Kegging - Dry Hopping while Cold Crashing?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by CGuil220, Feb 3, 2016.

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  1. CGuil220

    CGuil220 Initiate (0) Feb 11, 2015 New Hampshire

    My last few batches of beer have all gone in kegs and I stick the kegs in what I would call a mud room in the house while they carb. The room doesn't have the greatest insulation but always stays above freezing (around 40 in the winter). This has allowed me to cold crash the last couple batches of beer. Now, on this next batch, I was looking to dry hop the beer under a little bit of pressure in the keg but I was wondering if I could put them in this same room and cold crash them at the same time?

    If not, could you explain why?
     
    #1 CGuil220, Feb 3, 2016
  2. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    You can, but it takes longer to extract dry hop oil at lower temperatures. Tying the hops to the lid and leaving them suspended in the middle of the keg might be the way to go with this method.

    If you have a lot of yeast to crash, the yeast will take a lot of hop oil with them to the bottom. In this situation, crashing first, blowing out the cake and dry hopping will leave behind more hop oil.

    If the beer is fairly clear at kegging, the yeast will still pull some oil to the bottom when the beer gets chilled, but it should leave behind plenty to satisfy.

    The method you choose depends on what you are trying to achieve.
     
    #2 Brew_Betty, Feb 3, 2016
  3. CGuil220

    CGuil220 Initiate (0) Feb 11, 2015 New Hampshire

    Thanks @Brew_Betty

    When I blow out the cake and dry hop the keg, should it be done at the same cooler temperature? Will the cooler temperature during the dry hop give the hops less character?
     
    #3 CGuil220, Feb 4, 2016
  4. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    Colder temperature = slower oil extraction. Dry hop cold longer to get a similar result as warm.

    I suppose the character could be slightly different. I don't dry hop cold, so I can't tell you what the result is.
     
    #4 Brew_Betty, Feb 4, 2016
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