National Homebrew Club Ireland

Brewing Discussions => Hops Board => Topic started by: Mossy on March 18, 2018, 12:27:01 PM

Title: Dry hop ‘stratification’
Post by: Mossy on March 18, 2018, 12:27:01 PM
I'm after dry hopping a beer this weekend and for the first time I threw in some grapefruit rind.
This got me thinking about flavour stratification. When you dry hop does the hop flavour (oils) sink or float or will the flavour from the grapefruit rind sink, float or mix in the beer.
I usually bottle straight from the fermentor but I'm wondering now if I should transfer the beer to another fermentor just to mix it up a bit or am I over thinking things?
Cheers
Title: Re: Dry hop ‘stratification’
Post by: Tom on March 18, 2018, 06:03:06 PM
Instinctively I would say you won't have a problem. The oils should disolve in the acidic beer, and Brownian motion (or something, looong time since whatever science GCSE it was in - physics?) will distribute the oils evenly over a couple of days. In addition, convection due to minor changes in temperature, as well as evolving CO2 and so on will ensure a nice distribution.

Don't waste your effort and increase the risk of infection with extra movement of the beer. Bottle it as-is, label the first and the last out, and do a side by side, then report back. All in the name of science.
Title: Re: Dry hop ‘stratification’
Post by: Mossy on March 18, 2018, 07:54:59 PM
Cheers Tom. I'll do that.  :)
Title: Re: Dry hop ‘stratification’
Post by: BrendanH on March 19, 2019, 07:40:21 PM
Just wondering if anyone has any spare Rhizones looking for a good home? Am in Kerry area but happy to collect or pay for postage.