Dry hop methods

[eyuptm]

Well, here goes. THE COMPLICATED OPTION.
Firstly, I don’t bottle from the plastic fermentation bucket. If I do bottle it’s from a PB after transfer.
Just transferred a dry hopped pale ale that called for 300 grams of hops, that’s twenty quids worth, for dry hopping.
I use a plastic hopper that I made myself, that holds the hop pellets magnetically under the fermentation bucket lid..pics time..
View attachment 65188
This shows the hopper fixed by magnets to the underside of the lid and filled with 300 grams of pellets.
View attachment 65190
This shows the the lid in place. The group of 4 magnets hold the assembly to the lid and the group of 2 magnets secures the hopper in the closed position. Moving the group of 2 releases the hopper and drops the hops into the brew.
View attachment 65189
The fermentation bucket has a tap in it’s bottom that is connected to a float tube. When it’s time to transfer after cold crashing the float keeps the tube clear of the hop debris and settles onto it when finished.
View attachment 65192

Is the hopper 3d printed?? I'd like to try this approach, any chance of knocking another one up?

 

[Buffers brewery]

Is the hopper 3d printed?? I'd like to try this approach, any chance of knocking another one up?

Yes it is. I can make the parts but you’ll have to buy the magnets. I’ll DM you later with the details.

 

[FirebladeAdam]

That's an ingenious system. I rely on the co2 being heavier than air when I remove the lid! It could be more efficient I admit, I try to do it as quickly as I can, and in the still air of my ferm fridge I thankfully seem to have no negative effects from it. But like everything in brewing, I don't know how much better it would be if I had a proper system. There's lots of space in my fridge above the FV, so I'm now inspired to create something. It would have to sit outside the lid in my case as quite often the beer level is high. Thanks Eyuptm!

 

[Agentgonzo]

I rely on the co2 being heavier than air when I remove the lid!

Don't rely on this too much. Yes, co2 is denser than air, and yes, you will get a blanket of CO2 on top of the wort that will gradually push the air out of the airlock as it ferments.

HOWEVER, you will introduce relatively large air currents when you remove the lid, even if you do it slowly and carefully. The same is true as you throw the hops in through the CO2 layer. It'll drag air from above and stir/displace the CO2. These air currents will blow the CO2 away and make air contact the wort.

(For what it's worth, I don't believe all the paranoia of eliminating oxygen contact with the beer at the fermentation stage - I believe the vast majority of the oxidisation occurs after fermentation when the beer is packaged)

 

[Bolsover Brewer]

Don't rely on this too much. Yes, co2 is denser than air, and yes, you will get a blanket of CO2 on top of the wort that will gradually push the air out of the airlock as it ferments.

HOWEVER, you will introduce relatively large air currents when you remove the lid, even if you do it slowly and carefully. The same is true as you throw the hops in through the CO2 layer. It'll drag air from above and stir/displace the CO2. These air currents will blow the CO2 away and make air contact the wort.

(For what it's worth, I don't believe all the paranoia of eliminating oxygen contact with the beer at the fermentation stage - I believe the vast majority of the oxidisation occurs after fermentation when the beer is packaged)

I read the Peter Wolfe Thesis which someone mentioned earlier. I am intending to use his method for a couple of reasons, reduce the oxygen intake and to not contaminate the yeast, which I keep. Transfer from primary fermenter to a secondary fermenter which contains the hops. CO2 from the primary would be purging the secondary. Not ideal, but a large proportion of air will have been removed by the vacating gas, what is left is 78% nitrogen so the oxygen content would be minimal.
The only thing I need to do is purchase a few of the closed vessel PET fermenters.

 

[SilverShadow]

Yes it is. I can make the parts but you’ll have to buy the magnets. I’ll DM you later with the details.

It's a very neat system, BB & you should be very proud of that mate

I'm surprised you've not patented it & outsourced to a manufacturer tbh

I could see that selling big time, especially if there were different sizes available

 

[Buffers brewery]

It's a very neat system, BB & you should be very proud of that mate

I'm surprised you've not patented it & outsourced to a manufacturer tbh

I could see that selling big time, especially if there were different sizes available

Thanks. That's very kind. I'm too old to be thinking about patenting any of my "inventions" and outsourcing. Too much stress. Happy to share with fellow brewers.
While the plastic bits are relatively cheap, because of the magnets I use it ends up a very expensive accessory

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Saw a neat idea on the american forum. The brewer threaded the nylon line to suspend the hop bag through his airlock.
I'm a sous vide magnet and hop bags slid in and out of the beer when I have to dry hop.

 

[Buffers brewery]

I tried using the hop bag/magnet approach. Trouble was, with a flat bucket lid even using several magnets it drooped into the brew and got wet before releasing to dry hop. Hence my move to a rigid hopper to keep the hops away from the beer.
I think there must be a benefit in having the hops inside the fermenter from the beginning so any air in the hop (pallets) can be flushed out during fermentation.