Dry hopping in a keg same time than priming

[Garage12brewing]

Hi there,

I would like to know if anyone ever dry hopped their 2nd dry hop addition in a keg ( using a sanitized meshbag ) but at the same time than you prime it for carbonation...

Sometimes I prime my kegs with corn sugar when I cant use my C02 lines... I am sure that I could do it but I want to know if anyone ever tryed this technique. Of course the fermentation will be 100% done before I tranfer into the keg.

I want to make a NEIPA next week and I would like to try this method.

Thanks !

 

[IslandLizard]

I've done that with ESBs and some Pales, Grisettes etc., they're considered "keg hops." They usually stay in there until kicked.

Given the (large) load I've never done them with NEIPAs, but I've added the 2nd dry hop charge after cold crashing the fermenter, and kept it cold for 3 days.

Bagged and weighted down, right?
Are you adding them when streaming gas at a decent rate while the lid is off?
Are you going to leave them in the keg?

 

[magno]

I do this pretty regularly using a large stainless steel mesh ball made for tea infusion.

You'll definitely want to leave it in until the keg kicks... getting the hops out of the pressurized keg would be a fool's errand.

I don't use priming sugar in kegs, but that shouldn't be an issue.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I've done it with one of the long hop tubes made just for that.

 

[IslandLizard]

I do this pretty regularly using a large stainless steel mesh ball made for tea infusion.

I've done it with one of the long hop tubes made just for that.

As long as they don't get over-stuffed, leaving ample space for the hop pulp to expand, allowing the beer to permeate easily and freely to absorb all the goodness. Some periodic agitation (rolling, inverting, gentle shaking, etc.) can be beneficial to extract and disperse more hop oils and quicker.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Very important point, each time I have done it, I've put in too much, finding the tube packed tight when it was removed and some pellets still intact, didn't make notes when they were put in, so it is something to figure out. As hops pellets expand ALOT.

 

[IslandLizard]

As hops pellets expand ALOT.

I've never measured it, but from observations I'd count on at least 5x expansion, leaving hopefully enough space so the wort or beer can "swim" through it freely. That's where the periodic agitation becomes important too.

 

[Garage12brewing]

I've done that with ESBs and some Pales, Grisettes etc., they're considered "keg hops." They usually stay in there until kicked.

Given the (large) load I've never done them with NEIPAs, but I've added the 2nd dry hop charge after cold crashing the fermenter, and kept it cold for 3 days.

Bagged and weighted down, right?
Are you adding them when streaming gas at a decent rate while the lid is off?
Are you going to leave them in the keg?

I wont do a closed transfer but I will add my hop bag at the same time I rack my beer from the fermentor to the keg and add my priming solution.

I will bag them in a mesh bag, attaches to the lid cover so they are in suspension in the keg... and use stainless steel weights in the bag. I would leave them 10 days ( time that the beer gets carbonized ) and then remove the pressure, open the lip, remove the hop bag and then plug it to my kegerator/tap ! Of course I will remove all the oxygen from the keg by opening the relief valve a couples times....

 

[IslandLizard]

I wont do a closed transfer but I will add my hop bag at the same time I rack my beer from the fermentor to the keg and add my priming solution.

I will bag them in a mesh bag, attaches to the lid cover so they are in suspension in the keg... and use stainless steel weights in the bag. I would leave them 10 days ( time that the beer gets carbonized ) and then remove the pressure, open the lip, remove the hop bag and then plug it to my kegerator/tap ! Of course I will remove all the oxygen from the keg by opening the relief valve a couples times....

That may work for not so hoppy beers, even ESBs and maybe Pales, but for NEIPAs which demand closed or semi-closed transfers into liquid or gas 100% pre-purged kegs.

You may get away after a (semi) closed transfer to lower a (purged) hop bag/cylinder into the full keg while gas is streaming into the open headspace. Then purge royally, to rid it of any O2 that has entered.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I will bag them in a mesh bag, attaches to the lid cover so they are in suspension in the keg... and use stainless steel weights in the bag. I would leave them 10 days ( time that the beer gets carbonized ) and then remove the pressure, open the lip, remove the hop bag and then plug it to my kegerator/tap ! Of course I will remove all the oxygen from the keg by opening the relief valve a couples times....

Since that is your plan, another option would be to do a closed transfer from that keg to another keg that had been fully purged.

 

[Garage12brewing]

Since that is your plan, another option would be to do a closed transfer from that keg to another keg that had been fully purged.

You mean doing this instead of opening the 1st keg to remove the hop bag ? That makes sense !

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Correct