Dry hopping.

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Interesting stuff! I'm new to the brew and I'm going to try dry hopping for the first time with my latest batch. I have a pretty small fermenter (16L) and my batch is only 5L. I'm not sure how much dry hops to add. Is there a g/L recommendation somewhere?
 
Hi @BradleyW - I used to do small batches, its worth noting if you are using whole leaf hops, they will soak up your wort so don't go to heavy. brewUK sell small batch kits, called stove toppers under their crafty brews section. They really helped me when I started to get the ratios right. Failing that use one of the many recipes tools out there and adapt the volumes to your batch size.
 
Interesting stuff! I'm new to the brew and I'm going to try dry hopping for the first time with my latest batch. I have a pretty small fermenter (16L) and my batch is only 5L. I'm not sure how much dry hops to add. Is there a g/L recommendation somewhere?

low end is 4-5g/l. If you like your hops then start at 8g/l. Max at about 16g/l but then your also into bio transform hops and whirlpool. Whole different ball game.
 
low end is 4-5g/l. If you like your hops then start at 8g/l. Max at about 16g/l but then your also into bio transform hops and whirlpool. Whole different ball game.
Cheers chaps. I'm going for a hoppy IPA so I'll aim for between 5-8g/L
bio transform and whirlpool sounds very interesting, maybe a bit advanced for me hahaha
 
Cheers chaps. I'm going for a hoppy IPA so I'll aim for between 5-8g/L
Go carefully! Unless you like your beers really really hoppy I would not go above 5g/litre first time, especially since you have not told us what hops you intend to use. Some hops have a bigger impact than others. I suggest its best to go lighter for your first brew. If you find out its not hoppy enough, then next time you can increase it. If you overload your beer with hops then dont like it, you may be disappointed.
Hopping rates are very personal and what I find OK you may find overhopped and someone else underhopped. Its really down to satisfying your personal taste through experience.
 
Go carefully! Unless you like your beers really really hoppy I would not go above 5g/litre first time, especially since you have not told us what hops you intend to use. Some hops have a bigger impact than others. I suggest its best to go lighter for your first brew. If you find out its not hoppy enough, then next time you can increase it. If you overload your beer with hops then dont like it, you may be disappointed.
Hopping rates are very personal and what I find OK you may find overhopped and someone else underhopped. Its really down to satisfying your personal taste through experience.
Good point, I'll ere on the side of caution. I'm using East Kent Golding hops, I do like hoppy beers but not excessively so, I don't want to be still tasting hops hours after drinking it haha
 
Good point, I'll ere on the side of caution. I'm using East Kent Golding hops, I do like hoppy beers but not excessively so, I don't want to be still tasting hops hours after drinking it haha
If you are using EKG in an English style IPA then I would go even lower. Perhaps 2-2.5g/l as a first time. But at the end of the day its all down to what you find is best for you.
 
low end is 4-5g/l. If you like your hops then start at 8g/l. Max at about 16g/l but then your also into bio transform hops and whirlpool. Whole different ball game.

So are these figures just for when you dry hop, ie a 10 lt batch would be dry hopped 40g, 80g or 160g or are they the total amount of hops inc any added into the boil or after the boil ??
 
So are these figures just for when you dry hop, ie a 10 lt batch would be dry hopped 40g, 80g or 160g or are they the total amount of hops inc any added into the boil or after the boil ??

That’s your ratio for the dry hop only. Add your boil hops in the proportions you normally would.

As I said above, dry hopping rate is all personal preference and I’m with @terrym that you should start cautiously at first. My house APA, which I think is quite heavily dry hopped, is 75g in a 19L batch, which is 3.75g/l. This is mosaic, citra and simcoe in more or less equal proportions.

When I dry hop with EKG I use a rate of 1.5g/l, as I find goldings too grassy when dry hopped past 2g/l. YMMV.
 
Thanks, that's interesting.
I remember reading fairly recently that dry hopping over 8g / lt didn't bring anything else to the flavour and anything above 4g / lt for citrusy hops also wasn't worth it.
Shows we're all different I suppose and always worth experimenting.
 
So are these figures just for when you dry hop, ie a 10 lt batch would be dry hopped 40g, 80g or 160g or are they the total amount of hops inc any added into the boil or after the boil ??
I count whirlpool and dry hopping as a total g per litre personally. It’s mainly because that hot side and cold side contribute significantly to the flavour and aroma of my beers. 100g whirlpool and 200g dry hop is about they norm for me.
 
I count whirlpool and dry hopping as a total g per litre personally. It’s mainly because that hot side and cold side contribute significantly to the flavour and aroma of my beers. 100g whirlpool and 200g dry hop is about they norm for me.
Go big or go home, that's what I say Hoddy:D
 
If you are using EKG in an English style IPA then I would go even lower. Perhaps 2-2.5g/l as a first time. But at the end of the day its all down to what you find is best for you.
Terrym is bang on with this advice Bradley, you have been reading too much from the hopheads who have built up the amount they dry hop over a period of time as they become slightly intolerant to the hoppage so add more each time until they get to sometimes very large amounts. I would start with say 2to 4 grams per litre on your first one especially if it is a american hop but less if it is british hop as they can be more harsh and may take longer to mellow before they are drinkable in a dry hop than the fruity american hops, IMO
 
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Terrym is bang on with this advice Bradley, you have been reading too much from the hopheads who have built up the amount they dry hop over a period of time as they become slightly intolerant to the hoppage so add more each time until they get to sometimes very large amounts. I would start with say 2to 4 grams per litre on your first one especially if it is a american hop but less if it is british hop as they can be more harsh and may take longer to mellow before they are drinkable in a dry hop than the fruity american hops, IMO
What about dry hopping with 2 types of hops? Good idea? Terrible idea?
I also have some Northern Brewer (German)
 

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