My Plan for Primary Dry-Hopping

[Clint Yeastwood]

I am thinking of dry-hopping my next brew. I have not done this since Bush II was in office, so I remember nearly nothing, and also, technology changes. I was using plastic buckets followed by unnecessary glass carboys, and oxygen went everywhere.

I'm reading up, and everyone seems to have a different way of doing it, and people like to say other people's ways are stupid. Big surprise, because everyone knows homebrewers always agree about everything. I would like to cut to the chase.

Based on what I'm seeing, I'm thinking of getting silicone-coated magnets, using them to stick a bag to the lid of my fermenting keg (Torpedo), and pulling the top magnet off once I hit FG. This is more or less what the Homebrew4Life guy says to do.

Will this get it done?

I like fermenting a little warm, under pressure, and I am committed to O2-free transfers.

Also, I'm considering dry-hopping my orange Crystal-and-Nugget lager the next time I brew it. Talk me out of it.

 

[MrFancyPlants]

Sounds like a good plan! Let me know if it works out.

I’ve been working up a dry hop strategy, So far, I dump them in before it is done fermenting.. to mixed results. I am pressure fermenting in a torpedo as well.

 

[Jim R]

The one problem that I would see with this is that you won't ever be able to get the dry hops out of the beer unless you then do a pressure transfer to a different keg. If you are going to serve out of that same keg, your dry hops will remain in the beer for the life of the beer. You could certainly get some off flavors from this.

I ferment in a Fermzilla All Rounder with magnets and sanitized dry hop bags. My favorite NEIPA recipe uses 2 separate dry hop intervals. I can carefully lower the different dry hop bags into the beer and then raise them back out of the beer at the correct intervals. I can also see exactly what I am doing with the clear fermenter.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

You are right. I forgot to give details. I ferment in 6-gallon Torpedoes with Fermcap, and I transfer under pressure to 5-gallon kegs.

I have an All-Rounder, too. I like the Torpedoes because they don't fatigue and crack, and they work great for chilling wort in the pool.