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Risks of dry-hopping

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  • Risks of dry-hopping

    When it comes to dry-hopping as a home brewer I just toss the hop cones in to the secondary fermenter, but now as a fresh professional brewer I have to think a little bit more about what I am doing.
    I'm planning to hang a hop bag into the secondary fermenter weighed down with a stainless steal coupling, using cones.

    I can sanitize the bag and the coupling and the metal wire it hangs on, but what about the hops? Technicaly they can be a potential risk?

    All advise is welcome.

  • #2
    Most commercial brewers will use hop pellets for dry hopping, just pour them in through dry hop port. If you are going to use whole leaf hops, your method seems sound. While I have not dry hopped that way, I have hung peppers, oak spirals and several other items in a tank the same way.

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    • #3
      Originally posted by wailingguitar View Post
      Most commercial brewers will use hop pellets for dry hopping, just pour them in through dry hop port. If you are going to use whole leaf hops, your method seems sound. While I have not dry hopped that way, I have hung peppers, oak spirals and several other items in a tank the same way.
      Thanks.
      From the secondary I transfer to my mixing tank (I bottle condition), if I would use pellets I can imaging I would also have to filter (?)

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      • #4
        Originally posted by wilbert View Post
        When it comes to dry-hopping as a home brewer I just toss the hop cones in to the secondary fermenter, but now as a fresh professional brewer I have to think a little bit more about what I am doing.
        I'm planning to hang a hop bag into the secondary fermenter weighed down with a stainless steal coupling, using cones.

        I can sanitize the bag and the coupling and the metal wire it hangs on, but what about the hops? Technicaly they can be a potential risk?

        All advise is welcome.
        You will be surprised how much weight you will need to keep those cones down they contain quite a bit of air. Notice I said air that means you could end up with an oxidation problem. I dont like to use cones for that reason you would be better off to tie it off to a racking arm. Always purge your secondary with lots of CO2 to try and get all the air out of those cones. I dont filter even after pellets I usually just let it settle out then use a sight glass as I lower the racking arm down and transfer slowly works quite well
        Mike Eme
        Brewmaster

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        • #5
          Originally posted by beerguy1 View Post
          Notice I said air that means you could end up with an oxidation problem.
          Ah, good point. Didn't think about that.

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          • #6
            Hop pellet debris settles to the bottom of the tank, we use pellets exclusively for dry-hopping, no debris or material makes it to the kegs. We also do not filter.

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            • #7
              I use fresh hops in the mash and then in the Hopback between Mash and Kettle, then use your trick during the boil with a bag tied to my paddle on top of my brew kettle with something stainless for weight. They love to float! Then fresh hops again in hopback pre-chiller on the way to the fermenter. A little oxygen here is a bonus. That being said I can call it a "Fresh hop series beer" at that point and not lose any sleep by using pellet hops to dry hop with. For those I quickly scaled and then sprinkle them into the top of the fermenter. Then a nice Co2 Blast from a side port a few times to stir them into solution as they take on moisture, and finally a crash cool and 48 hr rest before transferring into my brite. They do settle out nicely.

              Only thing I find is the last or first keg whichever has some hop proteins in the sight glass has the best aroma.
              Leigh Davison
              Head Brewer, Partner & Beer Alchemist @ Schoolhouse Brewery
              Windsor, Nova Scotia
              "The Beer with Class"

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