Dry Hopping Question...timing

Northern Brewer General
1

Been reading how (dryhopping) aroma can escape the fermentation vessel if added too early in fermentation, as well as a conflicting argument of how you run the risk of oxidation from adding dry hops if added very late in the fermentation process, (by virtue of adding all that hop matter-and oxygen- to the wort).

Question is this: 1) if you add dry hops to the vessel at, say, day 3, will the yeast take up any oxygen that’s introduced by adding hops? It seems to me they’ve already gone through the oxygen absorption phase and by that point are in the anaerobic fermentation phase, so i’m confused about trying to add them “earlier” so as to avoid oxidation. Also, wont the release of CO2 during fermentation carry away the hop aromatics away from the vessel?

  1. What would you say is the optimal time (how many days after pitching the yeast) for when to add dry hops??

Thanks!!!

2

I believe in the home brewers world, O2 is less of a problem than some of the stuff you read. DH is best done well after fermentation has been completed. During the “brightening” phase is a very good time to DH. When is that you ask? I would say its the time after yer readings stabilize at the end of fermenting. Cool room temp, give it a few days, then into a keg. Sneezles61

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3

Me they way i do when fermenting is over and got my brew in the second fermenter. And wait. To for everything to clear. One week before the end. I do dryhop. And let it stand for one week more. So. Ten to 14 days before i keg. This seems to work for me

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4

There’s numerous beliefs when it comes to dry hopping.

One school of thought is that the yeast will scavenge any oxygen introduced by both the hops and opening the fermenter.

Then there’s biotransformation with the hops. This is the action by active yeast on hop oils converting them to other desirable compounds.

Another school of thought is that the oils attach themselves to yeast, and settle out with the yeast, thus leaving them in the fermenter. I buy into this belief as I’ve never perceived oxidation in my beers from dry hopping. What I do is cold crash my beer to get the yeast to settle out. Allow it to rise to ambient then dry hop.

IMO the oxidation factor is much more prevalent in commercial offerings as these beers have to go to a distributor, sit on a shelf, go to the store, sit on a shelf. All at room temp which also assist with aging. The cooler the beer the more aging is retarded.

5

So, you don’t rack off its lee’s? Cold crash to allow the spent, er, nearly spent yeast to fall to the bottom, then to warm it up, so any small amount of active yeast will absorb/utilize the small amounts of O2 brought about by the hop addition? Just curious… Sneezles61

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6

I use glycol temp controlled conicals so my process is:

  1. primary
  2. dump trub at FG and secondary for a week
  3. cold crash for 3 days
  4. dump trub
  5. allow to return to “room temp”
  6. dry hop in bags
  7. cold crash
  8. keg and enjoy!
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7

Yes, I forgot you are highly advanced in the fermenter arena… Some day, I too will be… someday… Sneezles61

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