Dry hopping tips

[The Goatreich]

Tomorrow I'm planning a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone from my Clone Brews book. The recipe calls for 14g cascade to be dry hopped in a secondary FV after 7 days in the primary.

I'm not entirely sure that my secondary FV will be available as it'll likely still be full of clearing red wine, so I was wondering whether I'd be ok just to plonk the hops in the primary after a week or is racking off necessary? Last time I dry hopped I just used the primary and didn't notice anything wrong with the brew. Potentially I could rack the beer off the yeast cake into my bottling bucket, clean out the FV and then rack back into the clean primary.

Also, last time I dry hopped I just put the hops in to the bucket loose, which then proved to be a total nightmare when racking into the bottling bucket as the hops kept blocking the racking cane and cup. Can I fashion a big teabag out of some sterilised muslin cloth tied together with some cotton? Will the hops get enough exposure to the beer doing this?

Cheers as always for any opinions.

 

[bobsbeer]

Yes use a muslin bag. Steralise first though before you chuck it in.

 

[The Goatreich]

OK, cheers.

 

[calumscott]

I've done hops in primary and produced my best beer so far...

...but then I stuck them in right at the start without thinking through the infection risk.

Now I try to do the 7 days - rack and hop - 14 days - bottle routine.

I use jam making muslin cloth and cooks string just chuck them in a pan of boiling water for a bit then tie up a loose bag and dangle it in.

 

[The Goatreich]

Cheers, I don't have any cook's string, but I'll sterilise something along with the muslin bag, maybe one of those clippy things that hold freezer bags shut. I imagine this time I'll probably just put the bag in the primary after 7 days.

 

[bobsbeer]

Are you using pellets or whole hops? If you use pellets def use a bag.

 

[The Goatreich]

No, whole hops.

 

[calumscott]

maybe one of those clippy things that hold freezer bags shut

Now THERE'S a damn good idea!

 

[bobsbeer]

No, whole hops.

Surprised they are clogging your syphon tube. But whole hops in a bag should work just fine. And the clippy thing is a good idea. I always tied up the bag with string.

 

[The Goatreich]

Mainly getting clogged with leaves. I'll do a muslin bag. Thanks all.

 

[puravida]

Chuck a sanitised heavy metal spoon or two in there to weigh it down! Learnt that one from experience

 

[The Goatreich]

Nice one, thanks.

 

[Good Ed]

The other thing you can do for dry hopping, and this probably applies mostly to higher SG beers, is to add an amount for 7 days then fish them out and and another fresh lot for another 7 days, you have to use mesh/muslin bags of course.

 

[fbsf]

Quick newbie Q - I can see the need to sterilize the muslin bag before bunging the hops in, but do you need to sanitise the hops as well?

 

[The Goatreich]

Nope, hops are a natural antiseptic.

 

[The Goatreich]

OK, so I just made a bag out of some sterilised muslin cloth put a sterilised metal teaspoon in there and clipped it shut, but amazingly the teaspoon isn't heavy enough to sink the bag into the brew! It's just floating on the top. Am I going to get enough hoppy goodness from this or do I need to think of another way to sink it?

 

[calumscott]

As they soak they'll sink. Patience...

 

[The Goatreich]

Good news, cheers.