What is dry hopping?

[funkydrummer88]

So... I've heard about it a lot, what is it?

 

[c.n.budz]

Here ya go

 

[GreenwoodRover]

I read the Wiki, but is there a preferred form of hops (Pellet, plug, whole) that is better suited to dry hopping or is it just a personal preference or whatever you have on hand kinda thing?

 

[brewt00l]

http://www.byo.com/departments/1105.html

Preference....though, my perception is that I pref whole leaf for the dry hop.

 

[blacklab]

I personally prefer whole leaf in all cases. Just throw 'em in a bag and stick it in the secondary. If you can, it's helpful to weigh the bag so it sinks to the bottom. I use some stainless steel nuts I picked up at Home Depot.

If you're an IPA fan, dry hopping is the way to go, and really the only way to replicate the microbrew IPA's you love.

I was going to tell you it was a special dance you do around the secondary to ensure that the beer gods are smiling upon your homebrew, but you seem like a nice guy.

 

[Danek]

Dry hopping is a truly magnificent thing. One downside, though, is that you can lose a fair bit of liquid as a result, either because of the additional crud in the primary to siphon round, or because the hop-bag retains a lot of liquid. I dry-hop with bags, and now I always make sure I have sanitised tongs to hand when removing the hop-bag, so I can squeeze out as much liquid as I can.

Mmm... hops...

 

[springer]

So... I've heard about it a lot, what is it?

This is dry hopping .I dont bother with bags pain in the butt getting the bag out of the little opening.

 

[Fenster]

Holy head space Batman!

 

[stevecaaster]

springer your stopper size/ depth of the stopper in the neck of your carboy is making me nervous, looks yummy tho

 

[drsocc]

I think Oprah described this as a good alternative to sex...

or was that dry humping?

 

[drsocc]

Holy head space Batman!

I laughed at this.

 

[springer]

Holy head space Batman!

I ended up a little short on this one but I added CO2 to the carboy prior to filling. And it was still fermenting actively for a day or so after...

springer your stopper size/ depth of the stopper in the neck of your carboy is making me nervous, looks yummy tho

Never had a problem with it. bet ya now that I said that it will fall into the carboy next time......

The beer is IIPA hophead. It is now bottled

 

[Jared311]

I prefer to use hop pellets in a muslin sac because you get more surface area per measurement of hops.

 

[GreenwoodRover]

Probably a dumb question but I just added some whole leaf hops to an ale in a secondary. It didn't go well. Is there a good way to get the hops in there? Do you add first then rack onto them, or add after racking? How the heck do you efficiently get whole leaf hops cleanly into the carboy neck? Hopefully the answer isn't one at a time.

 

[jezter6]

I had a mess of a time mashing them thru myself. I used a sanitized clothes hanger to push the hops through my funnel. Mess - yes. Worked - yes.

 

[GreenwoodRover]

I used a similar method, but employed a sanatized screwdriver. I guess you just have to work hard for all that hoppy goodness...