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Dry hopping with a Hop Rocket

Mofo

Grandmaster Brewer
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Fujian, China
I recently returned from the States with a Blichmann Hop Rocket. I've never brought anything through customs that looks as much like a bomb, but I managed and I'm happy to be putting it to use for the first time (see pic). I'm using it to dry hop an IPA. Although the product literature recommends against using pellet hops in the Rocket, pellets are what's available here in China. I bagged them and weighted the bag to keep it at the bottom of the Rocket. So far so good.

My question is, if I would normally dry hop for 10 to 14 days when adding hops directly in the fermentor, how many days would suffice when using the Rocket (or similar hop torpedo)? I seems to me the process might take several fewer days, no? The 22 liters (6 gal) of beer is recirculating a little more than 3 times per hour.

Your experience or speculation - I'd enjoy reading either.  Thanks!
 

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Sierra Nevada recirculates for four days.  At least they used to.  I assume they still do.

 
Thanks, Jome! Great information.

I see now that pellets do work differently in a hop back than whole leaf hops. The walls of the fermentor are becoming coated with a green film. Although I bagged the hops, the constant flow going through the torpedo is pulling hop crud into the fermentor. Cold crashing will help clear it, but I fear it might also take away the nose I'm getting from this dry hopping method.
 
Mofo said:
I recently returned from the States with a Blichmann Hop Rocket. I've never brought anything through customs that looks as much like a bomb, but I managed and I'm happy to be putting it to use for the first time (see pic). I'm using it to dry hop an IPA. Although the product literature recommends against using pellet hops in the Rocket, pellets are what's available here in China. I bagged them and weighted the bag to keep it at the bottom of the Rocket. So far so good.

My question is, if I would normally dry hop for 10 to 14 days when adding hops directly in the fermentor, how many days would suffice when using the Rocket (or similar hop torpedo)? I seems to me the process might take several fewer days, no? The 22 liters (6 gal) of beer is recirculating a little more than 3 times per hour.

Your experience or speculation - I'd enjoy reading either.  Thanks!
The HopRocket is a hopback. For how you want to use it I'd guess trial and error is your friend.

We have a HopRocket for our 3 vessel 55 gallon Blichmann 1 bbl pilot system, and only used it once before putting it on the shelf forever (like various other Blichmann products that we didn't like, like their BeerGun and HopBlocker).
 
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