Split dry hopping

[bridgehead@btinternet.com]

I’ve got a single malt, single hop brew going at the moment. I’m planning to dry hop for 3 days before I bottle, but I’d like to try a small amount with some tea in addition to the hops. What’s the best way to take out maybe 5 litres to try this experiment with (fermenting in a plastic fermentation bucket)?

For reasons that escape me it never occurred to split it when I started fermentation, which I think would be the sensible choice...

 

[Steve SPF]

At packaging time maybe? And find a way of reminding yourself next time

There's lots of knowledge here so I'm sure somebody will be along with a better answer. Just thinking I would be reluctant to mess around with an active fermentation.

 

[philjohnwilliams]

Yes, at packaging time would be easiest. Assuming you are bottling, you could transfer all of your beer to the bottling bucket and prime as usual. You could then bottle until 5 liters was left in the bucket, then use those 5 liters for your experiments.

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

Is your plan to dry hop with the tea or to add the tea for packaging? Either way, tea can get pretty strong over time. I would do the split as soon as you reach your final gravity. Remove your test sample then try your tea infusion.

 

[bridgehead@btinternet.com]

Is your plan to dry hop with the tea or to add the tea for packaging? Either way, tea can get pretty strong over time. I would do the split as soon as you reach your final gravity. Remove your test sample then try your tea infusion.

My plan is to dry ‘hop’. At present I’m thinking I’ll wait till I get to final gravity, prepare to bottle but then run 2 litres of that (including priming sugar) into a stainless steel growler with the tea and leave overnight (as I would if I was cold brewing tea) then bottle that 2 litres the day after. It’ll mean a slightly lower pressure in the bottle but it’s an experiment, eh?

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

good luck!