Advice on options please.

[West wind]

I'm new back to brewing after five or six years. Not a total novice, I'd describe myself as a good trier.

I dug out my gear from the shed, cleaned, sanitized and started a Woodfordes Wherry as I've done them before and they're very easy. I know about the sticking at 1020 so ordered some S04 but it didn't arrive in time. So I used the kit yeast, both packets pitched at 22 Celsius on 21 litres of wort.

OG was 1042 and three days later, after a vigorous fermentation, it's down to 1006, I'll settle for that!

I want to have a go at dry hopping in the primary and I'm not sure about the timing given Wherry is slow to clear. I'd like to leave it in the primary for at least two weeks before racking to the bottling bucket.

My thinking is to add the hop pellets (EKG) when the beer has cleared 4/5 days before the racking, priming and bottling process.

Is 4/5 days enough and is the timing correct? And should I let the hop bag settle on the trub or suspend it in the FV to avoid disturbing the yeast?

 

[Horners]

Well at least its not another tale of stuck Wherry woe. I dont often dry hop but when I do I would say 3 days is enough (law of diminishing returns after that) and they can go in anytime after the primary fermentation is close to FG. So don't wait for the beer to clear - just get them in there - I wouldn't worry about disturbing yeast as there will be plenty of debris from the pellets - just leave to crash after you remove the hop bag, prior to packaging.

 

[West wind]

Well at least its not another tale of stuck Wherry woe. I dont often dry hop but when I do I would say 3 days is enough (law of diminishing returns after that) and they can go in anytime after the primary fermentation is close to FG. So don't wait for the beer to clear - just get them in there - I wouldn't worry about disturbing yeast as there will be plenty of debris from the pellets - just leave to crash after you remove the hop bag, prior to packaging.

Thanks for the speedy reply. If I bung the hops in now at SG 1006 and remove in 3 days I can then leave the beer in the primary for as long as it takes. Got it, thanks for the advice.

 

[Horners]

Thanks for the speedy reply. If I bung the hops in now at SG 1006 and remove in 3 days I can then leave the beer in the primary for as long as it takes. Got it, thanks for the advice.

Yep but can't imagine your Wherry will go below 1.006 so imagine its done - are you happy with your hydrometer

 

[West wind]

Good question. It's been in storage for a while. Would it's accuracy be effected? it was quite new before being stored. Only used a couple of times.

I took a reading yesterday as I was surprised the Krausen flattened so fast. I removed the ring (Coopers FV) and took a reading 1010. Then again today out of curiosity and it had dropped to 1006.

 

[Horners]

Well hydrometer should operate perfectly until you drop it and smash it. Temperature can be a factor - most are calibrated to 20C . Could just be that the manus have upped their game on the yeast supplied. Anyway get your DH in either way

 

[West wind]

It definitely hasn't been dropped. It was stored in its test jar in an FV and hasn't been touched. I remember all the complaints about Wherry sticking so maybe they upgraded the yeast. I pitched it on Saturday afternoon and when I checked on Sunday morning it was raging in there and a big krausen had formed. The strain wasn't on the packets but it wouldn't surprise me to learn it's S04.