I want to dry hop a keg with a pale ale I recently brewed. The beer was brewed on 12/15, is currently in my primary, and is done fermenting. It will be served starting Thursday 1/22, and I absolutely expect it to be gone before the weekend is out. I have 2.5 ounces of Galaxy hops for the job, and I'm going to employ the weighted mesh bag with dental floss method. So here's my question. I plan on kegging it about 3 weeks before serving, so right around New Year's Day. I'm not worried about getting any "grassy" flavors as some worry about with extended dry-hopping, but I would like to serve the beer at the peak of that fresh hop flavor. I've heard anecdotal evidence that you've gotten all of the hop flavor you're going to muster after about 6-10 days, so would it behoove me to start carbing at serving temp, and then maybe 10 days before serving open the keg and add the hops, or are those 12 or so extra dys not really going to make a difference, and I should just go ahead and add the dry hops when I transfer from my primary?
Keg dry hopping question
- Thread starter BrettV
- Start date
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Add the hops after transfer. Carb at room temp for a few days (3), then adjust your pressure, and cool the keg to serving temp. It takes longer to get a hop effect when cold, so in 2-3 weeks, you should be right about in the Goldilocks Zone... and hit your target serving date. The three days at room temp just gets things moving a bit faster. ;-)
Once the keg is cold, you'll basically eliminate the chance for grassy flavors... especially if you plan on kicking it in a couple weeks. The hop presence will last longer and be more pronounced this way than if you were to dry hop, then remove the bag and carb.
Have a Happy New Year!
Once the keg is cold, you'll basically eliminate the chance for grassy flavors... especially if you plan on kicking it in a couple weeks. The hop presence will last longer and be more pronounced this way than if you were to dry hop, then remove the bag and carb.
Have a Happy New Year!
Thanks for the reply! Does it even matter if I'm carbing for those 3 days at room temp? Could I potentially just purge the oxygen from the keg and turn the gas off while it's at room temp, and then just keep the gas at serving PSI for the remaining ~18 days when it's cold?
No, you don't have to start carbing at room temp. You could add the hops and cool it down immediately. It'll take about 2-3 weeks to pull out all that hoppy goodness when it's cold though.
I just recommended the 3 days, then cool, because I know you're going to be sampling it during the carbonation process. You'll already have a hop presence then, and you'll have an idea of what it's gonna taste like when it's done.
Brewers can't help it. We have to taste our new beers!!!
I just recommended the 3 days, then cool, because I know you're going to be sampling it during the carbonation process. You'll already have a hop presence then, and you'll have an idea of what it's gonna taste like when it's done.
Brewers can't help it. We have to taste our new beers!!!
