Dry hopping

[Johnmorril]

Hi there

First post and just undergoing my first all grain batch.

Gone pretty well so far and is now been fermenting for 6 days with an og of around 1.042.

I'm getting ready for the next stage and want to create a very hoppy beer.

I have read a lot about dry hopping and want to get it right.

I have loose hops and am considering buying a glass carboy for the secondary fermentation stage but they have a very thin neck.

My question is how do I dry hop with loose hops without ending up with a bunch of hops in the bottles when I've finished

 

[Simonh82]

I would just stick them in to fermentation vessel. I've never transferred to a secondary vessel for dry hopping.

When it comes to bottling just carefully scope out any floating hops with a sanitised slotted spoon.

Once you've got the majority out, carefully rack to a bottling bucket with your priming sugar and bottle.

You can stick a nylon hop bag over the syphon if you are worried. I usually depend on my bottling wand to catch any last few bits of hops from getting into the bottle.

 

[terrym]

Johnmorril
For dry hopping and to help clear my brew I rack off into a second FV (as opposed to a carboy), when the primary has almost finished.
If you do that, you can use a large nylon or muslin bag to contain your hops and retrieve it easily, or, as I have done recently, throw hops in as they are but use a nylon mesh sock (from a Festival kit) over the end of the siphon tube to filter them out. I use pellets and both methods are fine, and would therefore work with whole hops. And there does not seem to be all that much difference in hop uptake between containing/not containing the hops when dry hop is over 6/7 days as I do (4/5 days in the warm, last two days cool to drop the yeast).
And finally racking off has never caused any problems for me as far as oxidation or infection are concerned, which others seem to worry about.

 

[InqBrewer]

I find cold-crashing at the end helps drop some of the hops out too (along with the yeast etc). If you've got somewhere cold enough with space (I just clear out enough space in the fridge, which goes down well as you can imagine) might want to try that too.

 

[Pjam]

I prefer pellets for dry hopping they (usually) tend to sink........... and on the odd occasion they haven't, I've ended up with hops in the bottles, which doesn't bother me.

 

[Johnmorril]

Thanks all really helpful. Some good, common sense solutions there.

Secondary fermentation:

I have a couple of follow on questions - there seems to be a mixture of people who prefer secondary fermentation and some don't? Why is this?

Secondly, I had read that secondary fermentation is better in a glass carboy as it is less co2 permeable than plastic.

Finally, and the most stupid of all because I know the answer is no, but why can't you secondary ferment in the same vessel as primary ferment?

I have an old plastic barrel with the thing that lets the gas out at the topthat I could secondary ferment in. would this be appropriate to use and then bottle? Or would the escaping gas cause the bottled stuff to be a bit flat?

 

[dan125]

Its not really necessary to rack to a 2ndry vessel I believe, and it does increase the risk of nasties & oxygen getting the beer, and as you mention there's no reason why it can't all take place in the primary FV.
But I always rack to a glass carboy after 2 weeks in the FV - mainly to free up the FV for the next brew, but also as I find it really helps yeast fall out of suspension. Its amazing how much settles in the 1st day or 2 out of what looked like a pretty clear beer going in.
I dry hop in the carboy with pellets if possible as they settle much better than whole leaf hops and result in less beer lost to hop absorption. I use a mesh bag over the syphon to stop hops getting into the keg/bottles.
Can't see why you can't use the plastic barrel as a 2ndry, and you'll have to prime the bottles before filling to get them to carb up however you do it.
:

 

[terrym]

Thanks all really helpful. Some good, common sense solutions there.

Secondary fermentation:

I have a couple of follow on questions - there seems to be a mixture of people who prefer secondary fermentation and some don't? Why is this?

Secondly, I had read that secondary fermentation is better in a glass carboy as it is less co2 permeable than plastic.

Finally, and the most stupid of all because I know the answer is no, but why can't you secondary ferment in the same vessel as primary ferment?

I have an old plastic barrel with the thing that lets the gas out at the topthat I could secondary ferment in. would this be appropriate to use and then bottle? Or would the escaping gas cause the bottled stuff to be a bit flat?

Like most things to do with home brewing people do different things around the basic process because they find out what works for them best, based on their own personal experience tempered by advice given by others. So you will eventually find out what works for you.
To try to answer your questions...
I put my beer into a secondary FV because it helps clear my beer, by taking it off the yeast formed in the primary. I could use another vessel, like a PB or a carboy (if I had one), but I use a FV for convenience especially wrt dry hopping plus it's easier to properly clean. Others do everything in the FV, perhaps they have a means of cold crashing like a brew fridge, or just leave the beer in the FV longer to clear. Bottom line is that's what they feel most comfortable with.
Personally I don't think you need to concern yourself with the material for the secondary vessel, both glass or (foodsafe) plastic are fine.
And where you carry out a primary or a primary + secondary will make no difference to the carbonation level in your bottled or PBd beer. That's determined by the amount of priming sugar you use. The only time you get an effect is if the primary has not finished when you finally package the beer (which shouldn't occur if you do things correctly) and the CO2 generated from that on top of the priming CO2 overpressurises the bottles/PB.

 

[Toffee]

my process is to dry hop with pellets in the primary, then cold crash before bottling works well.

i tried loose hops, weighed down bags and so on. all various levels of "faff". now, chuck the pellets in, 3-4 days dry hop then cold crash for a day before bottling.

 

[Johnmorril]

thanks all. this is great.

i think i will rack to a secondary vessel as it seems to be the consensus that it helps clear the beer. how do you know when to do this process? guides say 7 days - you guys say two weeks? what is the benefit of waiting longer?

seems like it will be fine to use loose hops. although i now have to find out if my hops are ok. they were vacuum packed and are now in a tupperware box until i dry hop. any idea if they will still be ok?

i might just buy some pellets.

thanks for answering my numerous questions!

 

[terrym]

thanks all. this is great.

i think i will rack to a secondary vessel as it seems to be the consensus that it helps clear the beer. how do you know when to do this process? guides say 7 days - you guys say two weeks? what is the benefit of waiting longer?

seems like it will be fine to use loose hops. although i now have to find out if my hops are ok. they were vacuum packed and are now in a tupperware box until i dry hop. any idea if they will still be ok?

i might just buy some pellets.

thanks for answering my numerous questions!

My routine for a typical brew is 7/8 days in the primary, rack off to a second FV, dry hop for 6/7 days with the first days at fermentation temperature, with the final one or two in the coldest place I have (usually my unheated garage). And for every homebrewer there will be a variation on this.

You can use whole hops for dry hopping but pellets tend to work better since there is a greater surface area for them to give up their 'goodness'.

All hops do go stale in the end once pack is opened so its best to then use them as quickly as you can. I keep my small hop store in the freezer.

This for hop suppliers http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk /showthread.php?t=66434 and this for basics on dry hopping
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=61045.

I can recommend a small nylon mesh sock (mine is from a Festival kit) over the end of the siphon tube which allows you to chuck the hops in as they are without the need to use a large bag. And again everyone will have their own way of doing things.

 

[Robin54]

I do exactly as Terry does, which is more coincidental than anything. i just thought about some potential problem areas and devised simple but effective and cheap solutions which work brilliantly.

 

[terrym]

I just thought about some potential problem areas and devised simple but effective and cheap solutions which work brilliantly.

That should be everyone's approach.
Not brewing to the fine end of a gnats whatsit.

 

[Robin54]

That should be everyone's approach.
Not brewing to the fine end of a gnats whatsit.

two examples of my improvisation
I sparge using a pound shop cullender and "bird fat ball container"
I use a 60mml syringe to take samples for a hydrometer reading
Im not some big headed genius. Im just not clever enough to do complicated.

 

[dad_of_jon]

two examples of my improvisation
I sparge using a pound shop cullender and "bird fat ball container"
I use a 60mml syringe to take samples for a hydrometer reading
Im not some big headed genius. Im just not clever enough to do complicated.

ha ha my syringe is bigger than yours :whistle:

100 ml and i usually take 70ml out for a sample.

as for dry hopping I use a paint straining bag as suggested by myqul :thumb:

as robin says it doesn't have to cost a lot unless you're addicted to SHINY kit.