Keg Hopping

[Morrie]

I recently kegged an APA which was hopped with cascade and galaxy. I did a taste test and decided it wasn't fruity enough so I dry hopped the keg with 60g of citra. Just asking any of you fellow brewers, how long should I leave the hops in for. Can I leave in until the keg blows or should I need to be concerned about grassy flavour.

[Waylon]

I try to keep the kegged beer clear of hop particals...

If you dry hop the keg commando style with pellets you will get lots of hop particals and also blockages in your outlet,

 

Even though I cold crash my ales for at least 5 days and almost always dry hop fermenters commando! I find that using a mesh type container is better as it results in cleaner beer with less hop floaties

[Otto Von Blotto]

I think you can get keg hopping mesh containers with a hook that attaches somehow to the underside of the lid of the keg, or maybe it's a really powerful magnet, I'm not sure. In any case, the idea is that the hops are held up near the top of the beer level so once you drink a few pints, they aren't in contact with the beer any more to result in those grassy tones that can occur.

 

I've never dry hopped a keg for the reason of the hops being in it for too long as well as not doing it commando style due to the blockage reasons Waylon noted.

[Morrie]

Thanks fellas. I did use one of those mesh keg hop strainers which I bought from NHB. I really couldn't taste much galaxy if any prior to keg hopping. I taste tested again 2 days after keg hopping with citra and the passionfruit was amazing. I've never tasted passionfruit using citra before so I put it down to some strange phenomenon whereby the citra somehow bought the galaxy out. I don't intend drinking this keg for a couple of weeks so should I take the hops out now as they've been in now for 5 days. The keg is sitting at 2 degrees and is on gas.

[joolbag]

Morrie I posted on the brew day thread how much difference dry hopping has made to a couple of my brews in the last 6 months. I had an all citra Pale ale recently and could really taste the passionfruit in it. Not as prominent ad Galaxy, but it was there.

 

What a great hop, shame I've only got 200gm left! Am going to use the lot in a 3 Floyds Zombie Dust clone

[Morrie]

Jools, yep I've noted that passionfruit is one of the many flavours there is supposed to be in citra but until now basically all I could ever pick up was the grapefruit. Maybe the keg hopping lends itself to the passionfruit becoming more prominent. Who knows but it is nice. Tomorrow I'll pull the strainer back out as I think it has had more than enough time in there. I've got it tied into the top cap with dental floss.

[Otto Von Blotto]

Yeah I've never noticed passionfruit from Citra although I've only used it once (well twice if you count the cube awaiting fermentation). That beer was all Citra from bittering through late kettle additions and the dry hop. I'd be inclined to be pulling the hops thing out now as well, probably not much point keeping it in there if all the oils and whatnot have been released anyway.

[Morrie]

Kelsey - I've used citra as a bittering hop previously and I don't there has been any adverse tastes associated with doing so. However I've read somewhere that some hops are not suitable for bittering and the likes of magnum are supposed to leave a nice clean bittering. I'm not really sure of those hops that don't bitter all that well so I've been just doing the magnum for the 60 min additions on APAs. Are there any hops that you wouldn't bitter at 60 mins with? Also FWH is another story I believe.

[James Lao]

Kegged an IPA and an ESB the other night.

Was trying to keep the ESB in style when brewing and only used Goldings, but tasting it last night thought it was missing something.

So I couldn't help myself and keg hopped 25gms of Cascade with a nylon hop bag.

Think I have turned into a hop head, as I just finished a stout with some Cascade and Mosaic in it, and it had a hint of chocolate orange / Turkish delight about it, that I really enjoyed.

Anyway, keg hopping seemed like a good idea after 4 IPAs, but was wondering about the best way to remove the hop bag?

Was thinking after about 3 days, with sanitised brew spoon or tongs?

Any idea if they will float like they do in the FV or does the CO2 push them to the bottom?

Hope the beer out tube doesn't get blocked.

Will find out today at 5 (beer) o'clock I suppose.

 

Cheers

 

James

[Morrie]

James - I've keg hopped a few now. I have been using the mesh tube which is tied up to the top lid. The level falls down below the hops after awhile. I am drinking one now where I just chucked the hops in a stocking and tied it up to the lid. Once the hops are in there, they stay until the keg is finished. I haven't had any solids coming through.

[James Lao]

Cheers Morrie,

I have used a fine mesh nylon hop bag which after reading on the net should float on top.

I think I will try to pull it out after 3 days, as I am off to work for 3 weeks next week.

Don't want the dreaded vegetal flavours you read about.

Next time will try to tie the bag off somehow.

 

Cheers

 

James

[James Lao]

Been doing a bit of reading on other forums and have decided to leave the hops in keg for the duration (about 3-4 weeks).

After 3 days I can't really detect any difference in aroma or anything really.

Appears cold keg hopping takes longer for hops aroma to come through compared to dry hopping at ambient temps.

Was concerned about the hop sediment clogging the beer lines etc, but nylon mesh is really quite fine so hopefully won't be an issue.

 

Cheers

 

James

 

[Morrie]

I find at 2ºC most of the infusion occurs within 24 hours and at 3 days the full infusion is definitely there. You may need to use more hops if you are still unsatisfied, maybe try 3 grams per litre. I have read of hops being left in a keg for months without any issues.

[Doomed]

When I keg hop a standard APA, IPA etc I plan to to transfer it to a fresh keg after 3 days. If you don't have a fresh keg to transfer to then keeping it close to 0°C will slow it down, if you're tasting it regularly then you can taste if it begins to get grassy. Then drink quick or transfer. Other styles of beer I'm happy to leave on the hops in the keg, all depends on the beer, hops and your taste preference.

[James Lao]

Thought I would revive this old thread.

I was drinking my CCM IPA a last night and when taking a swig it was like putting my nose into the bag of Citra/Mosaic on a brew night - absolute heaven!!

Have struggled to get a big hop aroma from late additions and dry hopping, but the keg hop really seems to keep the fresh hop hit all the way to the end of the keg.

I have been keeping the hops in there till it blows, using a nylon mesh bag.

The first day or two is a bit hop soupish, like what I have seen NEIPAs look like, but then clears nicely.

Keep thinking I won't keg hop the next brew but have kept on doing it do get that extra lift for my IPAs.

Compare the bottled beers to the keg hopped ones and they are still hoppy with good aroma etc., but it's not like putting your face inside a bag of fresh hops!!

Glad I started keg hopping, it really has lifted my IPAs without a doubt.

Just when I thought I suffering from hop fatigue as well..

 

Cheers

 

James

[Waylon]

Like Ive said it can cause troubles

 

Blocking can happen so I dont risk it but im never too set in my ways\\

 

If theres a consistent of dryhopping kegs without getting loose particals Im in for sure

[The Captain!!]

On 1/11/2018 at 8:08 PM, James Lao said:

Thought I would revive this old thread.

I was drinking my CCM IPA a last night and when taking a swig it was like putting my nose into the bag of Citra/Mosaic on a brew night - absolute heaven!!

Have struggled to get a big hop aroma from late additions and dry hopping, but the keg hop really seems to keep the fresh hop hit all the way to the end of the keg.

I have been keeping the hops in there till it blows, using a nylon mesh bag.

The first day or two is a bit hop soupish, like what I have seen NEIPAs look like, but then clears nicely.

Keep thinking I won't keg hop the next brew but have kept on doing it do get that extra lift for my IPAs.

Compare the bottled beers to the keg hopped ones and they are still hoppy with good aroma etc., but it's not like putting your face inside a bag of fresh hops!!

Glad I started keg hopping, it really has lifted my IPAs without a doubt.

Just when I thought I suffering from hop fatigue as well..

 

Cheers

 

James

Gday James,

Im interested in doing this for my next IPA. 

What sort of grams per litre do you think works well?

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

Hey Captain,

I can thoroughly back up James comments. Have been exclusively keg hopping for anything that is kegged for the past year or so. Only things I bottle get the dry hop treatment.

Postitives are..

 - Much better bang for buck. No scientific evidence just my taste buds but a 50gm keg hop is the equivalent of a 80 or 90gm dry hop then keg IMO. Much more in your face character.

 - It lasts longer. I have left a keg with a keg hop for 2 months and its almost like it was about 5 days in. Just keeps on keeping on. Dry hops will have long since faded.

 - No Grassy flavours whatsoever even when left for 2 months. IMO thats just a myth.

 - No particles if you keep them in a meshball or a hop bag tied off with fishing line.

I'd start low if I was you. I am drinking an Aussie Pale Ale at the moment keg hopped with only 30gm Galaxy and its more than enough.  IPA I would be thinking probably double that and then adjust for your next batch to your tastebuds. The other thing is don't contain them two much. My meshballs are good for only 30gm really. Anything over that then its the hop sock as they will expand a lot.

Cheers,

Greeny

[Norris!]

I had a nice comment all ready until I read Greeny's, I agree with all he said especially the start small part. It really gives an intense flavour and aroma with as little as 25g, depending on the hop.

I have tried hop teas and keg hopping and prefer to keg hop unless I want to add some bitterness through a hop tea addition. I am almost to the point where I am unsure of whether to do a normal dry hop of 100g or more or a keg hop of 50g. I bottle some from a batch so I generally just do a normal dry hop but on 1 occasion I skipped the dry hop and keg hopped with half the amount and loved it.

I find it takes a day or 2 for everything to meld together in the keg and I use the mesh balls, 25g in each max.

[Olemate]

I'm keen to try keg hopping as well, picked up a hop spider, the type with a screw on lid and short length of s/s chain to suspend under the keg lid. I usually dry hop with around 30 - 40gms of hops.

Has anyone actually experienced this "grassiness" we hear of from prolonged hop exposure to the beer? And, if so what hops create this effect, or perhaps it's a weight of hops thing? I'd prefer to leave the spider in there till she blows if I can.

[The Captain!!]

I have a Vic secret, galaxy, mosaic pale ale that I thought would be best to keg hop. 

I was going to dry hop at around 160g so do you reckon keg hop at 80-100? Or is that too much? Guess I can start at 80 and add more if needed. 

Thanks for ya help lads @Greeny1525229549 , @Norris! And @Olemate

[The Captain!!]

38 minutes ago, Greeny1525229549 said:

Only things I bottle get the dry hop treatment.

Ever thought of bottle hopping?

[Otto Von Blotto]

I'm gonna see if my hop strainer balls will fit through the opening in my kegs later. Might chuck a 30-40g addition into the motueka pale ale currently gassing up for New year's if they fit. 

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

4 minutes ago, The Captain1525230099 said:

Ever thought of bottle hopping?

Have read of people doing that. But I don't fancy things floating in my beer. 

 

10 minutes ago, The Captain1525230099 said:

I have a Vic secret, galaxy, mosaic pale ale that I thought would be best to keg hop. 

I was going to dry hop at around 160g so do you reckon keg hop at 80-100? Or is that too much? Guess I can start at 80 and add more if needed. 

Thanks for ya help lads @Greeny1525229549 , @Norris! And @Olemate

Id go 80gm.  But your taste buds will tell you if its enough.

[Norris!]

1 hour ago, Olemate said:

I'm keen to try keg hopping as well, picked up a hop spider, the type with a screw on lid and short length of s/s chain to suspend under the keg lid. I usually dry hop with around 30 - 40gms of hops.

Has anyone actually experienced this "grassiness" we hear of from prolonged hop exposure to the beer? And, if so what hops create this effect, or perhaps it's a weight of hops thing? I'd prefer to leave the spider in there till she blows if I can.

I leave them in for the entire time and never had an issue with grassiness, except when I keg hopped a carbonated keg and drew a glass an hour later. I let it sit for 2 days and it was great throughout. I have used galaxy before, same process and no grassiness either.  The thing is if there is not enough flavour and aroma then just add some more.