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And how important is dry hopping for added flavor?

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Secondary is generally not necessary. However, for an IIPA, dry hopping is crucial. Based on research done by Stan Hieronymous, I now rack to secondary before dry hopping. If you leave the beer on the yeast, there is an interaction between the hops and the yeast that increases the levels of gerianol and give it (what is to me) an unpleasant floral quality. But that's one of the few times I use a secondary.

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  • Can you please reference Stan Hieronymous's study?
    – Scott
    Jan 8, 2014 at 16:18
  • It was in the May/June 2013 issue of Zymurgy magazine. You need to be an AHA member to read the article online.
    – Denny Conn
    Jan 8, 2014 at 17:11
  • What about cold crashing for several days to drop out the yeast before raising the temps back into the 60's(F) for the dry hopping?
    – GHP
    Jan 8, 2014 at 21:08
  • I got alot to learn ..... I need to learn racking and dry hopping sounds like . I'm on the quest for my perfect IPA so any advice is truly appreciated . Thank you for the info ....
    – user6255
    Jan 8, 2014 at 21:13
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    Graham, you could do that, but the yeast will still be present. According to a new study by Haas (one of the largest hop groups) dry hopping works better at lower temps (50F and below). That has been my experience also. But there is no consensus on that.
    – Denny Conn
    Jan 8, 2014 at 21:18
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Secondary fermentation will help with the clarification of highly-hopped beers and help the suspended hops to drop out.

Dry hopping will add some aroma to the beer which is a desired trait for the style. Based on personal preferences, I'd recommend around 1.5-2 oz minimum for a 5 gallon batch. Let it sit at least 7 days.

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    I've had equal success allowing the beer to sit in the primary fermenter for the entire length of aging (including what time would have been spent in secondary), and have found that dry-hopping for as little as 72 hours before going into bottles or kegs produces a fresher aroma that isn't given time to wear off as opposed to 7 days.
    – Scott
    Jan 10, 2014 at 15:05

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