I keep confusing myself about dry hopping

[PADave]

I'm ready to keg for the first time. Brew is done fermenting, but I keep confusing myself the more I read on when and how to dry hop. My original plan was to dry hop in the keg, using a 300 mesh stainless filter, letting it sit at room temp for a week before chilling a carbing. Then I read about how the hops can get compacted in the filter.

So then I ordered some hop socks from Wilserbrewer. Using them, my dilemma is do I weight the bag so it sinks or no? Or do I tie it off on the dip tube, or the lid?

Or my other option is to just dry hop in the fermenter, like I normally do, then keg.

 

[kev211]

I just dry hop in the fermenter. Keep all the crud in one place. That being said, Ive never heard of hops getting compacted in the stainless mesh filters. But then again I dont know how small your filter is. If you go the bag route, weigh it down and tie it off on the lid. But my vote is on just let them swim free in the fermenter

 

[TwistedGray]

+1

You can also remove the hops (rather, the beer) whenever you want in the fermenter. Not as easy, I imagine, if you've already kegged it with the hops.

 

[PADave]

I just dry hop in the fermenter. Keep all the crud in one place. That being said, Ive never heard of hops getting compacted in the stainless mesh filters. But then again I dont know how small your filter is. If you go the bag route, weigh it down and tie it off on the lid. But my vote is on just let them swim free in the fermenter

The filter is pretty big, 2.75" dia, 11.75" long.

 

[kev211]

The filter is pretty big, 2.75" dia, 11.75" long.

Ya I doubt they would get compacted. If you were worried about it you could always tilt the keg once or twice every few days to swirl them up inside the filter. That being said... I still say fermenter haha

 

[PADave]

+1

You can also remove the hops (rather, the beer) whenever you want in the fermenter. Not as easy, I imagine, if you've already kegged it with the hops.

Would just be a matter of pulling out the bag or filter. I don't intend on removing them, once cold it takes quite a long time for them to release the oils, so I'm not worried about them being in too long.

I'm thinking I might just have to try it all myself, and see what works.

 

[kev211]

Would just be a matter of pulling out the bag or filter. I don't intend on removing them, once cold it takes quite a long time for them to release the oils, so I'm not worried about them being in too long.

I'm thinking I might just have to try it all myself, and see what works.

That just means you're gonna have to drink at least three kegs to find out what works best. Dammit! Poor you!

 

[PADave]

That just means you're gonna have to drink at least three kegs to find out what works best. Dammit! Poor you!

I guess, then a couple more to confirm the results. All in the name of research.

I'd like to get this in the keg today. Think I'm going to go with the filter this time.

 

[DNelson]

Another thing to consider is the difference in flavor contribution. Lots of pro brewers (example: Julian Shrago) insist that removing the yeast prior to dry hopping is critical, as the yeast can scrub out flavor/aroma compounds. So dry hopping in the keg takes care of that. Yet there's also pro brewers (example:Matt Brynildson) that believe there's a biotransformation of hop compounds when they are introduced during fermentation that can produce complex fruit notes.

A lot pros are doing both these days.

 

[DNelson]

and as for your question, for my last IPA I used a mesh filter on my diptube, threw in a weighted hop sack, then racked it to another keg after about a week on the hops. I've clogged poppets before... not fun. So I've been extra careful lately.

 

[PADave]

It's now in the keg. I went with the filter. Sometimes my OCD kicks in and I can make things more complicated than they need to be. Going to let it sit for a week at room temp, then chill and carb. So I'll find out in a few weeks how things went. I also added 1.5 oz of corn sugar to the keg to get a little natural carb going while it's sitting at room temp.

 

[pigroaster]

I take a plastic syringe and use an extacto knife and cut a x in the end so when you push down on the poppet and inject the sanitizer will go sideways with no splashes and clean the poppets. It also cleans out the dip tube. I do this every time I clean a keg and if I dry hop in the keg I always remove and clean poppet spring. If you ever have a problem with flow. Use water or beer and use the syringe. It should free up restriction in the poppet valve.

 

[xCSx]

Dry hop in the fermentor. I just had to rerack a keg because the entire dip tube was clogged with hop residue and even after unclogging multiple times, it kept getting reclogged.

 

[PADave]

Dry hop in the fermentor. I just had to rerack a keg because the entire dip tube was clogged with hop residue and even after unclogging multiple times, it kept getting reclogged.

What did you have them in?