Any reason not to dry hop in primary?

I dry hop in primary...I don't cold crash...I just fine warm in the keg and put it in the keezer...it seems to work pretty good...

 

dry hop in the primary is way better than dry hop in a secondary. When I dry hop, I tend to follow the schedule you have, 2 weeks fermentation, 4-7 days dry hop, then package. With that said, it has been a while since I dry hopped a beer. If I was doing so today, I would seriously think about splitting my additions so 1/2 went in during active fermentation, then 1/2 a week later.

 

Short answer: no
Longer answer: no.

 

Active fermentation, also yeast, does strip away flavor and aroma. However, there are benefits to adding hops during fermentation. When I brew IPAs I dry hop on day 3 or 4 then transfer to a keg and dry hop again for 2 - 3 days before lowering the temp.

The benefits of dry hopping in the secondary are out weighted by the pickup of O2 during transfer and the risk of infection.

As a new brewer I would just add all my dry hops in during the final stages of fermentation, like when 80% of fermentation is complete.

 

It appears that yeast and dry hops combine in "interesting" ways when the yeast are actively doing their thing. You might lose something from the CO2 outgassing, but you potentially gain things as well. At the home brew level, it is very easy to add an extra ounce to deal with any loss from CO2. Read through the NE IPA thread for more detail.

The easy answer is to do what you were planning on doing, that is a good first step. Then you can experiment with different dry hopping schedules and have a base to compare with. @GetMeAnIPA has a good idea, don't wait for the fermentation to finish, just plan on adding somewhere on day 6-9 (actual day depends on yeast, temperature, grain bill,...).

 

I always dry hop in the primary after signs of fermentation is complete (i.e., after airlock activity has stopped).

There is no reason to wait until "14 days" unless that is when signs of fermentation is complete.

I personally do not cold crash but that is an option if you choose to do so.

Cheers!

 

I dry hop in primary almost exclusively nowadays. I check it and when it is at or near anticipated terminal gravity (I know what to expect with my recipe), I dry hop, verify final gravity is achieved and bottle.

 

I couldn't really tell you how many times I have brewed with US-05; maybe 50 times? I have never had a diacetyl issue when brewing with that yeast but I must caveat that I have never conducted a cold crash with that yeast (or any other yeast for that matter). I personally see no need to cold crash but that is an individual homebrewer decision.

Why do you think there is a need to cold crash?

Cheers!

 

Well, IMO there is no real need for a cold crash. Other BA homebrewers may have differing thoughts.

Cheers!

 

I am with you Jack. I've never really seen the value.

 

Why do you think that the formation of diacetyl is a malt/boil issue?

Cheers!

 

Um, are you thinking DMS here?

Cheers!

 

I must be confusing the two. I thought they both were the same, buttery flavor. I just did a quick google and I was wrong. Dms is the cream corn. Good thing is I haven't had either, yet, so I haven't had to research it.

 

Nope.

Excess Diacetyl will provide a flavor that many folks perceive as butter and/or butterscotch.

Excess DMS (Dimethyl Sulfide) will provide a flavor that many folks perceive as cooked corn, creamed corn, etc.

Two different compounds and two different favor profiles.

Cheers!

 

^ Jack is correct. I don't know why, but a lot of people confuse Diacetyl and DMS. Maybe because they both start with a D.