Early dry hopping?

[FatDragon]

Like many other brewers, my APAs and IPAs are typically in the fermenter for 10-14 days before getting their dry hops, then let them infuse for another 4-7 days before bottling.

In the interest of quicker turnaround and potentially better beer, I'm thinking about trying a Day 4-5 dry hop and then bottling 5-7 days later on my current APA - an all-Vienna SMaDH with Cascade and Simcoe on US-05. It's currently three days into fermenting at 17.5 C, and I'm thinking of taking it to 20C around days 7-9 (to ensure it finishes and thus prevent bottle bombs) and then cold crashing around 2-4C for a couple days before bottling. Does this sound like a solid plan, or should I stick to my standard schedule?

 

[schokie]

That's the exact same schedule I use for my pale ales. So far, so good!

If you use good fermentation control, which is sounds like you are, then the bulk of fermentation is complete in just a few days. As soon as active fermentation is complete it's ready to dry hop. I find that one to two days gives plenty of flavor for the dry hop. More days would probably be better, but you're already 90% of the way there.

If you have the time and patience, a couple extra days in each section could only help. However, you'll still turn out decent beer. If the beer is less than 1.060, I'm grain to packaging in about a week. Add 2-3 days for dry hopping.

 

[tagz]

I think 5-7 days for dryhop is overkill. IME you get most of the flavor out in 2-3 days if your sitting in the 60s.

I think you could do 5-7 days primary, 3 days dryhop, 2 days cold crash, bottle. If you're bottling, you really want to get those hoppy beers packaged fairly quickly, as you have to wait two weeks longer than the keggers.

 

[m00ps]

Just be sure not to dry hop when you have appreciable airlock activity or else all the aroma goes right out the airlock.

 

[KyleWolf]

The current dogma for NorthEast Style IPAs is to dryhop with when your beer hits around 1.020. Apparently, the yeast and hops interact and particular biochemical pathways lead to a more complex flavor profile. I do not know the chemistry and I am only trying it for the first time here in a few days, but I figured I would pass along that little bit of brew voo-doo

 

[lbond2]

The current dogma for NorthEast Style IPAs is to dryhop with when your beer hits around 1.020. Apparently, the yeast and hops interact and particular biochemical pathways lead to a more complex flavor profile. I do not know the chemistry and I am only trying it for the first time here in a few days, but I figured I would pass along that little bit of brew voo-doo

Interesting note to take here brewers...I always do my first round of dry hopping at the tail end of fermentation to prevent...believe it or not...hop oxidation. The yeast will eat the oxygen that is trapped in the hops and will prevent your beer from oxidation. I then cold dry hop for my second round of dry hops, usually in the keg...purged of course. No more than 5 days. Lots of hops, if you are dry hopping 1.060+ IPA with 1-2oz your way off...don't be afraid to dry hop with like 6+oz of dankness.

 

[KyleWolf]

Interesting note to take here brewers...I always do my first round of dry hopping at the tail end of fermentation to prevent...believe it or not...hop oxidation. The yeast will eat the oxygen that is trapped in the hops and will prevent your beer from oxidation. I then cold dry hop for my second round of dry hops, usually in the keg...purged of course. No more than 5 days. Lots of hops, if you are dry hopping 1.060+ IPA with 1-2oz your way off...don't be afraid to dry hop with like 6+oz of dankness.

One reason why you may be needing to dry hop with so much is because you are dry hopping cold. The aromatics are temp sensitive and will not readily release into the beer at 4C as they would at 18C. To keg hop, I think you would be better off keeping the keg at 18C and keeping it under 10PSI before removing the hops and moving the keg to 4C