Dry hopping

[plumber8302]

My first batch has been fermenting over a week now. I am only doing a primary fermentation and my question is this: can I wait until 2 weeks, check for FG, and if done, add dry hops and then wait for 3 weeks and bottle? Or should I wait 3 weeks then dry hop for a week?

 

[GenIke]

If the gravity says it's done you could do either. I would wait the extra week if you can just to let the yeast clean up a bit, but it probably wouldnt matter at all.

I just bottled a dry hopped IPA after 3 weeks in primary plus 5 days with dry hops.

 

[plumber8302]

Thanks for the reply! That's what I am thinking I should do from everything I've read on this site, I am just anxious to try my first beer! I will probably just wait 3 weeks then add the hops

 

[TheAdric]

How long would you suggest doing a Primary Fermentation for? I have not had a really active fermentation i can tell its still working theres bubbles on the top little condensation in the air lock and a scum line. Its maybe because i used dry yeast and sort water which may have slowed it?

 

[TheAdric]

Sorry soft water

 

[Snisup]

I've done 2 weeks + dry hop for 5 days cold crash 2 days then bottle. Came out great after 2 weeks bottled. Even better after 3 weeks bottled plus 1week in the fridge.

 

[brettg20]

How long would you suggest doing a Primary Fermentation for? I have not had a really active fermentation i can tell its still working theres bubbles on the top little condensation in the air lock and a scum line. Its maybe because i used dry yeast and sort water which may have slowed it?

Primary = 2 weeks min.

 

[Mirkin]

How long would you suggest doing a Primary Fermentation for? I have not had a really active fermentation i can tell its still working theres bubbles on the top little condensation in the air lock and a scum line. Its maybe because i used dry yeast and sort water which may have slowed it?

Never base decisions on how much or little bubbling activity you are seeing from your airlock. Hydrometer or Refractometer readings are the only way to see what you're fermentation is up to.

Personally I follow advice that I read from John Palmer's book How to Brew of generally Primary fermenting for 5-7 days then Secondary for 10-14 days, most fermentation is completed in primary but moving off yeast and trub into secondary allows for the fermentation to finish up, get the last drop outs and a good amount of conditioning done prior to bottling.

 

[TheAdric]

If i dont have a secondary should i leave it for 3 weeks?

 

[Mirkin]

If no secondary yeah up to 3 weeks should be ok, without being able to get it off the trub I'd go with 2 or whenever fermentation has ended and do all your conditioning in the bottle. Just dry hop into the primary.

Getting a secondary vessel is a great investment! Apart from being able to condition and dry hop off of the primary trub cake, you can use your primary again as a bulk priming vessel instead of adding sugar to each bottle. :-D

 

[Snisup]

If i dont have a secondary should i leave it for 3 weeks?

You don't need a secondary to dry hop. Take a few gravity readings starting at day 12 and if it doesn't change over the next few days then dry hop for 5 days or so. I've heard of people dry hopping for as little as 3 days or as many as 14. If you can cold crash for a day or two that would help to get the hops and yeast to settle out.