When to dry hop

[Mark_tries_brewing]

So for my first brew I decided to attempt skeezerpleezer 's Zombie Dust clone https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f69/three-floyds-zombie-dust-clone-303478/

It has been about 4 1/2 days since I pitched. I used S04 and from what I have read on here it seems this yeast often ferments quickly. It seems fermentation has slowed considerably. I cannot see into the bucket well enough to know about krausen but it has gone from a pretty steady stream of bubbles to one every 12 - 13 seconds. I have not opened the bucket or done a gravity reading since I pitched because I am overly nervous about messing up my first batch. I have a hydrometer but no jar to stick it in. Should I just man up and open the bucket and use the sanitized hydrometer to check the gravity and if it doesn't change 12 hours later dry hop? Is there a way just from timing between bubbles to estimate when to dry hop? Thanks. To clarify I am not going to do a secondary I will be dry hopping in primary.

 

[Copbrew133]

I'd let it go another 5-7 days, check the gravity on say Thursday and then next Saturday or Sunday. If the readings are the same, it's done fermenting out. Then dry hop it.

 

[RM-MN]

So for my first brew I decided to attempt skeezerpleezer 's Zombie Dust clone https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f69/three-floyds-zombie-dust-clone-303478/

It has been about 4 1/2 days since I pitched. I used S04 and from what I have read on here it seems this yeast often ferments quickly. It seems fermentation has slowed considerably. I cannot see into the bucket well enough to know about krausen but it has gone from a pretty steady stream of bubbles to one every 12 - 13 seconds. I have not opened the bucket or done a gravity reading since I pitched because I am overly nervous about messing up my first batch. I have a hydrometer but no jar to stick it in. Should I just man up and open the bucket and use the sanitized hydrometer to check the gravity and if it doesn't change 12 hours later dry hop? Is there a way just from timing between bubbles to estimate when to dry hop? Thanks. To clarify I am not going to do a secondary I will be dry hopping in primary.

Didn't your hydrometer come in a long plastic tube with a cap on each end? That's what I use to take samples. I use a turkey baster that I sanitize to pull the samples and squirt them into that plastic tube while the hydrometer is inside. When the hydrometer floats you know you have enough. Watch that the cap doesn't come off and don't work over a carpet that might stain because I've seen the caps leak a few drops. Drink or dump the sample when done, don't return it to the fermenter to avoid possible contamination.

 

[hehawbrew]

I dry hop 3 to 5 days before bottle day. Too much dry hop time can lend grassy flavors.


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[grathan]

I would have dry hopped it yesterday. The still active yeast would have scavenged any oxygen added with the dry hops. I've only ever gotten grassy flavors when I let the fermenter temperature rise into the 70's.

 

[unionrdr]

For best aroma,I've learned not to dry hop before getting to a stable FG. I usually give it 2 weeks before testing. Then allowing it 3-7 days more in primary to clean up any by-products of fermentation & settle out clear or slightly misty. Then dry hop 7 days. You have to let the trub/yeast settle out to a clear or slightly misty state to keep the hop oils from clinging to the settling yeast/trub & going to the bottom.

 

[BeerLoverHere]

Let it go another 5 days or so before checking hydrometer if you've got the time; I prefer 1 minute to pass in between bubbles in airlock before dry-hopping. Since yours is 15 seconds in between each bubble, then yeast still have lots of work to do. You can raise temps some if you wanted to speed process up as fermentation temps aren't as important since 90% of your beer is already fermented. I've got a batch now fermenting @ day 7. I'm raising temps from 62 to 68 today, dry-hopping 2oz Citra Wednesday, moving it it to garage to cold crash Friday, and then bottle next Sunday. It's a light wheat and it doesn't take as much time to make so this is at the very least the earliest I ever bottle.

My recommendation is to dry hop double the amount with half the time. Instead of doing 1 oz for 1 week, do 2 oz for 4 days. Much better results!!

 

[unionrdr]

I usually dry hop with about 2ozs for a week. Great aroma,especially after it's settle out clear or slightly misty first. More hop oils stay in suspension that way.

 

[Mark_tries_brewing]

Another dry hopping question. Loose pellets or use a hop bag? I am guessing that loose would have slightly better utilization, correct? Also this recipe calls for a 3 oz dry hop. If I do go with loose pellets will I end up having to leave significantly more behind in the bucket with the trub?

Also I am going to be kegging, since I have only been in primary for 8 days so far I assume I should dry hop in the bucket but could go with a hop bag and keg hop.

 

[plankbr]

+1 @uniondr. I wouldn't touch it for another 10 days. Then dry hop for 3-5, then cold crash for 3 days, then bottle. I throw in the pellets whole in primary. Cold crashing will force all sediment to fall.

 

[Yooper]

Another dry hopping question. Loose pellets or use a hop bag? I am guessing that loose would have slightly better utilization, correct? Also this recipe calls for a 3 oz dry hop. If I do go with loose pellets will I end up having to leave significantly more behind in the bucket with the trub?

Also I am going to be kegging, since I have only been in primary for 8 days so far I assume I should dry hop in the bucket but could go with a hop bag and keg hop.

I always dryhop without a bag, unless I'm trying to save the yeast or something. However, many people find racking troublesome with lots of debris in the beer. I'm an old winemaker, and very proficient with racking and I start the siphon in the middle, below the floating hop debris (pellets sort of disintegrate) and above the trub, lowering the siphon as the level of the beer drops.

I would dryhop in the fermenter, after the beer clears and about 5-7 days before you plan to keg. You may want to use a big bag, or several small ones, so that the hops are loose in the bag(s) until you see what a mess they can make. If you suck up hops debris in the keg, they WILL clog your diptube. Trust me on that- I speak from experience! I learn everything the hard way.