When you dry hop, how long do you leave the hops in the keg?
It seems that some limit the contact time while others leave the hops in the keg until the keg kicks.
Does leaving hops in the keg lead to measurable off-flavors?
I use a mesh bag and tie it off to the keg lid.
The string is short so the bag is in the beer for the first half of the keg.
That might be a week or two.
I’ve not tasted any off flavors as a result.
Nifty idea!
I only hop in the keg on my IPAs which are very few. (I have an overwhelming variety of great IPAs available at any store, so I tend to brew things I can’t easily buy. But when I do hop in the keg I use whole leaf in a mesh bag and remove them when the keg kicks.
I dry hop for 3-4 days. Though I often do multiple dry hops.
I am using a 300 micro stainless steel filter to contain the hops, tied-off to the keg lid. I am curious if extended contact time leads to measurable off flavors. By extended, I am talking about until the keg kicks.
I generally dry hop using whole cones in the keg now, and always leave them in until the keg kicks.
Sometimes that is a long time (6 months?).
I tie off as well with floss, but only to hang the bag just out of reach of the dip tube to avoid clogging.
Never have experienced the “vegetal” or “green nasty” taste from the prolonged dryhop.
Perhaps my taste buds are just burnt.
Depends on who you talk to. Some brewers dry hop and pull, to avoid possible vegetal flavors. I leave them in the keg, as I generally don’t experience it. Some of the most pungent varieties seem (to me) to be more prone to it.
Typically for about 4 days total with staggered additions before I rack, but I’ve got a batch that I’m going try for only two days with one addition.
I leave them in until the keg is empty…2-3 months. And no offense, but if it lead to off flavors I wouldn’t do it!
I’m with you, Denny. I’m either not sensitive to it, or must like it. But I’ve scored well in comps where I left the hops in the keg, so maybe the judges felt the same way !
Up to 10 days at room temp. I use a woman’s knee high nylon (white). I tie a stainless steel nut in the toe portion of the nylon for weight and then add the pellet hops, tie it off at the top and drop it in the keg. (The nut & nylon get a starsan treatment prior to adding the hops.) Don’t do it with a fully carbed keg either unless you’re really fast. After 7-10 days at room temp it goes into the kegerator and when the keg blows I retrieve the nylon and take the nut out for the next dry hop. The key is getting the beer cold before the hops go south. I’ve never gone past 10 days at room temp so I can’t say if any more days would be a problem, or make a difference in the aroma actually… Cheers!!!
+2 I dry hop at room temp for a 5-7days, and will take them out if I remember. If not, then they stay in till the keg kicks.
I tie the muslin bag to the “out” stem towards the top and leave it there until the keg’s kicked.
Thanks ya’ll for the great advice.
The hops are in a 300 Micron Stainless Corny Keg Dry Hop Filter from Utah Bio Diesel Supply. Can’t beat it for $40.
ultravista
I have a couple of those, they work pretty well. I did find that with heavy hop loads, such as with an imperial ipa where 4-6oz might be in play, that the canister became just a constipated green hop poop log that was actually somewhat dry in the middle when i cleaned it out. There was not much circulation going on for sure and that was a bit annoying.
I am currently testing out a different keg dryhop method on a IIPA as we speak. Will post about it if it ends up working out.
;D
LOL. I guess dryhoping with pellets presents its own special constraints.
Interesting, I suspect a nylon would do the same. I dipped the canister into the beer a few times to ensure the hops hot wet.
I dry hop for three days at room temps - usually mid or low 60s as it’s in the basement. I suspend a pre-boiled mesh bag with hops and a stainless steel weight halfway into the keg with unflavored dental floss. If I am using more than 2 oz, I’ll use two bags so all the hops get contact with the beer.
Twice a day I will connect CO2 to the liquid out post to agitate the beer and hopefully swirl the bag around.
All of this shows that once again, there is no single right way to do things in homebrewing. Try some different methods and see what you like best. They all work!
Yep !