I just got my partial extract kit for an Imperial IPA from Love2Brew. It calls for 3 weeks in primary and 2 weeks in secondary. Can I leave it in the primary for the 5 weeks and dry hop right in the primary or is racking necessary for this recipe?
Question on secondary for an IPA.
- Thread starter bartons15
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
Al in primary is fine.
Make sure Fermentation is DONE before any dry hopping.
Make sure Fermentation is DONE before any dry hopping.
Captain Damage
Well-Known Member
I almost never secondary any more. Dry hopping, adding fruit zest, etc., all done in a long primary. I would warn against leaving your dry hops in longer than 2 weeks, though - you can get grassy, vegetable flavors. So if you're going on vacation or something, you're better off bottling a week early than a week late. I've heard some pros say (on some homebrewing podcasts) that short dry hop schedules are sufficient and preferable. Someone (I can't remember who, but they were from some famous hoppy beer brewery) said that they dry hop for 3-5 days max, and find that gets all the flavor you're going to get out of the hops. Personally, I've always dry hopped for 5-7 days, but I may start experimenting with shorter schedules.
Wait on the secondary until you're an experienced brewer with C02 flushing capabilities.
You can technically use a secondary as a novice, but you run the risk of oxygenation, which can make your beer taste like wet cardboard and old sherry wine. The slight increase in clearing is not worth dumping the entire 5 gallons.
You can technically use a secondary as a novice, but you run the risk of oxygenation, which can make your beer taste like wet cardboard and old sherry wine. The slight increase in clearing is not worth dumping the entire 5 gallons.
2bluewagons
Well-Known Member
cheezydemon3 said:
Take this with a grain of salt. Many people (including notable hoppy beer brewers such as vinnie cilurzo with Russian river) suggest starting dry-hopping when fermentation is just tailing off to offset the small amount of oxygen you will introduce to the beer. Also, there is some science that suggests hop compounds interact with actively fermenting yeast to produce flavored not present when fermentation and dry hopping are completely separate.
As others have said, limit dry hopping time. You're probably good up to 10-14 days but not much use after that and possibility of off flavors. And IMO, you want to drink this young to get all that hoppiness in your mouth. With good fermentation, 3 weeks in primary (including dry hop) is plenty, then bottle. Secondary is for hosers, eh.
hendenburg2
Well-Known Member
in my experience, three weeks over yeast is WAY too long for an IPA. i've had beers lose all the hop flavor and aroma because they've spent too long over yeast. this happens both in the fermenter and in bottles. remember that the volatile compounds can both diffuse out and escape through the bubbler during fermentation and get absorbed into the yeast hulls during aging (look up "diacetyl rest")
It depends on the type of yeast. For instance, detraction of hop character and not performing a diacetyl rest are both non issues if using a clean Cali ale yeast. The hops should still be the star with a 3 week primary assuming your recipe/processes were sound.
For this and all future brews, take the directions with a grain of salt. Yeast can't read kit directions and just do what they want on their own schedule.
The general plan should be
1) wait until fermentation is done/mostly done. People have their preferences, but both seem to work fine.
2) Dry hop for around a week. A little more or less is fine. The warmer the beer is, the faster extraction you'll have (within reason). You can dry hop for months at 38 degrees, but I wouldn't try that at 72 degrees.
Overall, that might take 3 weeks or it might take 5 weeks. That will just depend on the yeast and how close to optimal conditions you can keep them.
The general plan should be
1) wait until fermentation is done/mostly done. People have their preferences, but both seem to work fine.
2) Dry hop for around a week. A little more or less is fine. The warmer the beer is, the faster extraction you'll have (within reason). You can dry hop for months at 38 degrees, but I wouldn't try that at 72 degrees.
Overall, that might take 3 weeks or it might take 5 weeks. That will just depend on the yeast and how close to optimal conditions you can keep them.
Similar threads
