Why aren't we dry hopping during active fermentation again?

[cannman]

I had a profound moment when staring into the air-lock this afternoon...

Why aren't we dry hopping during active fermentation again? I'm so caught up i to waiting for the primary to finish before touching the beer, that it's good to ask these questions...

 

[JonM]

Co2 off gassing drives off the flavor and aroma from the dry hops.

 

[cobrem]

That and the hop oils hitch a ride with the yeast that drop out of suspension... And, if you hold the dry hops in the fermenter too long, the flavor may become, shall we say, unpleasant.

 

[cannman]

Thanks everyone. I think I'll dry hop in the primary this time to change things up

 

[slym2none]

That and the hop oils hitch a ride with the yeast that drop out of suspension... And, if you hold the dry hops in the fermenter too long, the flavor may become, shall we say, unpleasant.

Can you define: unpleasant? I am making a 2-gallon batch of an amber ale right now and didn't know what all I was doing (my very first brew!) so I put the hop-sack in the beer right before closing the fermenter up, and now it's been three weeks and I am cold-crashing the beer now, and the hops have been in there the entire time.

I am guessing I should not squeeze the bag when I do finally take it out...

 

[okiedog]

Actually, some brewers dry hop during (probably after fermentation slows) and after fermentation is complete. Yeast interaction can convert some of the less aromatic oils into desirable aromatics. As for undesirable flavors from leaving hops in the fermenter too long, I'd say that is arbitrary, and depends a lot on the hop variety. Remember that the original IPA's were triple hopped and shipped from England to India, a 3 month voyage.

 

[Psylocide]

Actually, some brewers dry hop during (probably after fermentation slows) and after fermentation is complete. Yeast interaction can convert some of the less aromatic oils into desirable aromatics. As for undesirable flavors from leaving hops in the fermenter too long, I'd say that is arbitrary, and depends a lot on the hop variety. Remember that the original IPA's were triple hopped and shipped from England to India, a 3 month voyage.

Like Miller Light?

I've always dry hopped around day 9-10 and kegged around day 14 or so for most beers up to 1.065 OG.

 

[slym2none]

Actually, some brewers dry hop during (probably after fermentation slows) and after fermentation is complete. Yeast interaction can convert some of the less aromatic oils into desirable aromatics. As for undesirable flavors from leaving hops in the fermenter too long, I'd say that is arbitrary, and depends a lot on the hop variety. Remember that the original IPA's were triple hopped and shipped from England to India, a 3 month voyage.

I am using Cascade hops for my Klondike Gold.

I do know now to wait until high krausen is gone at the least. I just don't want to wait too late and introduce any oxygen into the fermenter when I open it to put in the dry-hop addition.

 

[cobrem]

Dry hopping too long can get you some grassy/harsh/astringent character in the beer, as the tannic compounds in the hops are steeping into the beer over time. I haven't left anything in beyond 7 days and I've noticed some harshness at that point. That said, plenty of folks here leave them in for longer and don't seem to have a problem. Maybe you'll be fine. Let us know how it turns out!

 

[slym2none]

Will do, cobrem! Hopefully since Cascades are low-acid all around, it won't hurt this batch! I want to one of those lucky few that have a good first brew! Of course, I started out on the wrong foot with worth temps too high for the first 12 hours, so if I come out unscathed, I'll be really lucky.

 

[brisboy]

Before I knew what I was doing I added a flame out hop with galaxy (aa around 14%) but didn't strain it out before it went in the FV. So, the hops were in there for the entire ferment. Man that first bottle was rough! About a month on and it's mellowed significantly and, although still hoppier than i'm accustomed, it's pretty delicious. So I'd say you could do worse.

 

[watermelon83]

So if fermentation activity drives of hop aroma.... no un-dryhopped beer should ever have hop aroma?

 

[Yooper]

So if fermentation activity drives of hop aroma.... no un-dryhopped beer should ever have hop aroma?

Of course it's not that simple, but it is true that active fermentation does drive off some of the 'softer' aromatics from the hops. That's one reason that I don't purge my keg a lot when I'm dryhopping in there. The aroma can be released along with the case.

And it's also true that highly flocculant yeast can pull down the hops oils in a dryhopped beer as well.

It is more complex than that, so I use late hops in the boil, including whirlpool hops, as well as dryhops for layers of hops aroma and flavor.

 

[watermelon83]

Of course it's not that simple, but it is true that active fermentation does drive off some of the 'softer' aromatics from the hops. That's one reason that I don't purge my keg a lot when I'm dryhopping in there. The aroma can be released along with the case.

And it's also true that highly flocculant yeast can pull down the hops oils in a dryhopped beer as well.

It is more complex than that, so I use late hops in the boil, including whirlpool hops, as well as dryhops for layers of hops aroma and flavor.

Thx Yooper, I get that. I was kinda playing devil's advocate for the sake of discussion. Personally, I dry hop in the primary as soon as high krausen drops. BTW it's really hot when you say flocculant, yes I know I'm a weirdo.

 

[FatDragon]

Recently I listened to a Brew Strong episode on dry hopping and there was a segment on why you would want to start your dry hop near the end of your primary fermentation. They suggested starting around 80% of your expected attenuation if I remember correctly, though I'm afraid I don't recall why that's better than waiting until after fermentation is complete.

My last couple dry-hopped beers, I dry hopped around the one week point and bottled around two weeks - I don't like to bottle earlier than two weeks, don't want to dry hop for more than a week (unless it's multiple dry hop additions, which I bag and pull after their allotted time), and don't want to pull the dry hops before bottling, so that's my reasoning for the schedule.