Dry Hopping Hazards and Control Strategies

The Safety Subcommittee increases safety awareness of Brewers Association members with the goals of minimizing risk and preventing harm to people, products, and facilities.

Craft brewers continue to use large amounts of hops per barrel of beer brewed. The popularity of styles that require the use of dry hopping practices (for example, juicy and hazy IPAs) are the main driver of this hop usage trend. Dry hopping is the term for adding hops to a beer while in active fermentation or during maturation in the fermenter. The high demand for these dry hopped beers increases the incidence of brewers performing the task of dry hopping, which in turn increases the risk of beer loss and/or worker injury due to the inherent hazards associated with this task.

The hazards of dry hopping can be mitigated through a two-step hazard assessment process: first understand the possible hazards associated with each step of the dry hop procedure, then choose ways to eliminate or control those hazards. Using the information this post, brewers can begin to develop a safe and successful dry hopping Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for their facility by bringing awareness to general dry hopping hazards, such as pressure and asphyxiating gases, and hazard control strategies, such as proper ladder use, equipment limitations, and fundamental safety principles.

The following is a general list of dry hopping hazards. Keep in mind, these hazards are exacerbated by rushing and multitasking. Extra time, planning, and mindfulness can increase safety across all brewery protocols.

Step two of a hazard assessment is to choose ways to first eliminate and then control the hazards identified through safe working practices, engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and administrative efforts. In the sections below, readers will find important hazard elimination and control strategies to consider when building their dry hopping SOP.

The Safety Subcommittee increases safety awareness of Brewers Association members with the goals of minimizing risk and preventing harm to people, products, and facilities.