I'm thinking about dry hopping my current batch. It's still fermenting and bubbling, and the krausen hasn't dissipated yet. Should I wait for fermentation to stop? Should I wait for the krausen to fall out?
3 Answers
Yes, you should wait. The escaping CO2 will carry off the hop aroma you're trying to get through dry hopping. It's best to remove the beer from the yeast completely before dry hopping. There is an interaction between yeast and hops that can cause the hops to produce a very floral, rose-like ester which can be disagreeable.
I was told by brewers from Sierra Nevada they like to dry hop their home brews just as fermentation is completing. Most of the krausen will dissipate but not all. By doing this the yeast can munch away at whatever oxygen is in your secondary.