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Drying hops


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#1 johnpreuss

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Posted 10 September 2015 - 05:10 PM

I just picked 2 full paper grocery bags of Cascades tonight. I'm going to spread them on a scr=n in my garage but could I use the food dehydrator?

#2 matt6150

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Posted 10 September 2015 - 05:22 PM

I would assume. On low.



#3 MyaCullen

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Posted 10 September 2015 - 05:46 PM

you can use either

 

the dehydrator will give the superior result



#4 positiveContact

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Posted 10 September 2015 - 05:54 PM

you can use either

 

the dehydrator will give the superior result

 

that's what I hear and from a small sample set it seems to be true (my hops vs a friends who used a dehydrator).



#5 johnpreuss

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Posted 10 September 2015 - 07:31 PM

How long do they take one the dehydrator?

#6 3rd party JKor

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Posted 10 September 2015 - 07:55 PM

Problem being only a small amount fills the whole dehydrator.

#7 neddles

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Posted 10 September 2015 - 08:06 PM

If you have convection on your oven I know some will go as low as 135F. We use ours for dehydrator overflow. (dried tons of Wolf River apples today) Is 135F too hot for hop drying?

 

Also, this might be worth a read.

https://braukaiser.c...drying-at-home/


Edited by nettles, 10 September 2015 - 08:10 PM.


#8 johnpreuss

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Posted 10 September 2015 - 09:50 PM

Well when I packed it full I didn't get even drying even after two hours. I cut back about 25% and the trays were done in about 30 min. Except the top tray, which has since been left empty.

#9 positiveContact

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Posted 11 September 2015 - 03:43 AM

If you have convection on your oven I know some will go as low as 135F. We use ours for dehydrator overflow. (dried tons of Wolf River apples today) Is 135F too hot for hop drying?

 

Also, this might be worth a read.

https://braukaiser.c...drying-at-home/

 

looks like I have perhaps missed my window but if the hops aren't brown are they still good to pick?



#10 TAPPER

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Posted 11 September 2015 - 06:41 AM

I spread all my hops out on screens in my garage and run a fan on low pushing a gentle breeze under them.  They are usually all dried very evenly within 24 - 48 hours.



#11 3rd party JKor

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Posted 11 September 2015 - 07:34 AM

What conditions do the hop manufacturers use?

 

Denny?  You should know this one, you just went to Hop School!



#12 positiveContact

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Posted 11 September 2015 - 07:37 AM

What conditions do the hop manufacturers use?

 

Denny?  You should know this one, you just went to Hop School!

 

yeah, I had wanted to just ask "tell me how to have awesome dried hops" but that didn't seem specific enough ;)



#13 neddles

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Posted 11 September 2015 - 09:48 AM

Do you have a warm attic space or an outbuilding? Thinking about how I would do this if I had hops at home. I dont have an attic but a warm attic seems ideal as long as its not too hot. 2nd floor of my pole barn would work great. Thats where I cure/dry my garlic.

#14 positiveContact

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Posted 11 September 2015 - 10:06 AM

braukaiser says doing it less 100F is a good idea.



#15 denny

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Posted 11 September 2015 - 11:18 AM

I just picked 2 full paper grocery bags of Cascades tonight. I'm going to spread them on a scr=n in my garage but could I use the food dehydrator?

 

yes, that would be preferable.  Hops begin composting themselves within an hour after picking, so the faster you can dry them the better.  Use a dehydrator set around 130F and switch top and bottom trays once or twice during the drying.  That mimics the way the hop growers do it.


How long do they take one the dehydrator?

 

2-9 hours.  depends on how full the trays are.



#16 denny

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Posted 11 September 2015 - 11:21 AM

What conditions do the hop manufacturers use?

 

Denny?  You should know this one, you just went to Hop School!

 

as I said below, they use forced air heat through long drying racks.  Typically about 30 ft. wide by 90 ft. long.  They use temps that average around 130F.  After several hours of drying (6-9 is typical) they shoot a little water up through the bottom since the hops on the bottom are drier than the ones on top.  You can do that at home by simply rotating trays as they dry.


braukaiser says doing it less 100F is a good idea.

 

The hop growers would go broke doing that.  Takes too long.



#17 denny

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Posted 11 September 2015 - 11:23 AM

Hop kiln

 

0910141443.jpg

 

New computerized drying control panel invented by Loftus Farms.  You may be able to read the temps...

 

0910141449.jpg



#18 positiveContact

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Posted 12 September 2015 - 03:32 AM

as I said below, they use forced air heat through long drying racks.  Typically about 30 ft. wide by 90 ft. long.  They use temps that average around 130F.  After several hours of drying (6-9 is typical) they shoot a little water up through the bottom since the hops on the bottom are drier than the ones on top.  You can do that at home by simply rotating trays as they dry.


 

The hop growers would go broke doing that.  Takes too long.

 

well as you know the things we do and the things the pros do don't always make sense in both places.  I really don't know what happens though.  Certainly at 80F for instance the hops will not be dry within an hour so I'm not sure what the kaiser is talking about.

 

Hop kiln

 

0910141443.jpg

 

 

GLORIOUS!

 

So how do they separate the hop cones from the rest of the plant?  I don't see any leaves or stems in there to speak of!


Edited by Evil_Morty, 12 September 2015 - 03:33 AM.


#19 matt6150

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Posted 12 September 2015 - 06:11 AM

well as you know the things we do and the things the pros do don't always make sense in both places. I really don't know what happens though. Certainly at 80F for instance the hops will not be dry within an hour so I'm not sure what the kaiser is talking about.


GLORIOUS!

So how do they separate the hop cones from the rest of the plant? I don't see any leaves or stems in there to speak of!

I was at a hop farm about a month ago and they were processing hops. There is a machine that they feed the whole hop vine in there and looks like it weaves through conveyor type thing they basically combs out the cones. Then all the cones just come out one end.

#20 positiveContact

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Posted 12 September 2015 - 08:24 AM

I was at a hop farm about a month ago and they were processing hops. There is a machine that they feed the whole hop vine in there and looks like it weaves through conveyor type thing they basically combs out the cones. Then all the cones just come out one end.

 

seems crazy to me that a machine can do that.  I would expect the hops to come out damaged or mixed up with random leaves and stuff.




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