Post-Carbonation Hop Addition Options

[GoodTruble]

I brewed a strong Leffe blonde inspired beer.

All went really well, but after kegging and carbing, I realized it would benefit from more hops.

I read several comments here where people jokingly (I think) suggested just dry hopping in the glass. -Well, just to test whether more hops would improve the blonde, I just did that with a tea infuser, and it was GREAT.

So now I'm wondering the best way to add hops to the already carbed keg. I'm not entirely against just dry hopping each glass using the tea diffusers (it's just 1-2 pellets). I am also considering just making a strong hop tea, and them forcing that into the keg.

I welcome any further suggestions or tips. Thanks!

 

[VikeMan]

Open keg. Add Hops. Re-lid keg very quickly to avoid foam volcano. Purge.

 

[GoodTruble]

Open keg. Add Hops. Re-lid keg very quickly to avoid foam volcano. Purge.

Does that actually work? I feel like the keg would just never stop foaming, causing other problem.

 

[VikeMan]

It will stop foaming once the pressures equalize, i.e. after the lid is closed.

 

[GoodTruble]

If I use a hop sack, with it float at the top of the keg, or will it eventually sink and potentially clog the dip tube? I have a hop screen I could use, I'm not sure the mesh is fine enough that I would want to use it in a keg and risk chunks of hop matter in my keg lines........

 

[VikeMan]

A hop sack will float at first, but will probably sink.

Either a sack or a screen canister should work fine. You might get a small amount of hop material escaping (or might not), but it wouldn't be enough to cause major problems. Lots of of people dry hop this way. If I were using a sack, I'd weight it with stainless nuts or something similar. That way, it will sink right away and the hops will make better contact with the beer.

My only concern would be having the hops in there for a very long time. Once the oils are extracted, the vegetative matter isn't doing anything good for the beer's flavor. If this were to be long term, like several weeks or more, adding a hop tincture might be a better alternative.

 

[GoodTruble]

Okay, after reading your comments and some other posts, I am going with either a hop cannister suspended with floss or just a hop tea. Thank you! I'll update with whatever results.

 

[Albionwood]

By amazing coincidence, I did this just yesterday, using Cryo hops. Open lid, push paint-strainer bag in, tie a loop of floss with sliding half-hitches around the neck of the bag, dump in pellets, pull noose tight and push bag into keg, put lid back on and purge. Careful purging though - I did it at 40 psi and part of the bag went into the PRV so it wouldn't seal right. Got a little messy while fixing that.

 

[balrog]

It will stop foaming once the pressures equalize, i.e. after the lid is closed, and you have cleaned beer off the ceiling, floors, yourself, the cat, etc

FTFY

 

[VikeMan]

FTFY

I've done it with hop canisters, without foam getting out of the keg.

 

[balrog]

I did it once, loose. I was euphemistically unable to snatch the pellet from the master's hand. Mess was made.

 

[GoodTruble]

I did another test last night with a ball tea strainer and one pint of the blonde.

First observation, the blonde is already improving on its own with a little time till age.

Second observation, a LOT of hop material escaped the strainer. The canister I would use in the keg has a finer mesh, but the possibility of losing containment with the new 5 gallon keg may be enough to push me toward a hop tea. Still weighing options though.

 

[Albionwood]

Reporting back on the results from dryhopping with Cryo hops (Cascade). A lot of VERY FINE hop matter sifted through the paint-strainer bag, giving the beer a very unpleasant harsh bite in the back of the throat. It is slowly improving as I lager it. I never had this problem with regular pellets before.

 

[GoodTruble]

I wound up leaving town for a bit, and when I got back, the blonde had aged just fine - and ai realized it actually tastes just like La Fin Du Monde from Unibroue. So not what I was shooting for, but not a bad beer at all. So I'm skipping the dry hop