Dry Hopping

[Abrayton]

After about one year of homebrewing and searching for answers to, sometimes very obvious questions, I have noticed that there are a wide variety of opinions on almost every aspect of the brewing process, with no method probably more right or wrong than the other, just a matter of preference and what works for each Brewer. With that said, I am planning my first dry hopped beer. I am wondering what has worked best for you:
1. Dry hopping in primary
2. Dry hopping in secondary
3. Length of dry hop
4. Hop cones in muslin bag
5. Hop cones free floating
6. Cones vs pellets

 

[Beer-lord]

I rarely use a secondary and dry hop in the primary normally for 5-7 days. Many times split my hops into a 7 day and 3 day dry hop depending on the recipe. I go commando and cold crash for 24 hours before I keg. 95% of the time I use pellets.

 

[brandonlovesbeer]

Important note: wait to dry hop until fermentation is complete. Otherwise all the aeromatics go right out the air lock.

And I personally would use pellets. Less liquid soaked up. And more potent.

 

[Hayden512]

I use pellets straight in the primary after fermentation is complete. I've never used a hop bag. To me it's just another thing that could introduce infection. Never have had a problem.

 

[brew_darrymore]

1. Dry hopping in primary

Yes, no need to transfer to secondary.

2. Dry hopping in secondary

No need for that.

3. Length of dry hop

My dry hopping schedule for a 5 gallon IPA batch is: 2oz of hop pellets around day 7, 2oz on day 10, keg on day 14. Dry hopping in primary.


I've only used pellets, so I cannot comment on the rest of your questions.

 

[Atlmustang]

Agree with all above. Add pellets at day 7 or 2 days after active air lock activity has ceased right into the primary. Keg at 14 days.

 

[ScrewyBrewer]

What they said plus dry hops in keg using stainless steel hardware to weigh the hop sack down and a length of non-scented dental floss to pull the hop bag out after 5-7 days. Chilling and carbonating is optional while dry hoping in the keg.

 

[Jeepinctbrewer]

I rarely use a secondary and dry hop in the primary normally for 5-7 days. Many times split my hops into a 7 day and 3 day dry hop depending on the recipe. I go commando and cold crash for 24 hours before I keg. 95% of the time I use pellets.

When you cold crash all the hops settle to the bottom?
I would like to see a pic before and after . Thanks

 

[Morrey]

After about one year of homebrewing and searching for answers to, sometimes very obvious questions, I have noticed that there are a wide variety of opinions on almost every aspect of the brewing process, with no method probably more right or wrong than the other, just a matter of preference and what works for each Brewer. With that said, I am planning my first dry hopped beer. I am wondering what has worked best for you:
1. Dry hopping in primary
2. Dry hopping in secondary
3. Length of dry hop
4. Hop cones in muslin bag
5. Hop cones free floating
6. Cones vs pellets

I read thru to see if anyone had asked you if you plan to bottle these beers or rack to keg? Your answer determines your next step.

I keg, so I rack from primary to keg since my keg is actually a secondary for carbing and conditioning. Larger operations call their secondary's "brite tanks" which are great big kegs in theory. I drop hop pellets in muslin bags with dental floss line for retrieval right in the keg while carbing. I sample along the way and pull the bag when it hits the right level for my tastes.

If you plan to bottle, pellet hops in muslin bags give you predictable results in either your primary.... or secondary if you choose to rack off the yeast cake in primary before dry hopping.

 

[JB_Brewing2]

If one dry hops post fermentation, why is sanitation not an issue, or maybe it is? I've been dry hopping at "flame-out" (my brew rig is electric so I just turn off the element). I can see where aroma would be lost the way I have been doing it, but I'm concerned with sanitation. My dry hop pellets are contained in a stainless cylinder with a screw on cap. Would I just sanitize the cylinder and cap, insert my hops, then toss into the fermenter?

 

[dstockwell]

If I am going to save yeast, then I dry hop in secondary, if not then I don't use a secondary.

 

[jjw5015]

Important note: wait to dry hop until fermentation is complete. Otherwise all the aeromatics go right out the air lock.

False. See: any brewery making NE IPA's

 

[JB_Brewing2]

False. See: any brewery making NE IPA's

Thank you and could you provide a link to this please?

 

[jjw5015]

http://homebrewacademy.com/experimental-dry-hop-technique/

there's that and countless other articles on it. sort of the new technique lots of people are starting to discover and adopt

 

[Abrayton]

Thanks for the responses. Very helpful!

 

[Abrayton]

I am bottling, not kegging, and I only have hop cones for this one. Good to know for future that pellets seem to be the better choice.

 

[btbnl]

I drop hop pellets in muslin bags with dental floss line for retrieval right in the keg while carbing. I sample along the way and pull the bag when it hits the right level for my tastes.

Are you carbing cold? If so, do you notice any difference in how long it takes to get the dry hop flavors?

Do you do anything to purge oxygen from the hop bags before you put them in?

And when you want to remove the dry hops, presumably you disconnect the gas, de-pressurize the keg, open the lid, retrieve the bag, replace the lid, reconnect the gas, and re-pressurize again. Any issues with loss of aromatics from blowing all that gas out?

 

[Morrey]

Are you carbing cold? If so, do you notice any difference in how long it takes to get the dry hop flavors?

Do you do anything to purge oxygen from the hop bags before you put them in?

And when you want to remove the dry hops, presumably you disconnect the gas, de-pressurize the keg, open the lid, retrieve the bag, replace the lid, reconnect the gas, and re-pressurize again. Any issues with loss of aromatics from blowing all that gas out?

I rack from primary to keg, drop in the filled hop bag, bring the temp down and apply gas all at the same time. You MAY get better dry hop infusion at room temp, but I'm killing three birds with one stone carbing/cold crashing/ dry hopping at once. Plus I'm sampling daily to know when to pull the bag. Depends on the beer, but I'm usually pulling the bag in 3-5 days.

You are right about disconnecting gas, relieving pressure, open lid...all correct. I think the loss of aromatics would be very minimal if any...none that I can detect. The gas volume in the headspace of a full keg is a small volume. As long as the flavor/aroma is infused in the beer, the CO2 off gassing bubbles (fizzing) brings the aroma to your nose in the glass when served.

I spray a muslin bag lightly with star san (just in case), add hops, tie off and drop in. Since the bags I use are like cheesecloth, there is no real reason to purge.

If one dry hops post fermentation, why is sanitation not an issue, or maybe it is? I've been dry hopping at "flame-out" (my brew rig is electric so I just turn off the element). I can see where aroma would be lost the way I have been doing it, but I'm concerned with sanitation. My dry hop pellets are contained in a stainless cylinder with a screw on cap. Would I just sanitize the cylinder and cap, insert my hops, then toss into the fermenter?

Yes, I suggest you do that preventive sanitation measure as described. I lightly spray my muslin bags with star san before adding in hops and dropping into keg. However, fermented beer has an advantage to fight off infection since bacteria is typically held at bay by the alcohol present in the beer at this point. We are always careful for sure, but fresh wort is way more susceptible to infection compared to fermented beer.

One area of concern is dry hopping fresh fruits in fermented beers for flavor infusions. Hops are typically ok, but fruits carry tons of crazy bacteria on their skins making them very suspect. But we are talking hops, not fruits...sorry to wander off topic.

 

[PADave]

I use pellets straight in the primary after fermentation is complete. I've never used a hop bag. To me it's just another thing that could introduce infection. Never have had a problem.

Same here. Just dump pellets right into primary. I usually do 5-6 days.

 

[GHBWNY]

If one dry hops post fermentation, why is sanitation not an issue, or maybe it is? I've been dry hopping at "flame-out" (my brew rig is electric so I just turn off the element). I can see where aroma would be lost the way I have been doing it, but I'm concerned with sanitation. My dry hop pellets are contained in a stainless cylinder with a screw on cap. Would I just sanitize the cylinder and cap, insert my hops, then toss into the fermenter?

By the end of fermentation, enough alcohol is produced to scare off any potential bug that may have attached itself to, although highly unlikely, pellets in a nitro-sealed package. Usually go commando at end of primary. Dry-hop 5 days.

 

[jan_b19]

After about one year of homebrewing and searching for answers to, sometimes very obvious questions, I have noticed that there are a wide variety of opinions on almost every aspect of the brewing process, with no method probably more right or wrong than the other, just a matter of preference and what works for each Brewer. With that said, I am planning my first dry hopped beer. I am wondering what has worked best for you:
1. Dry hopping in primary
2. Dry hopping in secondary
3. Length of dry hop
4. Hop cones in muslin bag
5. Hop cones free floating
6. Cones vs pellets

I might have (accidentally) dry hopped a batch that was pitched on Sunday, instead of the one that i pitched 3 weeks ago (late night, tired, you know...) I guess I'll see how it goes.

 

[Morrey]

Important note: wait to dry hop until fermentation is complete. Otherwise all the aeromatics go right out the air lock.

And I personally would use pellets. Less liquid soaked up. And more potent.

Quoting BYO Magazine article by Donald Million in September 2003. Dry hopping during active fermentation is not recommended since off gassing carries your hop aroma away with the gas and out of the airlock. You are correct.

False. See: any brewery making NE IPA's

Not sure why these breweries choose to lose all the hop aroma they are hoping to retain.

If one dry hops post fermentation, why is sanitation not an issue, or maybe it is? I've been dry hopping at "flame-out" (my brew rig is electric so I just turn off the element). I can see where aroma would be lost the way I have been doing it, but I'm concerned with sanitation. My dry hop pellets are contained in a stainless cylinder with a screw on cap. Would I just sanitize the cylinder and cap, insert my hops, then toss into the fermenter?

Dry hopping, by definition, is the addition of hops after the wort has cooled. In most cases hops are added during secondary (keg is a secondary too) after fermentation. Adding hops while the wort is hot is a flameout addition. When adding hops post fermentation, the presence of alcohol and lower ph helps ward off potential bacterial infection when hops are introduced even though hops are not a good host for bacteria to begin with.

 

[Singletrack]

I believe it is called "cold hopping" now.

 

[jjw5015]

Something about the biotransformation and the interaction of hops and yeast has actually disproven the idea of fermentation driving off all the hop aroma. It's pretty much standard for many breweries to add fermentation hops. Maybe they'll be called something else going forward besides 'dry hops'

 

[kh54s10]

If one dry hops post fermentation, why is sanitation not an issue, or maybe it is? I've been dry hopping at "flame-out" (my brew rig is electric so I just turn off the element). I can see where aroma would be lost the way I have been doing it, but I'm concerned with sanitation. My dry hop pellets are contained in a stainless cylinder with a screw on cap. Would I just sanitize the cylinder and cap, insert my hops, then toss into the fermenter?

Your process is more accurately called a flameout or whirlpool hop addition. It will add flavor and aroma. A true dry hop will add more aroma. I sometimes do both.

I have a cylinder (haven't used it yet) and have used paint strainer bags. I sanitize them then add the hop and toss them in. The last time was straight into the keg. Very easy and it worked very well. I figure the alcohol will inhibit anything the sanitizing didn't kill.

 

[kh54s10]

http://homebrewacademy.com/experimental-dry-hop-technique/

there's that and countless other articles on it. sort of the new technique lots of people are starting to discover and adopt

So in this article 2 liked the dry hop during fermentation and 2 liked the post fermentation.

All of them said there was nice aroma from all but 2 said the post fermentation aroma was more intense.

Sounds like post fermentation gives the most intense aroma. During fermentation may give a more rounded aroma.

I see the test as inconclusive. But gives the option of dry hopping when you want to.

If getting to .004 away from FG is important, I will skip that process. I wouldn't want to watch over my beer to add the hops at precisely the right time. My palate is not that sensitive anyway, I doubt I could tell the difference.

 

[jjw5015]

So in this article 2 liked the dry hop during fermentation and 2 liked the post fermentation.

All of them said there was nice aroma from all but 2 said the post fermentation aroma was more intense.

Sounds like post fermentation gives the most intense aroma. During fermentation may give a more rounded aroma.

I see the test as inconclusive. But gives the option of dry hopping when you want to.

If getting to .004 away from FG is important, I will skip that process. I wouldn't want to watch over my beer to add the hops at precisely the right time. My palate is not that sensitive anyway, I doubt I could tell the difference.

I agree, I was just pointing out that the idea of it DOES exist and it isn't written in stone that all dryhopping must be after a secondary fermentation is complete and it's becoming pretty common to hop during fermentation.

 

[Morrey]

One more "real life" dry hopping variable to add in this discussion. Dry hopping cold beer vs dry hopping room temp beer.

I racked a 10G lager into two 5G kegs. I immediately knew I had undershot the IBU's I targeted making dry hopping at least one option to semi-adjust.

Into the first 5G keg I dropped in a muslin hop bag with 1oz hops, then cooled and carbed with set and forget CO2.

Other keg (no chiller space) was dry hopped and left in ambient room temps (70F) waiting for chiller space. Both kegs dry hopped 5 days.

The cold hopped beer was smooth and had a subtle hop profile from the infusion, definitely an improvement prior to dry hopping. The warm hopped beer seemed to have taken on a more hoppy profile than the cold version, but the edges seem a bit harsh. Even when chilling and carbing, that edge stayed in the beer.

From this impromptu test I concluded I like the cold hopped beer the best.

 

[Deckers_Beers]

False. See: any brewery making NE IPA's

Most of the recipes I've seen for NE IPAs have a few rounds of dry-hops - 1st just before fermentation stops, the 2nd and 3rd following more "traditional" dry-hopping schedules.

I believe that the dry-hops mixing with the still-active yeast lends to the "juicy" quality, and the rest of the aroma from the latter dry-hops.

 

[mgregg]

I'm a fan of dry hopping in secondary. I usually do 2 weeks in primary then rack to secondary. I use pellets in loosely tied muslin bags. I sterilize the bags by boiling them in the microwave for 10 minutes. Dry hop for 1 or 2 4 day cycles depending on the beer, then I keg or bottle. I know using the secondary adds an unnecessary step, but I usually don't have the room to cold crash and I've found it keeps my beers clearer this way.