14 replies to this topic

[pods8]

So I haven't bothered to dry hop a beer in some time and I figured I pool the knowledge to see what people are up to these days. Leaf/pellet/ or doesn't matter? Loose floating or a hop bag? What methods do you use to rack off the hops without clogging your siphon?In the past I've done both type of hops but pellets seem a bit harder to deal with when racking. Hop bags are nice but I've also done loose. For racking I have used a SS scrubber over the tip of my racking cane for decent results.Also a likely redundant question, I have a BW I want to dry hop with about 10points left to go and a once every three second airlock activity rate right now. I assume if I try to dry hop it right now the current activity will off gas the goodness or is it okay at this point in time?

[rockon]

I think the next time I dry hop, I'll try the loose with a SS scrubber method. If you use a hop bag, make sure it's a new one. I haven't dry-hopped in awhile because the last one I did, I used a hop-bag that had been used before. I boiled it really good, but I still think I got some funky flavors from it.

[ncbeerbrewer]

I have been dry hopping with loose leaf hops in the past few months with good success. I think some of it comes down to personal preference in what method that you choose. I think while the leafs might clog your siphon, since they are larger you don't transfer over as much debris as pellets and can get a cleaner, clearer beer. As to your question about when to dry hop. If it were me I would wait till you hit your FG and then dry hop. I have read and heard many times that yes fermentation activity outgassing of CO2 will assist in carrying away your aroma compounds from the precious hops.

[brewhead]

So I haven't bothered to dry hop a beer in some time and I figured I pool the knowledge to see what people are up to these days. Leaf/pellet/ or doesn't matter? Loose floating or a hop bag? What methods do you use to rack off the hops without clogging your siphon?In the past I've done both type of hops but pellets seem a bit harder to deal with when racking. Hop bags are nice but I've also done loose. For racking I have used a SS scrubber over the tip of my racking cane for decent results.Also a likely redundant question, I have a BW I want to dry hop with about 10points left to go and a once every three second airlock activity rate right now. I assume if I try to dry hop it right now the current activity will off gas the goodness or is it okay at this point in time?

when i dry hop a beer what i'll do is step hop it. for instance: take half your dry hops and put them in one week, then the other half the next week. i seem to get a lot more aroma this way. i mostly use pellet hops - no bag - to dry hop with. since my 15 gallon keg fermenter has a rounded bottom to it, the hops stay there and i just pressurize the fermenter and push out the beer into the cornies via the out port. seems to work well.another method i would find dangerous for carboys, but ok for my fermenter is to put the dry hops in towards the end of fermentation, and seal the fermenter - with a psi relief valve. the addition of hops towards the end of fermentation produces violence in the fermenter and you definetly need some way to bleed off the pressure.the aroma ends up being rather intense.

Edited by brewhead, 28 March 2009 - 07:42 AM.

[Mashman]

I haven't dry hopped in a fermenter for several years. I dry hop in the keg. After the intial grasseyness wears off, the dry hopped goodness lasts quite a bit longer. I use nylon hop sacks and just let it float in the keg. I only use leaf hops.Mashman

[brewhead]

keg hopping works very well. i do this a lot too

[BFB]

I'm a keg dry hopper too. I put the hops in a muslin bag with a big stainless steel nut for weight. This is by far my favorite method. I leave the hops in the keg until it is empty.

[Dave]

I prefer pellet hops in secondary. Before I rack to a keg I put the carboy in one of my many refrigerators and take the temp down to about 45*. The pellet 'sludge' drops out along with everything else and makes it easy to transfer only clean beer to the keg.I've used whole hops before but when I get towards the bottom of the carboy when racking I get a continuous flow of bubbles from the pile of whole hops the auto-siphon is sticking into....it's almost like it's carbonated...and the rate of transfer slows because of the bubbles.Anyone else have this happen?

[japh]

I've always used leaf hops, in a bag, in the secondary.

[onthekeg]

I am one that must ask for trouble, I dry hop in the keg, usually with a sanitized nylon and leaf hops, but the last one untied when it was in there, and I had to use a racking cane to transfer to another keg. Then I have a SS tea ball with pellet hops in another and it opens up in the keg and plugs the out poppet. Grrrr. Transferfing to DH kegs in one day.I am going to do a secondary with the next one and then be hop free in the keg. Its easier that way.

[Mashman]

I am one that must ask for trouble, I dry hop in the keg, usually with a sanitized nylon and leaf hops, but the last one untied when it was in there, and I had to use a racking cane to transfer to another keg. Then I have a SS tea ball with pellet hops in another and it opens up in the keg and plugs the out poppet. Grrrr. Transferfing to DH kegs in one day.I am going to do a secondary with the next one and then be hop free in the keg. Its easier that way.

You know, I've never had an issue when using nylon hop bags. I would guess I've used this method at least 30-40 times. The only issue I've had is untying the bags after several months in a keg.Mashman

[Buscotucky]

Another keg dry hopper here. With pellet hops, I use a weighted hop bag suspended with unwaxed dental floss (tied to the keg lid) to about 1" off the bottom of the keg.With whole hops, I put a 3" section of braided hose on the tube then leave the hops loose in the keg.In both cases, leave the hops in till the beer is done.A tip from the NHBC in Cincy - you can use the dry hops for bittering in a new batch as the alpha acids are still available. My next batch will be using former dry hops for bittering, so I'll let you know how it works.

[HoppingFrog Brewing]

Keg hopper and a fermenter hopper. I use panty hoes for my nilon bag no weight just float it in the keg. I will dry hop with pellets or leaf hops, leaf hops in the kegs tends to take up a lot of space.. I fermenter hop several times with pellet and leaf hops I have a converted 15 gal keg for a fermenter I chill the fermenter to about 35F for a couple days prior to keging.

[EWW]

I use a nylon bag attached to the dip tube (on the out bev side) with a ss hose clamp. This allows me to use whole or pellet, and I can have it carbed so if I decide I need to Xfer it to get it off the dry hops for one reason or another I can very easily with a keg 2 keg jumper. I tend to like whole better then pellet for a dry hop, but YMMV

[DaKine]

A tip from the NHBC in Cincy - you can use the dry hops for bittering in a new batch as the alpha acids are still available. My next batch will be using former dry hops for bittering, so I'll let you know how it works.

Good idea with today's prices.I'm actually going to harvest my homegrown hops this summer, only harvested the first in '05.I once dry potted, when i ran into an abundance, should have dried and at least ingested them when done. I think I used 1/2 ounce. neato flavor!