What’s the risk of adding dry hops before a beer is completely done w primary ferm?
Fermentation byproducts (ala CO2) Will blowoff the aroma of the dry hops.
+1
Hop flavor also drops out with the yeast.
+1 to both. Not a risk per se, but you’ll lose hop aroma and flavor with fermentation off gassing, and with so much yeast present in primary fermentation still in suspension, some dry hop character gets absorbed by the yeast which in turn settle out.
Also yeast may change chemicals contributed by hops, not necessarily bad.
But bad enough, at least to me, that I rack to secondary before dry hopping these days.
+1
There are 2 schools of thought.
Matt Brynildson says to add before the end, with one or 2 Plato to go. The yeast will transform some compounds, and you end up with higher levels of linalool and geranoil. So if you want floral notes, this is one way.
Vinnie Cilurzo says to crash and remove the yeast. This will keep the yeast from removing the essential oils that many are after.
So two pros use different techniques to achieve different results. I think one needs to decide what they want in the finished beer.
It’s also a good argument for why you shouldn’t slavishly do what any particular commercial brewer does. Try various methods and decide for yourself.
I actually tried dry hopping in secondary after reading Stan’s article in Zymurgy. I had dry hopped after high krausen for years and felt that I got good results. So I was a little skeptical that it would be worth the effort, but I did a split IPA batch and compared dry hop character. I liked Stan’s method better and have done it since. But as said, it depends on what you like and look for in your hop character.
Was Stan’s method to simply dry hop in secondary?
Any advice on temp changes during dry hopping? I know most people say they raise temps to 70 while fermenting out.
After seeing the Brynildson article, I began dumping an ounce into the primary right as it’s nearing (or has hit) it’s ending gravity. Usually stays in for 5-6 days and then it’s kegged. Wonderful results in the last 4-5 batches! Hop On~
It was to dry hop when the beer was fermented out (ie., pretty clear) in secondary - to be away from the majority of the yeast.
I don’t think he was really advocating for one method or another. He was pointing out that dry hopping before the beer was removed from the yeast will produce different results than dry hopping with the beer on the yeast. It’s up to each of us to try it and decide which method is appropriate for us.
My experience is that it doesn’t matter much.
I’d go so far as to say it’s up to each of us to decide what is right for each particular brew. different results = different tools in the toolbox.
+1