How long to leave dry hops in?

[mpoiesz]

Is there a time limit on how long dry hops should be left in the beer? I put some in when fermentation ended (1 oz. Centennial,used a muslin bag) and am wondering if they can cause any off flavors or problems if left in for too long. They have been in there for a week and I am not planning on bottling for another couple of weeks.

Couldnt find the answer on the forums anywhere, but I might have missed it.

Thanks!

 

[BryceL]

The consensus seems to be that about 2 weeks is the max you want to leave your dry hops in. Beyond that and you can start to get some vegital off flavors. 5 to 7 days is my usuall dry hop schedule.

 

[Yooper]

I add the dryhops to the beer about 3-7 days before packaging. Once the beer is clear, I'll dryhop then and try to package about 5 days after that if I can. I've gone longer, but this is one case where longer isn't better.

 

[Clonefan94]

I usually go 5-7 days and then immediately into the keg. My only reasoning for that though, is the information gathered here.

I've actually wanted to do a side by side aroma test and may do that this summer with my 2 2.5 gallon kegs. I'm curious if I dry hop one for 5 days, and another one 10, if I will notice a hop difference, or if there is a number of days where you've gotten all you can.

 

[mpoiesz]

Thanks for the replies!! Guess I should get those little guys out of there

 

[Calder]

I usually dry hop for 10 days. I don't care what others say, there is data out there that says you are still getting hop oils out of the hops at that time and longer. And if the hops are in a bag rather than free, it can take longer.

The other side of the debate is that you can get grassy flavors if you leave them in longer than ....... again varies, but seems people say between 7 and 14 days when it starts.

I have often left dry hops in for 14 days without problems. Maybe my taste threshold is not sufficient to taste them? I once left dry hops in for 4 months (not on purpose) and it was an excellent hoppy beer with no problems. It had been designed to be hoppy with all the IBUs from hop bursting in the final 15 minutes, so maybe that overshadowed any 'grassy' flavor.

All I'm trying to say is that you are probably OK leaving them it longer. If you do (or do not) have an issue, you will know for future. If you bottle after 7 days, you will believe what you have been told, and never really know for sure. I'm sure there are a lot of people who have gotten grassy flavors from leaving hops in a long time, but I wonder how many just repeat that because that is what they have been told - my experience is that I don't get it.

 

[Clonefan94]

I usually dry hop for 10 days. I don't care what others say, there is data out there that says you are still getting hop oils out of the hops at that time and longer. And if the hops are in a bag rather than free, it can take longer.

The other side of the debate is that you can get grassy flavors if you leave them in longer than ....... again varies, but seems people say between 7 and 14 days when it starts.

I have often left dry hops in for 14 days without problems. Maybe my taste threshold is not sufficient to taste them? I once left dry hops in for 4 months (not on purpose) and it was an excellent hoppy beer with no problems. It had been designed to be hoppy with all the IBUs from hop bursting in the final 15 minutes, so maybe that overshadowed any 'grassy' flavor.

All I'm trying to say is that you are probably OK leaving them it longer. If you do (or do not) have an issue, you will know for future. If you bottle after 7 days, you will believe what you have been told, and never really know for sure. I'm sure there are a lot of people who have gotten grassy flavors from leaving hops in a long time, but I wonder how many just repeat that because that is what they have been told - my experience is that I don't get it.

Yeah, this is why I am considering doing a side by side test this summer. Splitting a batch in half. Doing my regular 5-7 day with half of it and then letting the other one go for longer, maybe even go beyond that 2 week time, just to see what happens. I'm not really concerned about the grassyness as much as, does going beyond 7 days add any more hop character to the beer.

 

[rideincircles]

I dry hopped for 3 weeks on a pale ale and got grassy flavors. That is when it is too long. 2 weeks should be about the max.

 

[helibrewer]

Reading the Hops book now and there are brewers that swear by no more than 72 hours and there are others that go 2 weeks. Appears to be no cut and dry number with experimentation being the true test. The time will vary between hop varieties also which complicates it a bit.

 

[Tim H]

If a beer should condition for let's say.....30 days, but the instructions say dry hop for five days after the first five.........Does it matter if I hop later in the schedule to avoid racking to secondary and then kegging? I've been reading that leaving your beer in primary for a while has good flavor benefits (and I don't want to deal with oxidization with transferring.

I am just wondering if there is a science behind when the hops need to go into the beer (early vs. later).

 

[kh54s10]

Then again many use dry hop cylinders in kegs and leave them in for the duration of the keg. I have gone as long as a month in keg without detecting any grassy...

 

[desabat]

If a beer should condition for let's say.....30 days, but the instructions say dry hop for five days after the first five.........Does it matter if I hop later in the schedule to avoid racking to secondary and then kegging? I've been reading that leaving your beer in primary for a while has good flavor benefits (and I don't want to deal with oxidization with transferring.

I am just wondering if there is a science behind when the hops need to go into the beer (early vs. later).

Consensus seems to be that it is temp specific. If you dry hop cold (ie in a serving keg) you can leave the hops much longer than if dry hoping at conditioning temp.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Consensus seems to be that it is temp specific. If you dry hop cold (ie in a serving keg) you can leave the hops much longer than if dry hoping at conditioning temp.

I lean toward this. I dry hop in my spunding/serving keg and never get grassy flavors or anything like that, even when the keg lasts for months, but the keg usually only stays at fermentation temp for max 1 week before chilling to serving temps.

 

[Tim H]

Thanks for the advice. So much to learn......

 

[Tim H]

What type of bag/canister do you use in the keg for hops?

 

[kh54s10]

One of these, you can get them at any online home brew supply or your LHBS, even Amazon.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

View attachment 638014 One of these, you can get them at any online home brew supply or your LHBS, even Amazon.

That's what I use as well. Some particles will still get through the screen, but it filters the majority of it.

 

[Cavpilot2000]

Yeah, the grassy flavors are either a function of temp or too high pH, my personal jury is still out, but I lean toward extended time at warm temps.

 

[ReaperOnefour]

Yeah, the grassy flavors are either a function of temp or too high pH, my personal jury is still out, but I lean toward extended time at warm temps.

 

[ReaperOnefour]

I dry hop in primary. (Which is always for 14 days.) I use a metal cylinder that has a mesh screen, but you can use a muslin bag also. If you do use a muslin bag you are going to have to use a weight. Marbles work great. Just make sure that you sanitize the bag, & the marbles. I usually add the hops on day 10 of primary, then bottle on day 14. I always get a good flavor & aroma. DO NOT dry hop for more than 7 days, or you will get a grassy flavor to your beer. Some people like that taste,but i don't. Home brewing is all about fun, do what works best for you. The great thing about home brewing is that you can make your beer taste exactly how you want it. Hope this helps. Welcome to the forum. Have fun, & happy brewing.