Dry Hopping Techniques For Home Brewers Several home brewers are looking for ways to make the perfect IPA or perhaps to add a touch of familiar flavor to beers that are usually less bitter because one thing is for sure - the world's thirst for hoppy beers won't wane. For home brewers who would like to infuse their brew with a little extra flavor, dry hopping is an easy extra step they can take. It takes virtually no added effort to dry hop a home brewed beer if you have the appropriate beer filter. Dry Hopping Explained The act of introducing extra hops to a beer’s secondary fermentation cycle is exactly what dry hopping is. Because you are adding them after you’ve finished your boil, none of the oils in the hops are released into your beer. A beer's bitter taste comes from the oils. Aroma is imparted into the brew in the dry hopping process. Because smell makes up about 75% of a human’s perception of taste, these aromas are a significant component to a well-crafted beverage. Often, it is dry hopping that gives an IPA the strong citrus or floral notes individuals have come to associate with the style. When adding these extra hops, a few home brewers wait until only a few days before they intend to bottle. The aromas will be as fresh and bright as they can be in the finished beer when you wait this long. Other brewers do it approximately two weeks ahead of bottling. The aromas have additional time to combine completely with the rest of the beer’s flavor profile when using this method. Regardless of your personal dry hopping approach, it is important to have a filter that complements the rest of your home brew setup. Cornelius Keg A long, thin mesh cylinder which fits securely into the opening at the top of the keg is a dry hopping beer filter utilized for a corny keg. A simple pull ring is usually located at the top of the cylinder, making it very easy to lower and raise. To allow an adequate amount of the flavor to infuse into the brew with practically no added sediment, a three hundred micron mesh is perfect for dry hopping. A food-grade stainless steel which will not react with the alcohol or other elements of your brew is used to make Cornelius keg filters. Another Filter Option Dry hopping filters designed for carboys are longer and thinner than their corny keg counterparts and are also made of food-grade stainless steel and 300 micron mesh. By stretching out the filter, you'll be able to expose the most hops to the beer. This design also makes fitting the filter into and out of the thin carboy opening infinitely easier. Whenever you use a dry hopper in a carboy, it is essential to have a strategy for extraction. Attaching a string to the top of the filter before inserting it into the carboy will help in this process. Custom If you want a filter that will fit specific carboy designs or that come with home brewing starter setups, occasionally companies will make them. It is worth checking to see if somebody has made a dry hopping filter that correctly fits your current equipment if you're looking for a dry hopping system. Utah Biodiesel Supply
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Dry Hopping Techniques For Home Brewers
Hop bags used during a boil are not going to work for dry hopping because as liquid soaks into the hops, they'll expand, and the soggy hops will be too big to extract from your system. Purchasing a beer filter specifically designed for dry hopping is essential for anyone who is serious about mastering this popular brewing technique. At Utah Biodiesel Supply, you'll find a homebrew beer filter that perfectly fits your needs. Check out http://www.utahbiodieselsupply.com/ to find out more details about Utah Biodiesel Supply.
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