Dry Hopping

[MrC]

There doesn't seem to be a generic topic here for dry hopping so I thought I'd create one.

I've only dry hopped a couple of time but I've decided to do more of it. So far I've only dry hopped with pellets at a rate of 1g/L for approx 7 days and been very happy with the results. This was a lowish gravity ale (OG 1.042) that was fermented in a single vessel for 2 weeks, dry hopped for the second week and then bottled. I just threw the pellets directly into the fermenter after one week and they slowly sank to the bottom over the second week with a little bit of fermeter rocking to help them on their way.

I have just tried dry hopping in a keg and I'm wondering how long to leave the hops in there. I placed the hops in a small linen bag prior to adding them to the keg and they have been in there for 2 weeks and are tasting great.

Questions:
- Should I remove the hops or leave them in there and enjoy the changing flavours over time?
- Will the hops "go bad" if I leave them in there too long? Rotten hops maybe?

If you have any other questions, tips, or experiences with dry hopping that you'd like to share, add them here.

[JoKing]

It depends on your taste preferences, but if you have the hops in the keg for a long time they can give a tannic flavour (think tea bags) they can also start letting go of some vegetable flavours like carrots, cabbage, lettuice etc. This can take a while hawever, and it depends on how much you put in also. I think you'd be hard pressed to pick up some unpleasantness after 4 weeks at 1g/L.

The most I have used was 12.5g/L for 10 days @20C, and it was pretty clean. Any longer and I think there was potential for yuckyness.

[Jared Phipps]

I'm dry hopping for the first time. Extract and grain Imperial NZPA. I chucked 100gHallertau aroma into 21L fermented ale. I have had to swirl it around a bit to get the hops wet, but they are still floating on top.

 

Was I supposed to use pellets?

 

Will the hops sink?

[Mike Neilson]

It will be fine only thing is keeping the hops in the beer and the higher risk of oxidation due to this, racking off is a bastard and getting them out as well can be a pain!!  

[MrC]

I reckon pellets make the dry hopping process easier to manage but cones will be fine.  I dry hopped with Hallertau cones once with good results.  Mine didn't sink.

 

I'd try to get the hops well wetted with the beer by either a gentle swirl every now and then or the occasional dunking with a sterile implement.  The more the hops come in contact with the beer, the more flavour you'll get.

 

 

 

[Jared Phipps]

Thanks guys,

Next attempt will be cones in bag/pellets in plastic bucket. I have lightly swirled and they are now wet. Little concerned about the racking stage...

Hahahaha NOOB FAIL! I'll post picks of me trying to get 100g of soggy cones out demijohn!