# Methode Champenoise, dry hop in bottle? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Homebrew Discussion\ **Created:** [April 9, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006 "2012-04-09T20:12:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nateo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/nateo/32/1090_2.png) [@nateo](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/nateo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 8:12pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/1 "2012-04-09T20:12:49Z")
I’m working a Belgian Brut and will be doing the methode champenoise to bottle it. Basically, you let it carb up on the lees, invert bottle, freeze lees into a plug, uncap the bottle, blow out the lees, then recap. Would it be possible to dry hop in the bottle, then blow out the pellets with the lees? Is there a reason I should, or shouldn’t try this? ---
**Author:** ![tschmidlin](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/tschmidlin/32/3857_2.png) [@tschmidlin](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/tschmidlin)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/2 "2012-04-09T21:48:18Z")
I think you should definitely try it in at least a few bottles.  I think you can expect a bigger plug, it might not all come out in one try.  But Drew will be able to give you a better answer obviously. ---
**Author:** ![nateo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/nateo/32/1090_2.png) [@nateo](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/nateo)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2012, 10:04pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/3 "2012-04-09T22:04:53Z")
Drew has been helping me out in private correspondence, although I haven’t asked him that specifically. I just thought other people may wonder this later. I’m planning on bottling in a few days, so I’ll try it in some of them and post here with my results after disgorgement. My other thought was to make a dry hop tea, and use that for my dosage. I’m using Nelson Sauvin hops, and I was thinking about using some NZ Sauvignon Blanc as my dosage liquor. ---
**Author:** ![dbeechum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/dbeechum/32/12418_2.png) [@dbeechum](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/dbeechum)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/4 "2012-04-10T00:23:06Z")
I’m trying to remember, we did some of the Houblonee that was dry hopped. My vague memory was that we had some bottles explode like mad when we disgorged because the extra hop material that had gotten into the bottle (we dry hopped in the keg) served as super nucleation sites from hell. That was un fun. Don’t recommend it unless you can keep hop material out of the bottle. The hops don’t seem to settle and compact down as well as you’d like. NinjaEdit! ---
**Author:** ![nateo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/nateo/32/1090_2.png) [@nateo](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/nateo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/5 "2012-04-10T02:23:45Z")
Thanks Drew! That’s super helpful to know now. I’ll dry hop now, then crash before I bottle. ---
**Author:** ![dbeechum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/dbeechum/32/12418_2.png) [@dbeechum](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/dbeechum)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 6:02pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/6 "2012-04-10T18:02:51Z")
I totally forgot to add… those dry hopped bottles that survived were amongst some of the best things I’ve ever had a hand in, so it’s a good thing if not slightly dangerous! ---
**Author:** ![nateo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/nateo/32/1090_2.png) [@nateo](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/nateo)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/7 "2012-04-10T19:26:25Z")
Drew - what do you think the shortest amount of time between bottling and riddling/disgorging would be? ---
**Author:** ![dbeechum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/dbeechum/32/12418_2.png) [@dbeechum](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/dbeechum)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 8:22pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/8 "2012-04-10T20:22:43Z")
I turned one around after a month of bottling for a pair of weddings. ---
**Author:** ![brewallday](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/brewallday/32/7071_2.png) [@brewallday](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/brewallday)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/9 "2012-04-10T20:38:44Z")
so is he going to answer any questions or just mess around? ---
**Author:** ![richardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@richardt](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/richardt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 1:16am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/10 "2012-04-11T01:16:03Z")
Check out Drew’s 2009 NHC presentation on the AHA website (you know… that site you frequently hit when you’re trying to select for “unread” posts). Why not just dry hop the beer you have reserved for the dosage step? Dry hop the reserved beer approximately 7 days before disgorgement, etc. Crash chill the reserved beer a day or two before disgorgement, and carefully rack the reserved and dry-hopped) beer to a sanitized vessel that can be kept closed and cold until it is time to dosage with cold hop-particle free beer which should help reduce the “super nucleation sites from hell.” ---
**Author:** ![nateo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/nateo/32/1090_2.png) [@nateo](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/nateo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 1:56am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/11 "2012-04-11T01:56:38Z")
I hadn’t looked at the AHA presentaiton, just the one on the Maltose Falcons webpage. It’s a good place to start, though. I had already thought of “Fletch’s method” for riddling, but I’m glad to see it’ll work. I also thought of dry hopping the dosage, and maybe use a french press to strain out the hops? ---
**Author:** ![dbeechum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/dbeechum/32/12418_2.png) [@dbeechum](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/dbeechum)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 3:17am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/12 "2012-04-11T03:17:58Z")
Did the French Press hop technique the other day - my one impression from it is you need to give it plenty of time on the hops and between that and the actually pressing - you lose a lot of carbonation. ---
**Author:** ![richardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@richardt](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/richardt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 1:57pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/13 "2012-04-11T13:57:57Z")
[http://www.hopunion.com/1022\_VarietySpecificHopOil.cfm?p4=open](http://www.hopunion.com/1022_VarietySpecificHopOil.cfm?p4=open) Perhaps just adding the hop oils during dosage, and skipping the whole dryhopping from pellets or leaf hops? ---
**Author:** ![nateo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/nateo/32/1090_2.png) [@nateo](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/nateo)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/14 "2012-04-11T14:36:40Z")
Drew - what exactly were you dry hopping? Were you doing a whole bottle of carbonated beer? I was thinking of using wine as the dosage liquor, and just dry hopping the wine. Probably not as much aroma that way, but I’d rather have subtle flavor than too much flavor. Richard - Where do you buy that? ---
**Author:** ![richardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@richardt](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/richardt)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/15 "2012-04-11T15:52:52Z")
[http://www.hopunion.com/1022\_VarietySpecificHopOil.cfm?p4=open](http://www.hopunion.com/1022_VarietySpecificHopOil.cfm?p4=open) from USA [http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.php?\_a=viewCat&catId=25](http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=25) from UK [http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/default.asp?CID=13](http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/default.asp?CID=13) from Australia I’m just brainstorming ideas and trying to help solve a problem of getting more hop aroma in a “champagne” beer.  I don’t have personal experience with using hop oils–that’s more of a pro brewer thing.  I figure that guys like you and Drew would have fairly good access to sympathetic pro brewers who could get their hands on the hop oils if you (as a home brewer) could not. ---
**Author:** ![dbeechum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/dbeechum/32/12418_2.png) [@dbeechum](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/dbeechum)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 4:08pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/16 "2012-04-11T16:08:14Z")
We were dry hopping a portion of the beer in secondary, just like you would any other beer… just turns out that unlike anyother beer where you get a portion of hop in your beer and go “well, ok” this had explosive consequences. ---
**Author:** ![nateo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/nateo/32/1090_2.png) [@nateo](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/nateo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 5:56pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/17 "2012-04-12T17:56:51Z")
I’m wondering if I should try fining this beer before bottling. I’ve never used finings before. Would they knock out the hop particles if I dry-hopped the beer before bottling? I have unflavored gelatin hanging around. I’m planning on re-yeasting with EC-1118 at bottling. ---
**Author:** ![dbeechum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/dbeechum/32/12418_2.png) [@dbeechum](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/dbeechum)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/18 "2012-04-12T18:38:16Z")
If you’re re-yeasting - then yeah, I’d say fining works like a charm. ---
**Author:** ![nateo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/nateo/32/1090_2.png) [@nateo](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/nateo)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 7:26pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/19 "2012-04-20T19:26:03Z")
Since it’s going to take a lot of sugar to get to 5 volumes, would it be better to dose the individual bottles, rather than trying to mix the priming sugar in the bottling bucket? I bought a 20cc syringe for the dosage, but I was thinking about figuring out how to use it for bottle priming too. ---
**Author:** ![dbeechum](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/dbeechum/32/12418_2.png) [@dbeechum](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/dbeechum)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006/20 "2012-04-20T22:22:47Z")
WE did one batch as individually primed and it sucked. I think in part we can blame the novice crew, but we always have had better luck bulk priming. [Next page](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/methode-champenoise-dry-hop-in-bottle/10006.md?page=2)