Newbie: Dry-hopping Question

[BigWilly1231]

Ok so I am working on my first batch. It is an IPA, with Simcoe, Amarillo, and Cascade hops (pellet).

I am ready to dry hop using Simcoe, and Amarillo

Yet here is my question. When making my wort I didn't read that I should have filtered out my hops so they are still in the fermenter along with my liquid yeast. It is now been about 10 days and there is no visible signs of bubbling.

So I was wondering if I should transfer my beer to a secondary fermenter for the dry-hopping process.

Wondering if this will make a clearer beer?

Also I am using a plastic ALE PAIL and wondering if it is OK just to transfer into another plastic ALE PAIL or should I transfer to a glass carboy?

 

[mrtrav]

I always go to secondary for my dry hopping. I haven't done any side by side comparisons as far as leaving the beer on the yeast for dry hopping or not, however I like to take it off of the yeast to avoid any off flavors that I don't intend on having. However I have always noticed that my dry hopped beers are never as clear as non-dry hopped.

Second, always use glass over plastic whenever possible. The plastic can get scratches and harbor bacteria, all bad.

 

[beerkrump]

Are you planning on just dropping the pellets in the fermenter? If so, you should be fine.

Also, as you peruse the forum, you'll find multiple threads you'll eventually come across "Do not use your airlock as an indication of complete fermentation". To make sure your beer is done, take hydrometer readings over a couple of days. If they are stable, your fermentation is done.

 

[BigWilly1231]

Couple more questions:

1. If I decide to let my beer settle in the fermenter for another week just to make sure everything settles. Can I still dry-hop after that?

2. If I transfer into a secondary to dry-hop what is the best thing to use. Glass Carboy, Better Bottle, Ale Pail.

With a Glass Carboy or Better Bottle it does not seem like enough room for the dry hops to go in. (If using a hop bag and marbles or a washer or what not) I don't know like I said I'm new.

 

[JoeMama]

Absolutely - giving your beer more time in the primary helps it clear. Most people seem to prefer the carboy for dry hopping (And some use the bag)
Personally, I use an herb ball in the keg.
-Me

 

[KYB]

With my Imperial IPA, I had it in Primary (Ale Pale) for 3 weeks, boiled a nylon mesh bag to sanitize it, put the hops in, tied a knot, opened the lid, put the bag in, and used a sanitized stirrer spoon to kind of push the bag down and soak the pellets. I left them for a week, opened the lid, and it smelled amazing, and the beer turned out awesome. Good clarity too.

 

[BigWilly1231]

So I guess the question still remains,

Can I secondary in an ALE PAIL? (I read there may be too much headroom)

or should I go ahead and secondary in a Better Bottle or a glass carboy. I just don't like light hitting my beer.

 

[mrtrav]

You can use an ale pail, however if you have a carboy, I would strongly recommend using that. If you are afraid of light, do what I do and wrap a towel or two around it.

Getting hops in/out of the small carboy opening isn't that bad. It takes about 2-5 minutes to get them out. I tug on the hop bag with enough force to hold the carboy up by only holding onto the bag and it doesn't rip.

 

[boydak]

However there is an argument to be made for not using a secondary at all.

I am trying my first attempt at dry hopping and am going to do it right in the primary. Since I stopped using a secondary my beer has been clearer.

I will let you know how it comes out.

 

[UTbrewer]

Any suggestions on how to keep sanitation of you are using a bag for dry-hopping?

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

I will be dry-hopping tomorrow. It will be my first dry-hop attempt. After doing some research here, I have decided to dry-hop in the primary.

I will use pellet hops 1 oz of Amarillo, and 1 oz of Cascade, and I will just pour them right into the beer. No bag, no weights, just hops.

From what I understand, they will float at first, and over the course of a week or two they will settle to the bottom.

When I rack, I will use this method: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/question-whole-hops-fermenter-123597/ post #6 shows a simple filtration method.

 

[fococlimber]

boil the bag?

and cant you just add your hops to the secondary and siphon out your beer? and then wash out the hops later?

 

[SmugMug]

SUMMON REVVY!!!

Just so you know it's coming.

 

[fococlimber]

when not using pellets.. i guess..

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

I just bottled my first dry-hopped brew (APA) last Saturday, just like my earlier post, I pitched 2oz of pellet hops directly into the beer - no bag. I allowed it to dry-hop for an additional 10 days. When I racked over to the bottling bucket I had absolutely no hop particles going through the syphon tube. I picked a little up towards the end, but what was there settled out to the bottom of the bottling bucket, and it was such a small amount none of it ended up in the bottles.

 

[craven_morhead]

I've had good luck dry hopping just by throwing pellets into my primary in the last week (3 weeks total).

 

[fococlimber]

any good recipes for a Wheat beer to dry hop? I want like a strong but sweet hop taste, any suggestions?

 

[craven_morhead]

Someone else had posted a hopped wheat beer earlier; it's a very experimental style. Depending on your taste, it can either work well, or the hop flavors can stomp all over the esters you'll get (and most people want) from a wheat yeast.