Dry Hopping Dilemma

[Sozzled]

Hi All,

I'm planning my 2nd ever BIAB, which is going to be a Punk IPA clone.

One thing I've noticed over the few brews I've done previously is that when I dry hop the hops act like a sponge and I lose at least a liter to the hop gods.

As you all probably know the hop bill for the punk clone includes a lot of dry hopping.

The recipe in the DIY Dog calls for a lot of these to be dry hopped.

The volume is set to 20 litres and I'm a bit worried that I'm going to lose more than a little bit to the hops I add at the dry hop stage.

Normally I wouldn't be to bothered but this is going to work out a fairly expensive brew (for me any way).

Would using pellets instead of leaf help? Or do I just need to suck it up and expect to lose a load of my precious beer!

 

[Leon103]

Pellets would work better and you would need less. If using cones, you can squeeze the liquid out of them.

 

[chewie]

Always add a bit extra water to allow for this, racking and deadspace during the whole process, an extra 1-2l sparge at the start will not adversely effect flavour/abv, if you do think it will be an issue just throw in a few 100g extra grain, I'm at the stage whereby i don't worry about it unless the brew is going to a cornie keg and i know i need the full 19l to minimise the gas wastage.

 

[cheshirehomebrew]

I dry hop using pellets now, in a sterilised home made mesh bag that's basically the foot end of a pair of tights tied tightly dangled into the carboy on string (also sterilised) and don't get much liquid loss as a result.

 

[geetee]

Pellets would work better and you would need less. If using cones, you can squeeze the liquid out of them.

I have used leaf hops in a bag and you can squeeze a lot of the juice out of them (with clean hands), not so much with pellets as it makes the beer murky with lots of bits in it.

 

[Simonh82]

I've almost completely converted to pellet hops. I think they are much better if you are making very hoppy beers.

I've recently read an MSc thesis by a brewing science student that shows that pellet hops release the hop essential oils quicker and produce a beer with higher final levels of hop aroma compounds than leaf hops.

I have always just chucked the hops into the kettle or fermentor lose and I've never had a problem.

After a few days in the fermentor, the hops have settled to the bottom. This is especially true if you can cold crash the beer.

 

[Chrissparky]

I would dry hop this otherwise you will be disappointed. Use muslin bags it's easier. I wouldn't worry about losing a bit of volume but getting a far superior beer. If you're making punk IPA type beers you're clearly not trying to brew on the cheap because of the hops involved. I would even use more than suggested on diy dog for dry hopping. I've done a few punk IPA brews and the original without dry hopping. I was slightly disappointed with the original without dry hopping. Although a good beer, I've become addicted to the heavy hop aroma

 

[EHCosbie]

Do you stir your brew at all when dry hopping in a muslin bag?

 

[Chrissparky]

I just drop them in about 3-5 days before bottling, I don't stir them

 

[EHCosbie]

I just drop them in about 3-5 days before bottling, I don't stir them

Do your hops sink when in a muslin bag? Mine always sits on the surface, also I have found that the flavour of the beer (once in bottles) is not consistent from one to the next. ie, beer syphoned from the top is a lot more floral than the beer at the bottom of the FV next to the sediment. Anyone else get this problem? Any solutions (no pun intended)?

Edit: I will make a new thread.

 

[Bigcol49]

. . . I'm a bit worried that I'm going to lose more than a little bit to the hops I add at the dry hop stage.

Hi!
The flavour hops could be added as a hop tea, water no hotter than 64°C, then the aroma hops added as a dry hop. This would mean less hops at the dry hopping stage and less loss of volume.

 

[pms67]

I've almost completely converted to pellet hops. I think they are much better if you are making very hoppy beers.

I've recently read an MSc thesis by a brewing science student that shows that pellet hops release the hop essential oils quicker and produce a beer with higher final levels of hop aroma compounds than leaf hops.

I have always just chucked the hops into the kettle or fermentor lose and I've never had a problem.

After a few days in the fermentor, the hops have settled to the bottom. This is especially true if you can cold crash the beer.

Couldn't agree more with this post,if possible, i will never buy leaf hops again, pellets are ten times better and there's something liberating about just chucking them in to your boiler,no more muslin bags for me,even for dryhopping, just throw them in and if you can,cold crash after 3-5 days amd they will sink, or i think you can give them a stir although i have never tried that 👍

 

[pms67]

I also never transfer to a secondary now, just bottle straight from the FV.
Cold crashing saves a lot of hassle

 

[EHCosbie]

.
Cold crashing saves a lot of hassle

How cold does it need to be, to be classed as "Cold Crashing"?