Dry Hopping question
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,410
    This discussion was created from comments split from: Poll: Should I brew today? and what?.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • flyfisherwesflyfisherwes
    Posts: 1,053
    My beer is still in primary. I thought I might bottle it this past weekend but I wasn't sure so I didn't dry hop it. I can't do it til next week sometime. Whats a good way to sink a dry hop bag in a primary? My last one just had the hops floating on the top cause my friend dry hopped it for me and didn't think about it.

  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,761

    jlw said:

    that black ale should be a cross between a porter and an IPA so...



    Are you drinking the black ale yet? What do you think?


    Its still in primary. I thought I might bottle it this past weekend but I wasn't sure so I didn't dry hop it. I can't do it til next week sometime. Whats a good way to sink a dry hop bag in a primary? My last one just had the hops floating on the top cause my friend dry hopped it for me and didn't think about it.



    a couple stainless steel nuts/bolts tossed in the bag.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 122,410

    jlw said:

    that black ale should be a cross between a porter and an IPA so...



    Are you drinking the black ale yet? What do you think?


    Its still in primary. I thought I might bottle it this past weekend but I wasn't sure so I didn't dry hop it. I can't do it til next week sometime. Whats a good way to sink a dry hop bag in a primary? My last one just had the hops floating on the top cause my friend dry hopped it for me and didn't think about it.



    a couple stainless steel nuts/bolts tossed in the bag.


    Preferably clean ones without grease or cutting fluid on them....
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454
    I use marbles. Although, you don't want to boil becuse they may crack and make sure you remember you have marbles in your hop bag and don;t dump them down the drain like I did a few weeks back. At least they grind up nicely with the disposal.
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    i use whole hops and just let them float loose. then during the week of dry hopping, i gently swirl them around once or twice.

    i used to use a hop bag with pellets though and i would just toss a utensil in there, like a clean and sanitized spoon or fork. never had any problems.
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454

    i use whole hops and just let them float loose. then during the week of dry hopping, i gently swirl them around once or twice.

    i used to use a hop bag with pellets though and i would just toss a utensil in there, like a clean and sanitized spoon or fork. never had any problems.


    This is exactly what I do. I don;t have whole hops very often and I prefer pellets to leaf hops for dry hoping. Maybe I have it backwards but you seem to loose less beer with pellets?
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    jlw said:

    i use whole hops and just let them float loose. then during the week of dry hopping, i gently swirl them around once or twice.

    i used to use a hop bag with pellets though and i would just toss a utensil in there, like a clean and sanitized spoon or fork. never had any problems.


    This is exactly what I do. I don;t have whole hops very often and I prefer pellets to leaf hops for dry hoping. Maybe I have it backwards but you seem to loose less beer with pellets?

    the whole leaf hops certainly hold lots of beer!
    i fix that by lifting the hops out with a kitchen spider (strainer on a stick) and then squishing them down with a sanitized spatula. at first i assumed this would lead to cloudy beer, even though i am not sure why i thought that, but it doesn't
  • jlwjlw
    Posts: 16,454

    jlw said:

    i use whole hops and just let them float loose. then during the week of dry hopping, i gently swirl them around once or twice.

    i used to use a hop bag with pellets though and i would just toss a utensil in there, like a clean and sanitized spoon or fork. never had any problems.


    This is exactly what I do. I don;t have whole hops very often and I prefer pellets to leaf hops for dry hoping. Maybe I have it backwards but you seem to loose less beer with pellets?

    the whole leaf hops certainly hold lots of beer!
    i fix that by lifting the hops out with a kitchen spider (strainer on a stick) and then squishing them down with a sanitized spatula. at first i assumed this would lead to cloudy beer, even though i am not sure why i thought that, but it doesn't


    I do the same thing on squeezing.
  • BenvarineBenvarine
    Posts: 1,606
    I have dry hopped with pellet in a bag, but added nothing, in fact, I added a fishing line to the top so it wouldnt sit on the trub. When the bag and hops are fully saturated, they sink. Are you guys intentionally wanting the hops on the bottom? Whole leaf floats, so where is the advantage of dumping hardware into your beer?
  • BenvarineBenvarine
    Posts: 1,606
    Also, getting a wet hop bag out of a carboy, pain in the ass!
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,761
    Benvarine said:

    Also, getting a wet hop bag out of a carboy, pain in the ass!



    buckets, sucka!
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,761
    Benvarine said:

    Are you guys intentionally wanting the hops on the bottom? Whole leaf floats, so where is the advantage of dumping hardware into your beer?



    Whole leaf floats on the top of the beer, you want the hops submerged in the liquid so they can transfer aromatics into it.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679

    Benvarine said:

    Are you guys intentionally wanting the hops on the bottom? Whole leaf floats, so where is the advantage of dumping hardware into your beer?



    Whole leaf floats on the top of the beer, you want the hops submerged in the liquid so they can transfer aromatics into it.

    they only float for a few days, then they kind of partially float as they get saturated. that's why i use whole leaf, and then gently stir once or twice during the dry hopping period.
    just did it this morning actually.