Dry hopping

[sccala]

Hello all. I'm a fairly new home brewer (currently on my 4th batch ever), and have a question. My saison is ready for secondary, but it calls for dry hopping. I have never done a dry hop. Do I add the hops into primary fermentation vessel for a day before going into secondary, or do I rack to secondary and then add the hops, and leave it like that until bottling day? Thanks!

Steve

 

[SouthernMaineBrewing]

From what I've read, it is common to put your dry hops in a secondary vessel and then rack from primary onto the hops in secondary. Some people throw the hops in there by themselves, and some people put them in muslin bags.

That being said, it is ok to dry hop in primary as well. In about a week and a half, I'll be dry hopping for the first time and plan to do it in secondary. I have a little more trub than I would like, so hopefully I'll lose a little bit of it along the way.

 

[sixxpoint]

Racking to secondary for dryhopping purposes alone is very unnecessary and more trouble than it's worth, especially as a newer brewer since you run the risk of oxygenating and spoiling the beer.

It would make things easier for you by dryhopping right in the primary. Just toss them in for about 5 days and proceed with bottling. Careful racking coupled with a fine mesh bag wrapped around the auto-siphon will help to keep out the trub.

 

[Ski12568]

If you plan a 5 day dry hop, put them in primary/secondary 5 days before the day you planned to keg/bottle.
Cold crash if you have the ability to so the hops fall to the bottom of the fermenter