Hiya,
I'm making a James Squires Golden Ale clone from one of the recipes floating around on the Recipes forum.
Last step is to Dry Hop, so last weekend I took the lid off, added the hops and put the lid back on. It had been able 5 days since the start of fermentation and had slowed down pretty much.
It started fermenting again. Not rapidly, but even now after abut a week, I still got the odd bubble through the air lock. Is this normal?
I was hoping to bottle this weekend but I think I may leave it one more week to ensure fermentation is finished.
Any thoughts?
Catchya
Osc
Dry Hopping Question
Re: Dry Hopping Question
What you observed is normal.
Fermentation with an ale yeast is likely close to finished after 5 days.
Adding the dry hops would have given lots of nucleation points to enable dissolved CO2 to come out of solution, giving the appearance of a restarted fermentation. It's the same reaction as you get from adding a teaspoon of sugar to a glass of cola!
The occasional bubble through the airlock is, once again, most likely CO2 coming out of solution.
Really, an airlock is not a reliable indicator of fermentation or completion. You need to take a sample and check it with your hydrometer.
If your brew is within your predicted Final Gravity range, and if it's stable over 2 to 3 days, then you are OK to bottle.
There's no need to rush to bottling if you don't wish to. As it happens, I bottled an APA this morning which I brewed 4 weeks ago. It fermented at 18ºC for 9 days, I dry hopped it with Chinook, turned the fridge down to 3ºC, and it's sat there in primary until today. The hydrometer sample tasted just fine. Too many things intervened to allow me to get to bottling!
Fermentation with an ale yeast is likely close to finished after 5 days.
Adding the dry hops would have given lots of nucleation points to enable dissolved CO2 to come out of solution, giving the appearance of a restarted fermentation. It's the same reaction as you get from adding a teaspoon of sugar to a glass of cola!
The occasional bubble through the airlock is, once again, most likely CO2 coming out of solution.
Really, an airlock is not a reliable indicator of fermentation or completion. You need to take a sample and check it with your hydrometer.
If your brew is within your predicted Final Gravity range, and if it's stable over 2 to 3 days, then you are OK to bottle.
There's no need to rush to bottling if you don't wish to. As it happens, I bottled an APA this morning which I brewed 4 weeks ago. It fermented at 18ºC for 9 days, I dry hopped it with Chinook, turned the fridge down to 3ºC, and it's sat there in primary until today. The hydrometer sample tasted just fine. Too many things intervened to allow me to get to bottling!
Re: Dry Hopping Question
Warra,
Thanks for the info.
It's nice to know that sounds normal.
I'll do the hydrometer check as you suggested, i usually do but when teh airlock is bubbling there is generally a reason. And just like yourself, I think things will conspire against me and I'll look to bottle next week anyway.
Catchya
Osc
Thanks for the info.
It's nice to know that sounds normal.
I'll do the hydrometer check as you suggested, i usually do but when teh airlock is bubbling there is generally a reason. And just like yourself, I think things will conspire against me and I'll look to bottle next week anyway.
Catchya
Osc
-
billybushcook
- Posts: 539
- Joined: Friday Nov 09, 2007 10:10 am
- Location: Hunter Valley
Re: Dry Hopping Question
I have a question on dry Hopping too! actually it's more about wet Hopping!
When adding fresh flowers, how do you ensure there are no bugs(bacteria) in it?
Steam?
Mick.
When adding fresh flowers, how do you ensure there are no bugs(bacteria) in it?
Steam?
Mick.
Re: Dry Hopping Question
I dry my hops but that's not what you asked.
No need to sanitise/sterilise your hops. Originally they were added to beer as a preservative.
So dump them straight in.
No need to sanitise/sterilise your hops. Originally they were added to beer as a preservative.
So dump them straight in.
Re: Dry Hopping Question
Just a quick one to some of these replys,
Its prob been covered some where else but anyway i throw this in the mix !!
What benifits do you get by dry hopping ??
Cheers Rob.
Its prob been covered some where else but anyway i throw this in the mix !!
What benifits do you get by dry hopping ??
Cheers Rob.
Re: Dry Hopping Question
Apparently perceived flavour is about 85% aroma and only 15% on the tongue. The aroma of hops is driven off by boiling and fermenting so by dry hopping your adding a heap of aroma and therefor flavour. Also why you should drink beer from a glass and not a bottle if you want to apprecaite the full flavour. Also probably the reason why you should drink megaswill from a bottle (to prevent you from having from tasting it) and why you should put lime in the neck of Corona (to mask any of its flavour that manages to escape from the bottle).
Re: Dry Hopping Question
Aroma.
A different type of aroma to that of 'late' hopping. I prefer late hopping - adding hops in the last minute of the boil or even after flameout. Dry hopping is more grassy, resinous and not everyones cup of tea.
Whilst fermentation drives some aroma off but not all. If you want slap in the face aroma then dry hop, if you want a more subtle hop aroma, add it late in the boil or steep some hops in boiled water for a few mins then stain into the fermenter post fermentation.
A different type of aroma to that of 'late' hopping. I prefer late hopping - adding hops in the last minute of the boil or even after flameout. Dry hopping is more grassy, resinous and not everyones cup of tea.
Whilst fermentation drives some aroma off but not all. If you want slap in the face aroma then dry hop, if you want a more subtle hop aroma, add it late in the boil or steep some hops in boiled water for a few mins then stain into the fermenter post fermentation.