Dry Hoping

[escapizm]

Hi Yall

I’m thinking of adding some hops to the brew I’ve just put on viewtopic.php?f=4&t=22232

This really is an experimental brew from the first Brewmaker IPA, I've used medium DMA instead of sugar or enhancer and ASDA water instead of tap, final twist is I’ve bought 50g of fuggles to add. I’m really trying to get some umph into this one as the previous 2 kits have been ok but not the strong taste I prefer from some of the commercial ales like St Nicholas Organic Ale & IPA or Speckled Hen.

I’ve read I should let ferment 3-4 days to get alcohol up and PH down to reduce chance of any bacterial infection from adding the hops. Should I add loose or in a pillow. I will be decanting to bottling barrel so remains aren’t to big a problem. Once concern I have is if I add loose how to I get them to sink, if I used a pillow one forum suggested sterilised marbles could weigh them down.

I intend to add hops this friday and bottle next saturday if thats ok?

thanks

[PMH0810]

Can't comment on should but I have just opened my first dry-hopped ale.

I put a muslin bag (boiled) with 2oz of goldings (all I had) into a Munton's Old Ale, weighted down with a folded up length of copper pipe (boiled). This went in on day 4 of fermentation and was taken out on day 10 (kegged).

Absolutely cracking pint, full, long-lasting head; full on flavour and a real hit of bitterness.

[brysie]

Re: Dry Hoping

sounds like a bed wetters prayer.

[escapizm]

So yesterday i added 50g of Styrian Goldingd as recemmended by HBS, read few forums and decided to just toss then in. Little concerned now that they are all floating on top...

[escapizm]

no bag, I'd read this was ok and they would sink

[Jim]

They should sink once they get thoroughly water(beer?)-logged. (I'm assuming you didn't use a muslin bag).

[escapizm]

I never used a bag, i intend to dry hop a lot if this goes well and will use one in the future weighted down in some way.

Im going to keg (KKTT) this at the weekend, I've promised myself this one will actually go the distance with the conditioning maybe even 2 months as im going to put another Wherry on straight away.

I expect to have to deal with lots of floating hop matter!!!! I dont fancy the idea of isinglass (one thread said its smells fishy) how do i use gelatine, how much do i add to 5 gallon and how?

thanks for advice

[stevezx7r]

Re. the hops - If I had seen this thread earlier I would have suggested using a bag as it's a bugger when the pint tastes nice but you keep fishing bits of leaf from between your teeth It's also possible for the hops to block some taps (top taps do spring to mind) .

Re. the gelatine - Disolve one sachet (not sure on the size but the ones I have are at least 3 time the size of a pack of yeast) into 500ml of beer from the fv just before your going to keg it. Nuke it all in the microwave (2 mins should do it) stirring every 30 secs. Don't boil it as this denatures the gelatine effect. Next, stand the pyrex (or whatever you used) in cold water to drop the temp asap. Once the glass feels cool/body temp carefully pour that into you sterilised keg and carefully add the beer from the fv. It will clear within 24 hours, usually 12. Don't be tempted to drink any 'till two weeks though, eh

[escapizm]

Thanks great advice, I'll get some gelatine and sort that this weekend. I'm gonna leave this one 6-8 as I'm putting a wherry on straight after in bottles.
Should i add gel to hopy wort in fv tommorrow prior to keging or when i transfer.

[Bribie]

Hopping in the fermenter can make a great difference to kit beers. What I often do with hop flowers is to make a hop tea, depending on the hops I use 15 to 20g of a good aroma variety such as Styrian Goldings or Cascade and just make a big pot of tea with them and pour that in. I have a big pyrex glass tea pot that I bought from a charity shop which I keep for the purpose.

In the case of hop pellets, just chuck them in, they will disintegrate and eventually sink to the bottom with the rest of the trub. I wouldn't chuck hop flowers into the fermenter whole, they love to block taps and bottling canes. I went through two canes which had become clogged with hop flower debris, I managed to take them apart and reassemble them but the springs were never the same again

[stevezx7r]

Thanks great advice, I'll get some gelatine and sort that this weekend. I'm gonna leave this one 6-8 as I'm putting a wherry on straight after in bottles.
Should i add gel to hopy wort in fv tommorrow prior to keging or when i transfer.

Once primary fermentation is complete and your ready to keg - make the gelatine solution, cool, add to clean keg, add fermented beer ontop so it mixes well with the gelatine. I'm assuming your keg can be force carbed? If not it shouldn't be to much of a problem, just prime with X amount of sugar first, add the gelatine then add the beer to mix.

[escapizm]

Bribie, yes used flowers !!! you live and learn Think Ill carfully skim top of beer to reomove the debris, only blockage issue during transfer is with my siphon end. I do have a bottleing barrel (BB) but would it be unwise to decant twice, FV to BB then BB to Keg.

Iv just paid £17 for a Dalex tap and would hate to block it.

Steve yes my King Keg Top Tap can be pressurised with CO2, (S30 valve) do i still prime it, was thinking of adding 100g of beer enhancer or should i stick to the recommended 60g (i think it was), i just wonderred as its not pure sugar.

Thanks all.

[stevezx7r]

Once the beer is made I wouldn't recomend exposing it to any more 02 than is necessary. Leave the flowers in and hope they don't block it or have a look on the AG section on how we use a hop stopper - you may be able to fit one to your keg ? Or tie a (clean) mesh bag onto the inside of the tap to stop the hops from getting through.

As for priming, as you have a c02 injector I wouldn't bother. Just fine with gelatine, fill with beer, vent after a couple of days then inject with c02 then after another day or so vent a little more and that should do it.

[escapizm]

Re. the gelatine - Disolve one sachet (not sure on the size but the ones I have are at least 3 time the size of a pack of yeast) into 500ml of beer from the fv just before your going to keg it. Nuke it all in the microwave (2 mins should do it) stirring every 30 secs. Don't boil it as this denatures the gelatine effect. Next, stand the pyrex (or whatever you used) in cold water to drop the temp asap. Once the glass feels cool/body temp carefully pour that into you sterilised keg and carefully add the beer from the fv. It will clear within 24 hours, usually 12. Don't be tempted to drink any 'till two weeks though, eh

Steve, Just bought some M&S "fine leaf gelatine" 1 pack has 12 leaves totaling 20g so 1.666g each. The destructions say 4 leaves will set 0.57 litre. So in theory 12 leaves will set 1.71 litres. DO you think if i add all 12 leaves to 20 litres will that be too much. Id hate to make beer jelly, how the hell would i serve it...

[stevezx7r]

I weighed my gelatine just now (just kegged 10 gallons) and each pack I used was 14g. This is the powdered veriety so I'm not sure what the difference (if any) that would have. I think I would be tempted to go for just a few at first, maybe 3? I wouldn't want to risk setting the entire 5 gallon keg and in any case the yeast will drop out on it's own anyway, this just speeds things up a lot and makes the yeast stick like you know what