beer is that it has past it's easily contaminated state it still can get oxidation so don't shake it. The alcohol in beer actual helps kill any nasties and helps preserve beer as hops are also natural preservative.

joselima

 

[fartinmartin]

Dry hop tip, put them in a weighted bag, it saves a lot of beer at the next stage and they are much easier to manage.
Dry hopping is grand.

 

[fartinmartin]

Of course a sanitised bag !

 

[Terek]

Thanks all. I kind of knew all these things in theory, but wanted to get inside info b4 just throwing them in. I store the hops i grow in vacuum bags in the freezer. Otherwise I just buy the day b4 I need them. (I will be dry hopping with my homegrown frozen ones)

 

[fartinmartin]

Then I suppose that how you dried them prior to freezing has to be considered.

Do you wish that they were fresh, straight from the vine?
Do they have to be dried ?
My heads is buzzing with what I think the aroma and fresh oils would be like from fresh hops.

 

[Terek]

Then I suppose that how you dried them prior to freezing has to be considered.

Do you wish that they were fresh, straight from the vine?
Do they have to be dried ?
My heads is buzzing with what I think the aroma and fresh oils would be like from fresh hops.

They Definetally are better fresh from the vine, but when you harvest 2-3 pounds, some enevitably have to be dried I tend to add a little more than is called for when they are fresh.

I have not tried to freeze them fresh, mabe try that this fall and see how they thaw out I love trying new things

I dry them with a food dehydrator. Was thinking about trying to dry a little in diff ways. Might dry some on the BBQ, or mabe even smoke em. New ideas, new ideas I love this hobby

 

[tootal]

Fresh hops must be dried before they are frozen. DAMHIK!