Dry Hopping, when?

Always after. Don't add them until you are literally close to packaging the beer. So, check for stable gravity after fermentation has completed, and then dry hop it.

Depending on if you bottle, or keg, you could dry hop them in primary or secondary, or in the keg even.

 

You can start to dry hop before fermentation is done. IIRC the recommendation is a few points brix, or .008 SG. The interaction of the yeast w/the hops is said to make unique flavors.

 

I've heard this. I've also heard that when yeast floc, some hop oils stick to them and are lost. Perhaps a strategy to maximize dryhop effect would involve multiple dryhopping, prior to the completion of fermentation, as you suggest, and then after the yeast have flocced. I'm just speculating. I feel like I have a lot to learn about getting the most from my hops.

 

True, the few people that talk about this procedure might dry hop again. I think the BrewingNetwork interview with Matt from Firestone Walker explains this better than I can.

In a blind taste test could I tell the difference? Probably not. I'd say that my biggest improvement to hop forward beers has been the hot-stand.

That and maybe the new packaging of hops.

 

"the new packaging of hops"

Care to elaborate?

 

Starting about last spring my LHBS stopped selling zip-locked baggies of loose hops and switched to Hop Union light-tight nitro flushed sealed bags. I assumed that most had.

 

I thought there was something new out there, but because I don't buy hops at my LHBS I forgot that's the way they are sold there.

 

This is also covered in Hopsby Heironymus. The active fermentations CO2 minimizes O2 damage to the aroma. The yeast will take out resins and IBUs, pretty well known, and Vinnie Cilurzo recommends dry hopping when the yeast have been removed. A combination would be the way to go.

Those bags are now in the local shops I go to. They used to split the large boxes 5/11/44 lb (depending on variety) up into the little ziplocs, which had O2 exposure.

Edit - of course Dry hopping does not add IBUs, but it does enhance perceived bitterness as covered in the book above.

 

You could always go the way of the Kern River Citra guys. They dry hop 4 times with the first you drop the yeast out, but with a few points brix to finish out, the remaining floating yeast will finish the beer, then there is a rotation every 3 days on the dry hopping dropping out old and adding in new. I think that is the best of both worlds.

 

This has been my new practice. I primary ferment, rack to a CO2 purged secondary where it finished fermentation. I cold crash and then dryhop at room temp. If a second dry hop is called for I'll rack to a CO2 purged keg with a fine mesh bag of hops, with a stainless steel weight of some sort tied off to the vent. Cold crashing after the dry hop cuts your hop aroma and flavors way down. And I noticed a loss of IBUs. Dryhopping a clear beer is definitely the way to go