Thinking about dry hopping

[pennahighlandbrew]

Hey everyone, first time user and post here, and I'm still relatively new to the brewing scene. Just have a few questions I hope someone might be able to answer. I'm doing my first solo brew right now and it's bubbling away in my fermenter, but I'm thinking about dry hopping it. For a rundown on what I've got, I'm doing the Brewer's Best IPA. It had 1 oz Cascade to start, 2 oz Columbus at 30 minutes, and 1.5 oz Cascade again at flameout. I've been thinking about dry hopping it in a secondary, but I have no idea where to start, maybe you guys can help out.

How do I choose which hops to add, when to add them, and how much? Is there any sort of guide as to what hops go well together? Should I stick to what I used during the boil or add in different varieties? Like I said, I'm still somewhat new at this, and if anyone can point me in the right direction, or has done a similar kit and could help me out, I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

 

[plankbr]

You should definitely dry hop that bad boy. You could venture out and dry hop with chinook, simcoe or citra, or just dry hop with some more cascade. 1-2 oz should be plenty for a 5 gallon batch. 5-7 days. I would also recommend just dry hopping in primary. I don't think there is a need to secondary this beer. Just be sure your primary fermentation (~10-14 days) is complete before you add the dry hops. Enjoy!

 

[chezhed]

taste it after the two week minimum fermentation. If you want more aroma (and therefore taste) and possibly some bitterness, then find a hop that appeals to your nose and go with it. I'd look over hop guides to find one that describes what you want.

 

[pennahighlandbrew]

Awesome, thanks for the replies. I've been debating citra because I used it in my last batch and likes that citrusy kick. I've just been thinking about doing a secondary because my last pale ale was murky and trub-y as all get out and I was thinking about clarifying. Pros and cons?

 

[plankbr]

Awesome, thanks for the replies. I've been debating citra because I used it in my last batch and likes that citrusy kick. I've just been thinking about doing a secondary because my last pale ale was murky and trub-y as all get out and I was thinking about clarifying. Pros and cons?

In my experience, secondary or not, time is the deciding factor on clarity. That's why most of us leave in primary for at least 10 days. The yeast are still hard at work cleaning up even though there are no visible signs. I always cold crash my beer for 3-5 days (stick primary in fridge) and this is a HUGE clarification point. Then I transfer to bottling bucket and bottle. The beer continues to clear up in the bottle as well over time.

 

[frazier]

If you want to try a secondary, by all means go ahead and do it. Pay careful attention to sanitation (good) and oxidation (bad). Dump your hops into the secondary and rack on top of them. Then bottle in 5 to 7 days.

That said, I never do a secondary. Seems like extra trouble for little benefit. I don't think it will get rid of your murk and trub more than careful racking to your bottling bucket will accomplish. But hey, if it works for you, then you will have gained control over your process and improved your beer.

Cheers!

 

[ballsy]

Cold crash helps a bunch. I don't transfer to secondary ever, but have been cold crashing more and more. Even prior to cold crashing, after 4 weeks of primary and careful siphoning, there is minimal trub in bottles. Dry hop variety depends on your preference. I don't even have a vast exposure to different hops re: dry hopping. I know I love centennial. Citra worked well in past. Cascade too. You could consider transferring 1/2 of that from primary to secondary and put different dry hops in each to compare final product if you really wanted to experiment.

 

[RM-MN]

I like what Citra does to my pale ales but you already know about that. Try something like Amarillo this time and see the difference.

 

[wahmbush]

I dry hopped a simple pale last fall. 5 gallon batch with 2 oz. Of Citra and 2oz of Galaxy for one week. I loved the aroma that the 2 hops gave the beer.

 

[pfgonzo]

If you bottle, bear in mind that when tasting time comes around you probably won't get the in-your-face punch of aroma you might be expecting, and what you commonly get from a commercial IPA.

I was consistently underwhelmed by my hop aroma in bottled batches... until I started kegging and dry hopping in the keg. That's where the money is!

 

[pennahighlandbrew]

Thanks for all the great info, everyone, I appreciate the help for a newbie. One of the reasons I'm leaning toward a secondary is because my primary fermenter is actually my bottling bucket, so I'd have to rack it a couple times anyway come bottling time to make my life a bit easier. I'm still relatively new, and I guess I just don't see the downside to doing a secondary if I'm going to rack it twice anyway. If someone could elaborate, I'd appreciate it. Thanks again!


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[jmc21986]

When dry hopping do you just throw the hops right in or do you use some kind of strain bag or filter bag?

 

[Munchkin]

When dry hopping do you just throw the hops right in or do you use some kind of strain bag or filter bag?

When im using hops pellets i just throw them right in, they will settle out over the week. Next time I use loose leaf hops i might try to use a bag, they were abit of a pain to siphon out.

 

[chezhed]

the only downsides to secondaries were mentioned, contamination and oxidation. In the OP case, I can see the need to secondary....just do as much as possible to avoid the downsides. I seldom secondary...and usually only when I'm going to bottle the entire batch, just because the settling out does help but I changed my methods for that after getting one judge's comment on a secondary/bottled batch about noticing oxidation.

If you "bag" the siphon, the leaf hops aren't so bad.....I bag hops for dry hopping in kegs, but not in primaries.

 

[frazier]

... my primary fermenter is actually my bottling bucket ...

Well, that explains the murk and trub!

Get yourself a proper primary (bottle or bucket, your choice) for your next brew. Check out Revvy's "tips for bottling" thread here, especially regarding the joys of using a dip tube. You can thank me (and Revvy) later.

Cheers,

 

[RM-MN]

Well, that explains the murk and trub!

Get yourself a proper primary (bottle or bucket, your choice) for your next brew. Check out Revvy's "tips for bottling" thread here, especially regarding the joys of using a dip tube. You can thank me (and Revvy) later.

Cheers,

Maybe not. He siphons from the bottling bucket to a carboy for secondary, then back to the bottling bucket for bottling. As long as he cleans the bottling bucket between it should not give any murk. It only causes and extra step for him, much as a secondary would for anyone else. I would encourage him to get another bucket but mostly because the bottling buckets usually have a spigot and they sometimes leak a bit. There is nothing like putting your beer in a bucket for a 3 week ferment period only to discover that you have a puddle of beer on the floor on day 2 and no other bucket to transfer the beer to.

 

[frazier]

Well -- not to derail too much, but he said

I've just been thinking about doing a secondary because my last pale ale was murky and trub-y as all get out and I was thinking about clarifying.

So I don't think he's done the transfer dance yet.

But, whatever. It took me about 10 batches before I was comfortable with my procedures - and even now, I still might forget a step if I'm not careful!

Cheers!

 

[RM-MN]

Well -- not to derail too much, but he said
So I don't think he's done the transfer dance yet.

But, whatever. It took me about 10 batches before I was comfortable with my procedures - and even now, I still might forget a step if I'm not careful!

Cheers!

I had to read through most of this thread to find it but he's said it both ways. I'm not sure now if he has or has not bottled without moving the beer from the bottling bucket to another vessel. If he didn't, he definitely would have murky beer. :cross:

 

[pablosbrewing]

That's why most of us leave in primary for at least 10 days.

Even longer will help if you are going to dry hop in secondary. I have started doing at least 14 days promary, 21 days or longer on IIPA.

 

[pennahighlandbrew]

Unfortunately I don't have the funds yet for another primary fermenter (well, I do, but I suppose paying rent is probably important, too), so I'm stuck with my bottling bucket as my primary for now. What I think I'm gonna wind up doing is leave it in the primary for 14 days, transfer to a secondary and dry hop it with at least an ounce of a hop that I haven't decided on yet, and probably leave it there for about ten days. I started my brew on a Tuesday, so if I time it out right and everything looks good I may be able to bottle on a Saturday or Sunday in about a month. Thanks to everyone for the replies, you've all been really informative and supportive as I continue my journey into brewing.


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[RM-MN]

Unfortunately I don't have the funds yet for another primary fermenter (well, I do, but I suppose paying rent is probably important, too), so I'm stuck with my bottling bucket as my primary for now. What I think I'm gonna wind up doing is leave it in the primary for 14 days, transfer to a secondary and dry hop it with at least an ounce of a hop that I haven't decided on yet, and probably leave it there for about ten days. I started my brew on a Tuesday, so if I time it out right and everything looks good I may be able to bottle on a Saturday or Sunday in about a month. Thanks to everyone for the replies, you've all been really informative and supportive as I continue my journey into brewing.


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You might get better results dry hopping for 5 to 7 days. Some people have reported a grassy flavor from leaving the hops in the secondary too long.

 

[pennahighlandbrew]

You might get better results dry hopping for 5 to 7 days. Some people have reported a grassy flavor from leaving the hops in the secondary too long.

Good to know, thanks for the heads up. In that case, since my schedule started on a Tuesday, would it be better to do two weeks primary, transfer to secondary and immediately dry hop,then stop the secondary after 5-7 days, or would it be better to leave it in the secondary longer and then just toss in my hops 5-7 days before I bottle? Either way, I plan on letting them bottle condition for a while, I'm just not sure if there's necessarily a better practice.

 

[RM-MN]

I'd suggest leaving the beer in the primary longer. The big cake of yeast on the bottom seems to make the beer mature faster. Can you stand to leave it for 3 weeks in the primary and then dry hop in your secondary for the 5 days before bottling?

 

[pfgonzo]

You might get better results dry hopping for 5 to 7 days. Some people have reported a grassy flavor from leaving the hops in the secondary too long.

This is also temperature dependent. Warmer temps = grassy flavors sooner. If you're dry hopping in 35F beer, it takes significantly longer. Some people leave their dry hops in the keg the entire time it's chilled and being served. I do this myself, but I suspend the hop bag so it stops contacting the beer once the keg is about half empty.

 

[pennahighlandbrew]

I'd suggest leaving the beer in the primary longer. The big cake of yeast on the bottom seems to make the beer mature faster. Can you stand to leave it for 3 weeks in the primary and then dry hop in your secondary for the 5 days before bottling?

Hm, did not know that, thanks for the pro tip. In that case I probably could do three weeks in primary. Hardest part of me beginning to brew beer is learning patience, but man oh man is it worth it. And to the other poster, I'm fermenting at about 68 degrees and would probably keep my secondary around the same. After hearing about cold crashing in this thread though, I admit that I'm intrigued, but maybe that's an experiment for another brew, since I'm already doing a secondary for the first time.



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