newbie dry hopping question

[soxpats]

I have read much of the debate on these boards about primary fermentation only vs. primary and secondary. I have been using only primary and had great results so far. My question is about dry-hopping...and almost every time I see it mentioned around here its "dry hopped into secondary" or something along those lines. Seeing as I don't use secondary, can I just add my aroma hops once fermentation is complete in the primary? Is there any advantage to one way over the other?

 

[TipsyDragon]

i've just done what your asking. when keging i definitely smelled the hops aroma and my hydrometer sample had a nice hops taste.

 

[DavidHawman]

I've dumped my hops straight into the primary after fermentation stopped. Only thing I would do differently is use a hop bag of some sort to reduce the amount of beer lost to the trub.

 

[Grimm]

i just dumped mine into the primary. I wish there was a way to get them to sink into the wort better.

 

[TipsyDragon]

i just dumped mine into the primary. I wish there was a way to get them to sink into the wort better.

put them in a hop bag and weigh it down.

 

[TheMan]

i just dumped mine into the primary. I wish there was a way to get them to sink into the wort better.

Put them in a hop bag or paint strainer...tie a sanitized stainless steel washer to it, or hell, put a stainless steel washer IN the bag with them, problem solved!

I dry hop in primary by just throwing them in there, it works great. I cold crash and they sink though.

 

[Grimm]

do you guys use buckets or carboys? i had a hard enough time trying to get an oz of leaf hops thru the neck of the carboy. I can't imagine that being possible with a bag? or getting the bag back out.

 

[soxpats]

thanks for all the quick replies everyone. if you use whole hops instead of pellets, wouldnt they soak up and sink easier? i'm using a bucket but i can imagine getting a bag in and out of a carboy would be a PITA

 

[starrfish]

thanks for all the quick replies everyone. if you use whole hops instead of pellets, wouldnt they soak up and sink easier? i'm using a bucket but i can imagine getting a bag in and out of a carboy would be a PITA

tie unflavored waxed dental floss around knot of weighted (I use glass marbles) dry hop bag. leave dental floss sticking out of neck of carboy (held in place with stopper/airlock). pull weighted bag up and out of carboy with dental floss when dry hopping complete.

 

[TheMan]

tie unflavored waxed dental floss around knot of weighted (I use glass marbles) dry hop bag. leave dental floss sticking out of neck of carboy (held in place with stopper/airlock). pull weighted bag up and out of carboy with dental floss when dry hopping complete.

Well said.

I use corny kegs to ferment in, no problems fitting hops in there!