NEIPA dry hop question

I would minimize opening the fermenter anymore than you have to...pull the first ones when dryhopping the second...or not

 

I’ll start by stating the obvious answer... you have to figure out what works best for you.

With that being said, I’ve read people saying not to leave dry hops in for more than 3-4 days because after that you will just be intoducing vegetal flavors, and I’ve read some people say when they dry hop in their keg they leave them in until the keg is kicked, which I imagine could take several weeks.

Personally I would err on the short side and not leave my dry hops in for more than 5-6 days at most... but different processes and equipment and tastebuds yield different results!

 

What I do with my NEIPA is I dry hop at high krausen (during fermentation, usually 7 days before kegging), and then about 3 days before kegging, leaving both charges in.

 

I tend to leave my dryhops in 5-7 days, mostly because that's when I can get back to the beer to keg it. I don't think those few extra days have ever hurt.

I suppose one thing you have working in your favor for keg hopping is the temp. The last time I did it, the keg probably didn't kick for over a month. I didn't note any vegetal off flavors. Could be a function of variety as well. This was Huell Melon in a Saison, if I recall.

Emphasis added... Now this is where many poeple might say 3 weeks at ferm temp is just too long and you run the risk of off flavors. Of course others will say they did it and the beer was fine.

I guess all I can add is that I've never done it that long - maybe 10 days max . So whether or not you get "off flavors" might be up in the air, but I think it's possible that you get a different beer as opposed to one where you are able to remove the hops sooner - I think I remember reading a Brulosohpy experiment implying something along those lines. Of course, I also think this is where it might be dependent on what hops you are using. I'm also sure that there is science behind it all that I am complelte forgetting at the moment.

 

Just a suggestion, but I leave my dry hops in contact for only 1-3 days. I believe there are papers that have studied the contact time and it only took like 24hrs to extract the required oils from the dry hop charge. I have had very good results with short contact times.

3 weeks is also a bit long to keep something like a NE IPA into the fermenter. Get that into bottles much sooner! It likely will hit FG in 3-5 days tops, give it an extra two days and get that in bottles by day 7-10. Reduce as much oxidation as you can.

 

There is an interesting exbeeriment done on this, and the conclusion was there is no right or wrong answer to length--just depends on what you are trying to achieve and that length does indeed have a different impact on the outcome.

The batch I just kegged, I dry hopped with 7oz of el dorado right as the krausen was falling, and then another 3oz of cascade 48hrs before kegging. I have to say I kinda wish I reversed the hop order. It's still very green and needs a little more time carbonating but It is very floral and I feel like the cascade is almost more dominate over the el dorado even though it is at a 3:7 ratio and shorter time in the fermenter.

 

My process is.

Add dry hops at day 7/8
Keg at day 12/13

More hops hasn’t been, to my experience that much better. 4-6 onces to 5-6 gallons seems to be the sweet spot. For me.

As far as O2 exposure. Bottling will most likely introduce an abundant amount of it. A lot more than you want dude.

Keg. Next investment into the hobby.

 

3 weeks?! I usually keg my ipas @10 - 14 days. Plus, if you’re bottling that’s another 2 weeks.