Dry hopping with galaxy and Vic secret

[Byron.67]

Anyone tried dry hopping Vic secret and galaxy together? If so I want to know the best method to get fruity flavours from both. I am new to brewing so bare with me please. This is for an extract batch with Morgan's pale malt and pale ale. I've bought more galaxy then Vic (24g of galaxy and 12g of Vic)

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 hour ago, Byron.67 said:

Anyone tried dry hopping Vic secret and galaxy together? If so I want to know the best method to get fruity flavours from both. I am new to brewing so bare with me please. This is for an extract batch with Morgan's pale malt and pale ale. I've bought more galaxy then Vic (24g of galaxy and 12g of Vic)

This should help.

What do Vic Secret hops taste like?

Vic Secret™ hops are renowned for their vibrant and complex flavor profile. They offer a delightful combination of tropical fruitiness, with prominent notes of pineapple and passionfruit, along with subtle hints of pine and herbs. When used in brewing, Vic Secret™ hops impart a clean and bright tropical character to the beer, enhancing its overall aroma and flavor.

What pairs well with Vic Secret?

Galaxy hops are an excellent complement to the unique flavor profile of Vic Secret™ hops. Their combination enhances the tropical notes of the hops, creating a harmonious balance of flavors.

Additionally, fruity elements like pineapple, passionfruit, and citrus, especially tangerine, further elevate the brew’s tropical essence. Moreover, incorporating earthy herbs can deepen the complexity of the beer, enhancing the overall flavor experience. When it comes to food pairings, dishes featuring tropical or citrusy flavors, such as grilled seafood or fruit salads, harmonize beautifully with beers brewed with a blend of Vic Secret™ and Galaxy hops.

Where does Vic Secret hop come from?

Vic Secret™ hops originate from Australia, specifically from the state of Victoria. Developed from a seedling bred in Victoria, Vic Secret™ shares parentage with another Australian hop variety, Topaz. This unique hop variety was first commercially harvested in 2000 and has since gained popularity among brewers worldwide for its exceptional aroma and flavor characteristics. As one of Australia’s prized hop varieties, Vic Secret™ has become a favorite among brewers seeking to infuse their beers with bright tropical notes and aromatic complexity.

[Shamus O'Sean]

Both Vic Secret and Galaxy are great for dry hopping.  Citrus and tropical aromas based on my notes.  I have never used them as a dry hop combo.  I have usually done them with another hop such as Eclipse, Citra, etc.  I think they would go great together.

[Byron.67]

Thanks guys for the all the help and support its much appreciated. Seeming I'm using kviek yeast with a heat belt, I was thinking at day 3 to take the belt off and then dry hop both hops at ambient temps (I don't have a fridge ATM) for the rest of the fermentation. Is this a good idea or should I go about it differently!?

[Shamus O'Sean]

54 minutes ago, Byron.67 said:

Thanks guys for the all the help and support its much appreciated. Seeming I'm using kviek yeast with a heat belt, I was thinking at day 3 to take the belt off and then dry hop both hops at ambient temps (I don't have a fridge ATM) for the rest of the fermentation. Is this a good idea or should I go about it differently!?

I do not have much experience with Kveik yeast.  Only used it once or twice. 

Your proposal is okay.  However, I do not see a reason to remove the heat belt while dry hopping.  If the brew has finished fermenting, which might be the case with Kveik on day 3, you could remove the belt.  But if it is still fermenting, I would leave it on.  The one thing I would do is use a Chux cloth, pulled straight from the packet, to wrap you hops in.  Or else use a boiled hop sock.  That way the hops will be contained and reduce the risk of clogging your tap at bottling/kegging time.

When a recipe says "dry hop on day 3" it is using the day number as a guide to what stage it thinks the fermentation will be at.  The "day" is often used as a easy way for new brewers to time their dry hop.  The dry hopping point is more about what specific gravity the brew has reached.  For a typical ABV beer of 4-5%, a common dry hopping SG is just after it reaches 1.020.  For Kveik that might be day 2.  For an Ale yeast that might be day 4 or 5.  For a Lager yeast (at lager fermenting temperatures) it might be day 7.

You can also dry hop just before you pitch the yeast.  Or after fermentation is completely finished.

[Tone boy]

Hi @Byron.67  I’m probably a bit late in my reply but yes I have done that hop combo, in a kveik beer too. 
However in my case I added the Galaxy to the wort at 80 degrees before cooling and pitching the yeast.
I fermented it at 36 degrees and when fermentation was finished I cooled to 12 degrees and dry hopped with 50g of Vic Secret. 
It was a nice beer with fruity hop presence. The beer never cleared though which was interesting - perhaps that’s a kveik thing, not sure. 
Here’s my recipe notes from brew day…

[jennyss]

4 hours ago, Tone boy said:

Hi @Byron.67  I’m probably a bit late in my reply but yes I have done that hop combo, in a kveik beer too. 
However in my case I added the Galaxy to the wort at 80 degrees before cooling and pitching the yeast.
I fermented it at 36 degrees and when fermentation was finished I cooled to 12 degrees and dry hopped with 50g of Vic Secret. 
It was a nice beer with fruity hop presence. The beer never cleared though which was interesting - perhaps that’s a kveik thing, not sure. 
Here’s my recipe notes from brew day…

@Tone boy, I love reading about exbeeriments. How did your experiment comparing conditions for carbonation go?

[Tone boy]

Hey @jennyss! Yes I also love reading about exbeeriments!

In this instance there was no noticeable difference between the various carbonation methods, which to me was a surprise. I fully expected the bottles only containing kveik yeast at room temperature to not carbonate! But they did…

For the benefit of our beautiful community, and in no way a selfish motivation, I have cracked a bottle of this beer, with the “DY” cap, and have attached the photo.  Well carbonated, fruity nose and flavour, quite bitter, but a respectable and perfectly drinkable beer. As you can see from the photo below it still hasn’t cleared which is a tasty puzzle

 

 

[Byron.67]

The main reason I don't want to dry hop at those higher ferm temps is because of hop creep. And I don't have a secondary fermenter so I can't dry hop after fermentation.  I also don't have a temp controlled chamber so can't cold crash yet.  So what method would be the best for me? Dry hopping before pitching the yeast? And if so what is the process for this!? 

[Shamus O'Sean]

3 hours ago, Byron.67 said:

The main reason I don't want to dry hop at those higher ferm temps is because of hop creep. And I don't have a secondary fermenter so I can't dry hop after fermentation.  I also don't have a temp controlled chamber so can't cold crash yet.  So what method would be the best for me? Dry hopping before pitching the yeast? And if so what is the process for this!? 

For me, the jury is still out on the subject of hop creep.  I have never experienced anything that I could say was hop creep.  Probably because I almost always dry hop when fermentation has almost finished (around 1.020) and cannot tell which of the remaining drop in SG is due to regular wort fermentation and fermentation of the tiny amount of sugar that might naturally be in hops.  From a quick google search there are about 2% of sugars in hops.  So for a typical dry hop of 50g, it would add 1g of sugar to the brew, which is miniscule and would have no effect on your beer's final ABV.

Anyway, your Kveik is still going to ferment that 1g at ambient temperatures (unless your ambient is 2°C).

Now I would not dry hop before pitching yeast because hops in the brew for the whole duration of the fermentation might give you some vegetal and grassy taste.  Plus I have read that the fermentation process causes some of the hop aroma to "gas off" during fermentation.  Having said that, I am going to brew the Coopers Botanic Ale soon and its recipe says to dry hop around the same time you pitch the yeast because that is how Coopers made that beer.

When I do this day 0 dry hop, I will boil a Chux cloth plus a length of cooking string for 5 minutes.  Then remove the Chux from the pot and carefully put the hops in the cloth and tie it up like a giant tea bag.  Finally adding it to the fermenter.  To humour Coopers, I will leave the hop bag in the fermenter for the whole of the fermentation process.  Hopefully I do not get grassy notes in the final brew.

[Tone boy]

5 hours ago, Byron.67 said:

The main reason I don't want to dry hop at those higher ferm temps is because of hop creep. And I don't have a secondary fermenter so I can't dry hop after fermentation.  I also don't have a temp controlled chamber so can't cold crash yet.  So what method would be the best for me? Dry hopping before pitching the yeast? And if so what is the process for this!? 

Yeah I don’t have a secondary fermenter either. 
You could just let fermentation complete and then back off the heat to ambient temp and then add your hops for 2-3 days then bottle or keg. 

[Byron.67]

On 5/31/2024 at 10:43 AM, Tone boy said:

Yeah I don’t have a secondary fermenter either. 
You could just let fermentation complete and then back off the heat to ambient temp and then add your hops for 2-3 days then bottle or keg. 

I've heard a few things saying not to do this (causes oxidation)

[Back Brewing]

1 hour ago, Byron.67 said:

I've heard a few things saying not to do this (causes oxidation)

You hear a lot of things in home brewing but I reckon 99% of the brewers on here do it that way

Just put them in a hop sock open the lid and just gently place them in the fermenter and that's it obviously your not leaving the lid off for an hour it's just a few seconds 

[Back Brewing]

1 hour ago, Back Brewing said:

You hear a lot of things in home brewing but I reckon 99% of the brewers on here do it that way

Just put them in a hop sock open the lid and just gently place them in the fermenter and that's it obviously your not leaving the lid off for an hour it's just a few seconds 

Just an add to this comment just make sure the hop sock is sterilised and sanitised leave them in there for the 3 days and you can also leave them in their while you keg or bottle the beer 

Edited June 4 by Back Brewing

[ChairmanDrew]

As a still relatively new brewer here, I reckon dry hopping is the easiest way to improve your beer with minimal effort and risk (depending on the style). As Back Brewing says above, just make sure its sterilized and then dunk it in. 2-3 days. Simple.

[jennyss]

I have a chux bag with a mixture of 8g Galaxy, 26g Centennial and 24g Pride of Ringwood hops (the funny amounts are because they were left-overs) floating in my fermenting vessel right now. I added the bag on day 6 after boiling it in 2 cups of water, then cooling. I will leave it in during bottling on day 11.

[Classic Brewing Co]

2 hours ago, jennyss said:

I have a chux bag with a mixture of 8g Galaxy, 26g Centennial and 24g Pride of Ringwood hops (the funny amounts are because they were left-overs) floating in my fermenting vessel right now. I added the bag on day 6 after boiling it in 2 cups of water, then cooling. I will leave it in during bottling on day 11.

Wow Jenny, you have stepped up your hop additions, that should tickle your taste buds. 

[Byron.67]

18 hours ago, Back Brewing said:

Just an add to this comment just make sure the hop sock is sterilised and sanitised leave them in there for the 3 days and you can also leave them in their while you keg or bottle the beer 

I'm using the Morgan's finishing hops tea bags. Can't I just Rip the top off the bags and chuck them in?

[Classic Brewing Co]

43 minutes ago, Byron.67 said:

I'm using the Morgan's finishing hops tea bags. Can't I just Rip the top off the bags and chuck them in?

If the bags come in a paper sachet, leave them intact & chuck them in with the infusion water cooled down.

[Byron.67]

 quick update: its day 3, the hydrometer reading is at 1.020 so I added the hops and put the temp controller a temp lower so now the brew is at 24-25c. I'm a bit worried about the fermentation side of things seeming everyone is saying that Voss ferments really quick (2-3 days) and the reading is way too high for a fg reading. Any recommendations!?

[ChairmanDrew]

9 minutes ago, Byron.67 said:

 quick update: its day 3, the hydrometer reading is at 1.020 so I added the hops and put the temp controller a temp lower so now the brew is at 24-25c. I'm a bit worried about the fermentation side of things seeming everyone is saying that Voss ferments really quick (2-3 days) and the reading is way too high for a fg reading. Any recommendations!?

That sound pretty high for a FG. Was it the same over a couple of days?

One of the keys to homebrewing is not to rush things. Once you put the dy hop in you are pretty much locked into bottle/kegging that brew up within about 3 days, because if you leave it any longer you may get some off flavours developing. I always leave my brews at least a week before dry hopping and in total preferably up to 2 weeks total before bottling. This longer period also let's things settle a bit, giving you a lightly cleaner beer.

 

[Byron.67]

20 minutes ago, ChairmanDrew said:

That sound pretty high for a FG. Was it the same over a couple of days?

One of the keys to homebrewing is not to rush things. Once you put the dy hop in you are pretty much locked into bottle/kegging that brew up within about 3 days, because if you leave it any longer you may get some off flavours developing. I always leave my brews at least a week before dry hopping and in total preferably up to 2 weeks total before bottling. This longer period also let's things settle a bit, giving you a lightly cleaner beer.

 

I'll do another gravity reading this Arvo and see where things are at. Shamus mentioned to dry hop at that hydrometer reading so I did.  I'm Hoping after another 3 days it goes down below the 010 mark 

[Byron.67]

Update: Gravity reading is down to 1.010

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 hour ago, Byron.67 said:

Update: Gravity reading is down to 1.010

There you go, that's about right, I would let it sit & take another reading in 4-5 days, probably won't go much lower but it's best to let it ferment out & clear up a bit.

Edited June 8 by Classic Brewing Co

[John304]

On 6/5/2024 at 8:52 AM, Classic Brewing Co said:

Wow Jenny, you have stepped up your hop additions, that should tickle your taste buds. 

I think the rabbit hole is closer,