Dry Hopping - Keg or Carboy?

[TimmyR]

Planning to split my batch of Harvest Xtra Pale Ale and dry-hop 5 gal with 2 oz Cascade pellets and the other 5 gal with 10 oz of fresh-frozen harvested Cascades. The 10-gal batch was hit at flame-out with 10 oz of my fresh-frozen cascade hops.

I am currently battling keg issues and am considering 2 more carboys for long-term lagering and dry hopping....or should I just get my kegs working and just cut the dip-tubes a 1/4" to make them good for dry-hopping and clarifying? I am thinking the kegs are more versatile and easier to clean.

[calpyro]

I dry-hop in the keg exclusively. I use the Surescreen over the pick up tube. Works great. I use fresh hops in the keg and they are great.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/default/surescreen.html

[Bugeater]

Stick your hops in a bag and dry hop in the keg. You don't need to cut the dip tube that way. Besides loose hops in the keg will get stuck in your poppets. Just ask seanhagerty.

Wayne

[hotrod38]

I have dry hopped with both pellet and whole hops, and over the years I found I wasn't achieving the hop aroma I was looking for by using whole hops in the keg or by adding larger doses of hops at flame out during the boil.
I have since stopped adding hops at flame out, and using whole hops to dry hop in the keg. Instead, I have been using pellets in the primary, usually 2-3 oz after the krauzen has fallen and I have about 3-4 days left of a 12 day fermentation. I will then crash cool the beer for a couple of days to settle everything out, then I'll keg it.
I have achieved a much better hop aroma using this method along with the fact I don't have to deal with the grassy, cheesy off flavors that you can sometimes get using whole hops.

[TimmyR]

Thanks. I have big fine mesh bags and FINALLY have 2-3 kegs clean and pressure-checked.

Last call for comments on fresh-frozen wet-hops in the keg....anybody think I am infection-bound or maybe just a quick dip in Star San with the hops and I should be good to go.

[calpyro]

Thanks. I have big fine mesh bags and FINALLY have 2-3 kegs clean and pressure-checked.

Last call for comments on fresh-frozen wet-hops in the keg....anybody think I am infection-bound or maybe just a quick dip in Star San with the hops and I should be good to go.

In my experience, you will get much better hop flavor by having the hops loose in the keg with a Surescreen over the pickup tube. In this way, you will have the best contact with the beer.
When I use fresh hops in the keg, I put the frozen hops in a food processor to coarsely chop the cones to expose the glands to the beer. This breaks them up a bit and allow the hops to mix well with the beer.
I really like using fresh hops to dry-hop and have made about ten batches of beer with fresh-frozen hops. The taste is really bright and fresh. Afterwards, I transfer to a clean keg and add gelatin to drop the tannins. I have yet to have one go south.
The hops in a bag, really don't have as good of contact. The hops in the center of the bag really don't do much for the beer. Try it. Open the bag and look at the hops. They will be wet, but all of the goodness are in still in the bag, not the beer.
If you make ten gallon batches, use a Surescreen and loose hops in one and bagged hops in the other and see for yourself.

[TimmyR]

Arrrgh. I forgot I had the dip-tube screens. Well, it's done. My dry cascade/centennial batch is kegged and I remembered to weigh down the bag. My dry centennial, wet cascade batch...I forgot to weight down the bag.

Great idea with the food processor. Hopefully I'll p/u some solid aroma and flavor.

I have both batches kegged with fermentation locks on and sitting tight at 60 deg F

Thanks.

[ApresSkiBrewer]

keep us posted. I have yet to dryhop in the keg. Don't know why...