Dry Hopping Questions.

[nigebeer]

Hi,
I have just made my fourth AG Brew which is a Fullers London Pride, I really love this beer, and hope that it turns out something like its supposed to.

It has only been fermenting for just over a day now, my questions are:-

1) After the initial four days of fast fermenting is it okay to add the dry hops and leave for another 3-4 days before kegging?

2) Are the hops okay in a sterilised muslin bag with a weight to keep at the bottom of the FV?

3) What is the best way to sterilise the muslin bag?

4) How many grams of hops should be used?

BR nigebeer

[Whorst]

Add hop infused muslin bag directly into the fermenter. Leave for one week. I use pellets, so I just add them directly to the fermenter when fermentation ceases. After 7 days they've all sunk to the bottom.

[sam c]

1. yer add the hops to the primary or a secondary towards the end of fermentation. i left mine in my pride for about 5 days think which gave a good flavour at first but it did mellow after a couple of weeks

2.hops are fine in a bag. i left mine floating on the surface but i think other people do weigh them down.

3.boil it

4. i used 20g goldings for mine. if i was to do it again i would probably use a bit more, say 25g - 30g.

[Bribie]

If you can get a larger golf-ball sized tea ball - some kitchen shops sell them but you might have to go to an Asian supermarket - a hop plug fits perfectly. I chuck mine into the Cornie kegs to give the true 'hopped in the cask" aroma. Works great with Styrian Goldings in a TTL style, I expect EKG would work well with a London Style.
I've also got some of the smaller tea balls and use them half-full with hop pellets, but you have to be careful as they swell a lot.

[crookedeyeboy]

Daft question but do you have to 'sterilise' the hops? ...!

[Capped]

Daft question but do you have to 'sterilise' the hops? ...!

Hops apparently have powerful antiseptic (or summat!) properties and as such are sterile in their natural state. Whatever,I've always just chucked 'em in as is and never had grief.

[Middo]

I've always dry-hopped in a secondary FV once fermentation has stopped. Having never tried adding the hops to the primary FV I can't say which is better, or if there is much of a difference.

Like Whorst says, pellets are generally better as they seem to break up and sink easier than whole hops, and don't need to be contained in a bag. For whole hops, I cut off a length of my wife's tights and use them. The mesh is a bit fine though and may inhibit the beer from mixing with the hops.

[crowds]

I cut off a length of my wife's tights and use them

The missus caught me fooling around with her tights and I had to sleep in the shed for a week...

[crookedeyeboy]

The missus caught me fooling around with her tights and I had to sleep in the shed for a week...

Well as long as you werent in her heels too!

I shall try some hops in primary and see what the outcome is...

[mick]

Think I'll try dry hopping in FV. Does 30g of Styrian Goldings sound ok in 25 litres of old Peculier?
Don't think I will use the wife's tights, might need 30kg to fill em

[crowds]

^^