First time Dry-Hopping

[mikeymjr23]

I am dry hopping in my primary to give it some extra flavor. I got the idea from a few buddies who have done it over and over, as well as the owner of our local BYO store...

But I've read online that it can leave hop particles in my beer. How do I go about making sure that this doesn't happen?

I've read that folks put muslin bags or even paint strainers over the end of the auto-siphon. I've also read of people who have had no concern what so ever with the particles.

I've also heard that cold-crashing can help drop some particles, but I want to make sure I'm not screwing things up...

Anyone with any advice?

 

[mrgrimm101]

As far as my understanding goes, it will give it a lot of hop aroma but not as much to flavor at this point. I dry hop in primary using pellet hops, and yes they break apart and I've occasionally gotten hop particles in bottles. The paint strainer bag or muslin bag method works for some.

Cold crashing will indeed help drop out particles or any break material that may be suspended. It can compact things down to a nice, tight cake at the bottom of your vessel. However, you have to make sure the temps are right. I've been told that anything above freezing should be fine, but from my research I would say that the ideal temp is about 35F-45F, more leaning toward the lower end of that range. Cold crash for a few days and you should notice a difference, and many say this leads to clearer beer as well.

Worst case, you get a few hop particles in your bottles. They will settle with the yeast in the bottom of the bottle, and if they don't o well. I've had some floaty hop particles before in my brews, and while it doesn't look good for guests who are drinking your IPA, it doesn't hurt anything either.

Good luck

 

[mikeymjr23]

Thanks!

That's pretty much what I was hoping for...I want the hop aroma!

 

[mrgrimm101]

Thanks!

That's pretty much what I was hoping for...I want the hop aroma!

Yea it can really make an IPA pop. :fro:

 

[Remmy]

I've cold-crashed dry-hopped beer before (without use of a muslin bag) and you will still get some hop particles in the beer. Are you bottling or kegging?

If you're bottling, you will let them sit at room temp for a few weeks until they carb and then refrigerate for a few days, at least. In which case, most of the stuff will drop. If kegging, carb the beer and let it sit in the keezer/fridge for a few days and your first few pulls will get most of the hop matter out. The cold works wonders.

 

[bobbrews]

Assuming your recipe and processes are solid, you will get both flavor and aroma by dryhopping an inherently hoppy beer, like an APA or IPA. Hop flavor and aroma go hand-in-hand when it comes down to the total drinking experience.

Home Depot & Lowes sells a 3-set pack of gallon paint strainer bags for $3-5. If you're dryhopping in a bucket, then it makes sense to toss the hops in the bag, seal, and add to the bucket. However, try squeezing a bulge of wet hop matter larger than your fist in and then out of the narrow neck of a carboy. I find it much easier to toss the pellets directly into the beer.

When it comes time to rack, secure the paint strainer bag with a rubber band or tie around the racking cane (the piece of equipment that you use to siphon the beer from the primary to bottling bucket). Using the mesh bag as cane "filter" not only prevents much of the particles from being transferred, but it also prevents clogging while racking. Rack from the top (do not use a bottom spout) and carefully position the racking cane midway, pressing toward the side of the vessel. When the volume gets low, tilt the vessel on a book and rack as much as you can before sucking up the trub.

Your biggest asset when it comes to cutting down on trub and hop matter is to avoid disturbing the vessel and to let gravity work for you... (even more important than cold crashing and using gelatin). Keep the vessel where you plan to bottle, preferably at counter height, from brew day to bottle day. This will help immensely.

If you can cold crash at counter height while not disturbing the trub, then great. Do both. If not, skip the cold crash. What's the sense of cold crashing in a chest cooler, basement floor, outside, or in a refrigerator to get a clearer beer when you will later have to move the vessel when you plan to bottle? All that movement will just create a cloudy beer and negate the benefits of cold crashing.

 

[Jim311]

I'm lazy so I just throw the pellets right in the fermenter. The hops will drop out down into the trub anyway. Just be careful when transferring it to your bottling bucket. You can use the hop sock over the racking cane method but I just try not to get the cane too far down into the bottle to suck up the trub. Don't get greedy and just be careful. Don't shake around the carboy or anything either.

 

[masaba]

I dry hopped an amber with 4 oz of whole leaf hops. Dry-hopped for 4 days, cold crashed, then strained with the sanitized home-depot paint strainer bag over the siphon. There was great aroma in the beer and no hop particles at all in any of the bottles.

 

[GHBWNY]

I dry hop in primary, rack to secondary --- the only time I do a secondary --- and it eliminates almost all the hop particles. Racking to bottling bucket takes care of any strays.

 

[paperairplane]

Dry hop in primary, cold crash, siphon carefully. Or don't - I keg so first beer or two may have a little floatie... big deal.

 

[Maxkling]

For those who say dry hopping adds no flavor, pop a pellet in your mouth and let me know how it tastes...

If you taste nothing then I guess your right.

You have to be careful because it can add a grassy and or vegetal taste if done too long, too much, or wrong hop selection.

 

[mikeymjr23]

Thanks guys! I added Amarillo hops in this afternoon. I'll be going to Home Depot tomorrow to get a paint straining bag for the siphon. I'm going to bottle Friday I guess?

Was thinking about putting in a back room, where there is no heat, and doing a "cold crash" of sorts overnight. How do I ensure that my 3 piece doesn't suck back into the beer? Of if it does, what does that mean? I use iodopher, so starsan isn't an option really. I've got a bottle of vodka, and I've read that some use that in the airlock. If it won't affect my beer at all, I'll just use that, but I wan't sure.