Dry Hopping Overflow

[brewrench52]

Hello everyone, After primary fermentation, we have been dry hopping in the tank @ ferm temp, but experiencing major overflow due to out gassing of CO2. I was wondering what is the best way to add hops to the fermenter avoiding the overflow.

[beerguy1]

Keep your ferm opened and by that I mean dont put any caps on the outlets you DONT want any pressure in the vessel. start cooling it down you have to get that active yeast to settle out. I usually cool it down to at least 50 before I dry hop and then I let it sit for a day or 2 then dry hop. As soon as you dry I plug the ferm all up then what ever your protocol is for cooling. Thats the short story of it. You can try searching there are lots of discussion on this. Plus I never met a brewer that hasnt taken a beer bath from that

[CharlosCarlies]

When leaving at ferm temp, we used to just make sure we didn't cap any tank that was setup to be dry-hopped. Now that we're soft-crashing first because one of our dry-hopped beers is a good candidate for harvesting, we'll leave a few PSI on until reaching the set temp (usually 55-60F), then blow down the tank again (slowly) and leave it uncapped until we get the dry hops in.

Ever since we've been more diligent about keeping pressure off the tank, it hasn't been a problem at all. *knocks on wood*

[jcrjustin]

The SOP I developed is to cool the fermenter to 60 a day before dry hopping. On the day of dry hopping dump a yeast plug, then add a 1# charge of your dry hops. This will still create off gassing, but not nearly as violent as adding the entire charge at once. Once the off gassing has subsided add the remaining hop charge. At this point we let if gas off a little more and bung. The off gassing allows any O2 that was introduced during the dry hopping to be pushed out of the fermenter and by bunging we keep most of the aromatics of the dry hops. Hope this helps.

[JustinDCrawford]

Our SOP for dry hopping is rather straight forward. When fermentation is almost finished we dry hop then bung to allow head pressure to form. We then set to D-rest the next day. After that required time we then begin Cold Crash. Everyone has their different methods, this one seems to work for us.

[barleyfreak]

The SOP I developed is to cool the fermenter to 60 a day before dry hopping. On the day of dry hopping dump a yeast plug, then add a 1# charge of your dry hops. This will still create off gassing, but not nearly as violent as adding the entire charge at once. Once the off gassing has subsided add the remaining hop charge. At this point we let if gas off a little more and bung. The off gassing allows any O2 that was introduced during the dry hopping to be pushed out of the fermenter and by bunging we keep most of the aromatics of the dry hops. Hope this helps.

This is an interesting, and doable idea. I admit I have only had one foam geyser ever (ever = the last year and a half). But I also only started spunding a few months back. My current regimen is soft crash to 55-57, hold a day or two, harvest yeast, and immediately dry hop, dumping the hops in the port just as fast as I can. But with variable volumes in the FV, and variable amounts of DH going in, this might be a better protocol then the chuck and duck.

How much later do you find yourself typically adding the remaining charge of DH? Do you just open the blow off valve to off gas? Connected to hose/bucket?

[brewrench52]

I actually have been bunging the fermenter. Next brew gonna keep tank vented and dry hop then.
Thanks everyone!

[jcrjustin]

barleyfreak-

I add the remaining charge of DH after approximately 15 minutes. Basically just wait until the violent off gassing subsides. My off gas hose is still connected at this point to a bucket with sanitizer in it, so yes it just vents to the bucket

[Bainbridge]

Yeah. One time I dryhopped a beer that my assistant brewer had misread the hydrometer on somehow and bunged too early. I was nearly knocked off a 10' ladder by a beer geyser erupting 25 feet in all directions out the 4" dryhop port on one of our 20s. I heard it coming, but even with the 1.5" on the blowoff open the pressure was too much for me to get the 4" plate triclamped back on before beer came blasting out. Once I regained balance I used my hands to sort of 'aim' the flow towards the trench drain and away from the taproom until it subsided. Soaked head to toe and a flood in the brewery. We are still occasionally finding sticky spots, and there are beer spots on the ceiling that will probably be there forever.

Now standard protocol is to not bung anything that is going to be dryhopped until after the hops are in.

EVER.

>

[gcbeer]

pulling yeast off

Keep your ferm opened and by that I mean dont put any caps on the outlets you DONT want any pressure in the vessel. start cooling it down you have to get that active yeast to settle out. I usually cool it down to at least 50 before I dry hop and then I let it sit for a day or 2 then dry hop. As soon as you dry I plug the ferm all up then what ever your protocol is for cooling. Thats the short story of it. You can try searching there are lots of discussion on this. Plus I never met a brewer that hasnt taken a beer bath from that

Are you pulling the yeast off before you dry hop? Has anyone pulled yeast off to repitch after dry hopping? Thanks

[beerguy1]

Yes, I never had any issues doing that

[Jedi]

Are you pulling the yeast off before you dry hop? Has anyone pulled yeast off to repitch after dry hopping? Thanks

They say you are not supposed to do that as the hops would effect the performance of the yeast, potentially add off flavours and a bunch of other things you would expect. I think it would hard to control consistency as well doing that even if it netted positive results.

I tried it in a smaller scale and it the beer appeared to be lightly more fruity in its younger stages but I dont see it reason to do it again. Just waiting the time for primary fermentation to complete, re harvest, then dry hop is no trouble.

[beerdweeb]

Easiest way of dry hopping is to add the hops slightly before terminal gravity. No crashing necessary, keep your blow off arm open and open up your spray ball arm. First, add a small amount of hops and then close the dry hopping port back up. Let the tank de-gas, and then proceed with the rest of your hops.

Pro tip: If you see hop dust flying out of the tank or your vision is blurred while looking out across the dry hop port, it is time to close up that port and wait for the tank to de-gas.

Stay dry out there boys.

[gcbeer]

They say you are not supposed to do that as the hops would effect the performance of the yeast, potentially add off flavours and a bunch of other things you would expect. I think it would hard to control consistency as well doing that even if it netted positive results.

I tried it in a smaller scale and it the beer appeared to be lightly more fruity in its younger stages but I dont see it reason to do it again. Just waiting the time for primary fermentation to complete, re harvest, then dry hop is no trouble.

OK - thanks for the reply's everyone. We wait until fermentation is complete and then harvest and pitch the yeast in the new batch. We then add the hops for dry-hopping. But there are times when I need to dry hop ahead of everything being ready, so it's good to know how others are doing it. I'm sure there are as many ways of dry hopping as there are brewers. Cheers!

[FarGohnBrew]

It happens

Dry hopping on day 5 of fermentation. Thought it would be neat to try 1st addition dry hopping earlier in the process. Added 5# of hops. Lost roughly 1/3 the volume. The vid only catches the tail end of the eruption. It would have easily shot six feet or more straight up. Live and learn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMapNRBUAko