How long to dry hop? It is recommended you dry hop for at least a minimum of 2 – 3 days in order for the oils to be extracted from the hops and diffused into the wort, some claim 4 – 5 days is best, we recommend 10 days, but regardless neve dry hop any longer than 14 days or off-flavors will develop.
How Long to Dry Hop Beer? 
When you are dry hopping the wort is absorbed into the hops themselves, as this happens the hops begin to release their oils into the wort. The oils are responsible for the hop aroma and flavor in the beer.
Although it can depend slightly on the variety of hops typically they begin to increase the aroma in the beer within 24 hours, and by 72 hours they have released the majority of their oils, and aroma levels have risen significantly.
After 72 hours aroma levels will continue to rise but at much-reduced levels. You can leave the beer sitting on the hops for 1 – 2 weeks without concerns of off-flavors being developed, however after 2 weeks you run the risk of significant grassy off-flavors developing.
How to Dry Hop
Although this article is not a training on the exact process of how to dry hop it is a technique that simply involves placing your hops directly into the fermenter during fermentation. Depending on whether you like a cloudy or a clear beer will determine whether you place the hops in a hop bag or not. Using a hop bag will prevent the hop debris from becoming suspended in the beer-making for a much clearer beer.
For complete instructions on how to dry hop you can check out this article: What is dry hopping?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 3 Days Enough to Dry Hop?
Yes 3 days is enough time to dry hop as during this time the majority of the oils will be released into the wort and provide for the highest levels of aroma and flavor. Many people claim this is the ideal amount of time to dry hop for.
Can I Dry Hop for 24 Hours?
24 hours is better than nothing, but it is not recommended as the hops will not have had enough time to become saturated with the wort and release enough of their oils to produce much aroma or flavor. A minimum of 3 days is recommended.
Can I Dry Hop for 10 Days?
Yes, you can dry hop for 10 days. We recommend that when you ferment beer you leave it in the fermenter for at least 10 days and up to 14 days in order to fully complete fermenting and to give the yeast enough time to clean itself up. Leaving the hops in the fermenter for this amount of time will have no negative effect in regards to off-flavors, however, some claim the hop aroma may be diminished if you dry hop for this long.
Can You Dry Hop Too Early?
This is up for debate. Some brewers will put their hops into the fermenter as soon as they pitch the yeast, others will wait until high Krausen. We do not recommend either of these practices due to the high levels of CO2 being released during active fermentation carrying much of the hop aroma away with it.
We typically wait for the krausen to drop and then add our dry hops, typically about 2-3 days after pitching the yeast. This results in more of the hop aroma remaining in the beer and not escaping out the airlock with the CO2.
How Long to Dry Hop Video
The Final Word
When it comes to how long to dry hop, 3 days is the minimum amount of time you should strive for as this time period will release the majority of the essential oils into the beer. Many brewers claim 4 – 5 days is ideal whereas we recommend dry hopping for 7 – 10 days and if you leave your beer in contact with the hops for any longer than 14 days you are running the risk of off-flavors developing.
Try it out for yourself. Make the same beer and try dry hopping for 3 days, then next time try 5 days and then next time for 10 days. Record your results and see which time frame you like best.
P.S. Be sure to get copies of my top 5 beer recipes from my brewpub, details are on the side of the blog or at the bottom if you are on a smart device. Cheers!