I have 10 or so homebrew batches under my belt so still a bit of a newbie. does anyone have any advice on the best methods for dry hopping? specifically I’m curious what anyone might suggest for the best results as far as time until bottling/kegging? best to bottle within short time period prior to bottling … 24 hours? dry hop for X # of days? leaf or pellet? throw them in vs. using a hop ball/tube? thanks!
Well, I’ll tell you what I do. I wait until fermentation is over, or mostly so, then I drop pellets in. I keep the temperature the same and wait 3 days. Most if not all of the oils will be in solution by this time, and the hop material will have had time to settle out somewhat. I then cold crash for 2+ days. This will help drop even more yeast and hops. Then I keg. If I can cold condition longer, I do.
I’ve tried nearly all the different takes on it and my preferred method is to crash cool a few days and transfer to secondary :o (get it off the yeast) bring back up room temp and DH a week to ten days. I routinely swirl the fermenter a few times each day and take the airlock off and whiff then crash cool and keg once the level seems to taper off. If you research the pro brewers who are talking about short DH times you need to realize they are pumping and recircing the beer when DH. Also, I think a beer where the pH is higher than ideal has a negative affect of DH.
exactly - this is often overlooked.
I do very similar to zwiller these days, though I don’t always cold crash before secondary, but I like to when I have time/remember to.
You’ll get lots of different responses here, most any of them a viable way to do it. I like to let the beer drop clear, keg it, then dry hop in a purged keg (in a fine mesh paint strainer bag) for ~ 5 days @ room temp.
Agreed, pretty much any DH method works and there is really no wrong way to do it. Each way has slight variations and you kinda have to find the method that YOU like.
Jon, your method has me intrigued and would love to save a few steps. I have never used a hop bag. A few questions: Do you bump up/adjust for the bag? You pull after 5 days? Add the ascorbic acid at this time? You talking HD/Lowes stuff or LHBS. Size etc?
First I’ve heard of this? :o
What does that do?
Supposedly retards oxidation. Supposedly…
No, I don’t bump up specifically since I’m using a bag, but I use a lot of dry hops anyway :) I use 5 gallon paint strainer bags from hardware stores. I use a bag inside a bag (to trap particles more effectively), zip tied shut, and leave in the keg. So ascorbic and dry hops go into the bottom of a purged keg, rack on top. As for the ascorbic, like Denny said, ‘supposedly’ retards oxidation. I’ve read many references to breweries seeing value in it at one point, so like Brewtan, I see it as cheap insurance.
I dry hop in the keg at room temp for three days and then reduce the temp for cold crashing and carbonation.
I went through an antioxidant phase maybe 10 years ago. Tried metabisulphate, ascorbic acid, even cinnamon. I didn’t find that any of them made any difference.
I’ve been too lazy (so far) to do a double batch and compare, Denny. I want to though. It seems that my hop aroma lasts a bit longer but that’s just conjecture. Regardless, it’s cheap.
No need to double batch just split keg unless you’re worried about head space.
Quick follow up: when you say purge, are you talking medieval fill it up with sanitizer push with CO2?
Cheap insurance is a good deal!
that’s what I do. with chainmail on.
what’s the preferred method these days?
Been too lazy to split kegs, too. I purge the keg with sanitizer. No chainmail here.
I’d be lazy too if I had to fill the dang things up with sanitizer… ;D That is just not happening for me. Anyone aware if the pros are doing this? I doubt it. If I can get another week or so from ascorbic acid, I will be happy.
Or more. That’s my thinking. I don’t see it as Brewtan B which in my opinion seems to improve beer as well as hopefully extending shelf life. I see ascorbic more as a second line of defense to (hopefully) combat oxidation from kegging, extend shelf life and especially hop aroma life.
I’ve never heard of the ascorbic acid trick either. How much do you add to the keg?
I use the LD Carlson stuff from the LHBS. IIRC it’s 1 tsp/ 5 gallons.
EDIT - Verified my bottle - 1 tsp/ 5 gals.
https://www.bellsbeer.com/store/products/Ascorbic-Acid-%252d-1-oz.html