Dry hopping for the first time

[MikeBusby]

I am currently fermenting an American Pale Ale and will be dry hopping with hop pellets in teabags.

The recipe says to wait until it gets below 1.020 and then to dry hop for 3 days. I have no special equipment for this, so I am going to have to lift the lid to drop the hops in, and I realise this increases the risk of oxidisation. Is the idea of waiting until around 1.020 that, because it is still actively fermenting, the CO2 generated will push the O2 out through the the blow off tube?

Any tips with this?

 

[dad_of_jon]

you have layer of co2 on top of the beer by then so oxidisation isnt really a problem. some just chuck the hops in others put them in a bag weighed down with something. I use giant marbles

 

[crowcrow]

I just throw the hops in loose, but then I have a keezer so I can properly cold crash my beer down to 1c to get all the it's to drop out.

If you do bag your hops make sure to get one big enough to give the hops room to move around and as dad of jon says, weight it down.

But I wouldn't worry to much about oxidation - I never have stressed too much about it and all my beer so far has been drinkable - though I am certain it can be improved upon!

 

[Braufather]

I used tea bags once but because the bag needed to be sanitised I just through them in loose.

 

[Hoppyland]

Yep, totally agree. Not only is there a blanket of CO₂ on top of the beer, but the beer itself is fully saturated with CO₂, and at 1.020 it is still fermenting and producing more. Introducing oxygen by dry hopping should not be an issue, especially with pellets.