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Should I crash my beer first and then dry hop, or should I dry hop for a week and then crash cool?

My thoughts, I should crash cool and then dry hop.

Reasons:

  • Less likely to loose aromas at cooler temperatures
  • The beer will be ready to carbonate sooner
  • The cold will assit in preventing spoilage

What are your thoughts?

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3 Answers 3

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RT @UKBrewer Crash after dry hop. You may introduce some oxygen dry hopping and you'll want the yeast to take it up. Can't if it's crashed.

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@TimWeber I think it doesn't matter. Dry hopping works b/c alpha-acids are soluble in alcohol. Temp may not matter.

There's a Brew Strong episode on this subject.

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  • But at higher temps the extraction in theory would be a little faster.
    – brewchez
    Mar 2, 2010 at 12:58
  • I suspect you are right. A quick search for "solubility and temperature" seems to support temperature's effect.
    – Dean Brundage
    Mar 2, 2010 at 14:46
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I'd like to chime in to provide some more info to those unfamiliar with the concept. Crash cooling is the last step before transferring the beer out of the fermenter. The point of crash cooling is to drop everything that is in suspension for a clearer beer. If you wait until after crash cool to dry hop, you're negating the reason you crash cooled in the first place. If you're serious (and a little crazy) about getting the maximum flavor and aroma out of your hops after fermentation, pick up a HopRocket.

Side note for those that bottle: Crash cooling is a great way to prepare for bottle conditioning with a different yeast.

Related HomeBrewTalk thread.

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