quick question: should I dry hop yet?

[rival178]

My beer's gravity has been at 1.012 since Tuesday, so today is the 3rd day, however I still see air bubbles coming out of the air lock. It is ready for me to dry hop? I started my fermentation on Oct 24th, so it's been fermentating for 12 days.

Ingredients (Included):
6 lbs Light LME
2.0 lb. Maris Otter
0.50 lb. Light Munich
0.75 lb. Carahell
.15 oz Centennial hops (Bittering)
1.0 oz Glacier hops (Bittering)
0.5 oz Glacier hops (1st Flavoring)
0.5 oz Glacier hops (2nd Flavoring)
0.5 oz Glacier hops (Aroma)
2.0 oz Glacier hops (Dry-hop)
1 tsp. Irish moss
2/3 to 3/4 cup corn sugar to prime
Wyeast 1056

Matt

 

[Yooper]

You probably could, if it's not outgassing too much.

I like to do it kind of backwards, though. When are you going to bottle? I like try dryhop for a week, right before bottling. So, if you're bottling in about 10 days, you could wait three days and then dryhop.

Sometimes I'll have a "bigger" beer, like an IIPA, and I'll put in secondary for a while to age, and then dryhop for the last 7 days so the hop aroma is as fresh as possible before bottling or kegging.

 

[rival178]

You probably could, if it's not outgassing too much.

I like to do it kind of backwards, though. When are you going to bottle? I like try dryhop for a week, right before bottling. So, if you're bottling in about 10 days, you could wait three days and then dryhop.

Sometimes I'll have a "bigger" beer, like an IIPA, and I'll put in secondary for a while to age, and then dryhop for the last 7 days so the hop aroma is as fresh as possible before bottling or kegging.

I would like to bottle a week from Sunday. Also when you dry hop do you toss them in or use the bag?

Matt

 

[android]

i've had good results just tossing them in, they will settle out and that's when it seems like time to keg/bottle... i like about 10 days with dry hops, but a week is probably just fine.

 

[haighter]

I recently listened to a podcast with the brewmaster for Firestone Walker (Union Jack IPA is pure gold). He (and many pros apparently) actually start dry hopping when primary fermentation is at about 85% - 90%.

I've personally never done it, but who's to argue with a brewmaster of his caliber.

I'm surely gonna try on my next batch.

 

[Grinder12000]

I work backwards also - 1 week. Same with oaking - just drop what every you have it - they will settle or float - either way works.

 

[weetodd]

I understand that many breweries like to add dry hops while there is still a little fermentation activity so in the event any oxygen is added due to adding the dry hops the yeast will still be active enough to clean it up (but not too active to offgas all of the hop aroma). I typically dry hop in a corny with the hops in a mesh bag with some marbles so it sinks a little bit (I dangle a sanitized piece of butchers twine out of the keg so I can pull the sack up when I'm done). When I dry hop in a carboy or bucket, I've just put them in, but you may need to put something over your racking cane (mesh bag) in order to get a good transfer without the hops clogging it up.

 

[nasmeyer]

I recently listened to a podcast with the brewmaster for Firestone Walker (Union Jack IPA is pure gold). He (and many pros apparently) actually start dry hopping when primary fermentation is at about 85% - 90%.

I've personally never done it, but who's to argue with a brewmaster of his caliber.

I'm surely gonna try on my next batch.

I am interested in trying this with my 4 Hearted Ale that is in my primary now. I assume to do this I will need to get a gravity reading to see when it is 85-90% of my expected FG? Would there be another way to determine percentage done without creating risk of infection by opening the primary like airlock activity, or days in the primary?

 

[haighter]

I'd give a listen to the podcast (http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/membersarchive/bs_dryhop12-08-08.mp3). I think they bring it up about halfway in.

They mention that you can usually tell because there will still be some krausen and even a little bit of bubbling, but that otherwise most has settled down. Still, though. Give it a listen, their reasoning and explination is much clearer than mine.

 

[Bullshivit-brew]

+1 to yooper nuff said