I have a ten gallon batch right now in two fermenters and I dont have enough secondary vessels to transfer both to secondary. Can you dry hop in primary or is that ill advised?
I never use a secondary, so I always dry hop in the primary. I wait until primary fermentation is done and drop them in.
It does help a bit if you can remove the yeast before dry hopping (like in a conical fermenter), but the yeast will only absorb a small amount of hoppy goodness - just compensate by adding more!
note absorb is probably the wrong term, but you get it.
I am lazy, and like yso, do not bother with transferring to a secondary. I let primary finish, give it a couple days, then throw the dry hops in with a mesh bag.
If you are kegging the beer you can dry hop in the keg. However, if you are bottling I recommend dry hopping near the end of the primary fermentation in the primary vessel.
+1. I dry hop in a purged keg. Away from the yeast and in a purged environment - win-win.
I’ve found that the issue is not so much that it “absorbs” it as that it changes the hop character.
so it changes the character of the aroma? My keg is still full so that is a no go…Wouldn’t prolonged time in the keg produce grassy character to the beer.?
When you guys dry hop in the keg, are you using the keg as a secondary and not dispensing from that keg? Or do you dry hop in a bag in the keg, remove the bag, then carb and serve?
I typically dry hop in the keg for 3-4 days and then pull my hops out out… There is often a little hop residue in teh bottom but it typically comes out after the first few pints.
I usually dry hop in a fine mesh bag, leave it in, carb and serve. Sometimes I use Blatz’ trick and tie teflon tape around the bag and pull it, then carb and serve. Seals better than fishing line.
Not in my experience, or that of many others. I leave the dry hops in the serving keg for 2-3 months and they don’t get grassy.
In the primary, hops and yeast can interact and give you kind of a rose scent.
Well, my experience is a bit different. Possibly because I can taste the beer via a zwickle during different phases. In my experience a beer with yeast in suspension can taste fantatastic after dry hopped but as the beer drops clean and brightens the hop aroma is stripped.
I recommend dropping as much yeast as possible before dry hopping. You don’t have to get it sparkly clear, but a yeast haze can be a problem if you dry hop too early. I’m not convinced that it has to be done in a secondary.
Yeah, that makes sense.
would you recommend cold crashing, then dry hoping (in order to clarify the beer)? Also, what is the typical duration to leave the hops in? I have read anywhere from 3-4 days, up to a week. Thx
Yeah, that sounds good to me. I typically dry hop for 1-2 weeks in a fermenter, months in a keg.
This brings up another debate as to whether you should dry hop cold or warm. I prefer dry hopping “warm” (60-70 degrees) others prefer dry hopping cold.
+1. I cold crash clear, then warm up to room temp, then dry hop in keg.
I dry hop at room temp in the fermenters, cold in the kegs. Doesn’t seem to make much difference.
I asked the Research Brewer at Haas here in Yakima recently at what temperature he thought dry hopping should be done. His response: " Cool will give less grassy notes. I prefer the cleaner flavor personally."
I asked the follow up question regarding his definition of cool, but I don’t remember his response and I no longer have that email.
I still have questions though. I have only gotten a grassy note on one beer that I have brewed, so it is not a major issue with me. On the other side of the equation, I wonder at the optimum temperature for solubilizing hop oils into beer. I know that there are many different ‘oils’ in hops that have different boiling temperatures, so I’m wondering how that applies to dry hopping.
Hmm. A good question for Stan in “Ask the Experts.” I’m going to copy and paste this over there.
I see that dkfick already asked the question.