The Quality Chain for Hops in Germany

1.- Hops Production

2.- Hops Harvest8.- Product Transport

3.- Hops Drying

4.- Hops Conditioning

5.- Hops StorageHops Storage

6.- Hops Processing

7.- Product Storage

Production Areas

Fertile soil where hops can take root

New plantation with immaculate, authentic and virus-free quality

plants

Production

Cultivation of Soil

Pruning and trimming

Training of the hops

Stripping of the lower part of the vine

Appropriate cultivation of soil

Fertilisation

Pest Management

Adherance to existing laws and regulations

Official consulting service on pest management

Specific prophylaxis according to advisory service and damage

threshold

Obligatory inspection for hop spraying equipment every year

Documention (Pesticide Report)

Fertilisation

Determination of amount of fertilisation

Analysis of soil for nitrogen, phosphates,

potash, magnesium, lime

Balance of nutrients are subject to

documentation

The precise date of harvest for each variety has an influence on the the following factors:

• Yields

• Content of bitter compounds (% alpha acids)

• Bittering quality (f.ex. % of cohumulone)

• Aroma

• Exterior quality

Colour and lustre

Infestation with pests and diseases

Harvest

For the production of first-class quality the following technical factors are essential:

Before the harvest

• Preparation of the picking machine, replacement of damaged or broken parts

During the harvest

• Regular cleaning of the picking drum (several times a day) as well as adaptation of rotation speed and spacing ofpicking drums according to exterior appearance and maturity of the respective hop variety.

• Regular cleaning of the suction cleaning area in order to prevent the cleaning grids from sticking together.

• Fine-tuning of the cleaning area of the machine in order to achieve first-class picking quality.

• Adaptation of the machine‘s cleaning area to weather conditions and moisture content of the hops by

controlling the machine‘s calibration if necessary.

Main goal: maintaining the quality of the hops

-Drying temperature: 62 – 65 °C

-Speed of air circulation: 0,25 m/s – 0,30 m/s

-low kiln depth: 30 – 35 cm

-Duration of drying depends on weather, variety, kiln depth

etc.

Drying

1. Kiln

> Use of a hygrometer for determining of best point of time for tilting

Technical aids to optimise drying:

> Use of a hygrometer for determining of best point of time for tilting

the hops to the lower level

-Hygrometer has to be 1,0 – 2,0 m above kiln depth

-it has to be in the area of consistent drying

-it has to be in in the stream of the air circulation

2. Compartments of the kiln

>Determination of the desired water content with the

help of an „indirect measuring method“

- indirect measuring method

- measuring of physical data

- determination of a cumulative value

- value depends on the water content

The purpose of conditioning is to balance the difference of

moisture content between spindle and bracteoles

• Safeguarding the quality of the hops

• Careful ventilation

• Consistent homogenisation

• Optimised moisture content in the hops

• Optimised period of ventilation

Conditioning

B e lü ftu n g s d ia g r a m m fü r K o n d it io n ie r u n g s a n la g e n

5 9

6 0

6 1

6 2

6 3

6 4

6 5

6 6

6 7

1 8 2 41 9 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3

r e la t iv e F e u c h te in %

T e m p e r a tu r lin ie n in ° C

5 8

5 9

8 ,0 8 ,5 9 ,0 9 ,5 1 0 ,0 1 0 ,5 1 1 ,0 1 1 ,5 1 2 ,0 1 2 ,5 1 3 ,0 1 3 ,5 1 4 ,0

W a s se r g e h a lt d e s H o p fe n s in %

Nachbehandlung des Hopfens in

Konditionierungskammern

Abdeckung

Zuluft

Umluft

Mischluftregelung !

M / M

Raumluft

Außenluft

Darrabluft

Stellmotoren

Gebläse

M / M18 – 24 °C

60 – 65 % r.F.

INPUT =

OUTPUT

Soll-Werte

Balance of moisture through circulating air

• Balance of moisture between spindle and bracteoles

• The decisive factor is measuring the circulation in the air coming into the

conditioning chamber

• Ventilation through mixture of air from inside and outside the conditioning

chamber

• Temperature and relative moisture of the ventilation determine the moisture

content of the hops

• Ideal temperature of the circulating air is 18-24 °°°°C

and 60-65 % relative moisture content

The purpose of cold storage is the preservation of The purpose of cold storage is the preservation of

the quality of the raw hopsthe quality of the raw hops

• Hops has to be stored between 0°and 5 °C

• The moisture content of the incoming lots has to be meassured

•The new storage facilities have been adapted to the new rectangular

bales and the height of the warehouse can be used

•The quality of the hops is preserved and so processing campaign

can be extended into the next year with no quality variations

•Temperature is registered by the warehousing system

Raw Hops StorageRaw Hops Storage

•Temperature is registered by the warehousing system

•Infrared cameras are used to monitor hops temperature

Why Hops Products ?Why Hops Products ?

• Elimination of natural „Problems“ of an heterogenous raw material

• Improved preservation of quality during storage

•Reduction of Volume

•Better homogenization of heterogenous lots

•Better Dosification in the Brewery

•Chemicaly unchanged composition compared with the raw hops

ProcessingProcessing

It is imperative to preserve the Quality of the hops in product formIt is imperative to preserve the Quality of the hops in product form

HVG Report 2003 35

• to keep temperature influence as low as possible

• to eliminate oxigen influence in the packaed foil/tin

•to carefully check and observe the quality of the packing material

•To achieve a good homogenization of heterogenous lots

•To remove all waste from the hop cones prior to processing

What needs to be observed to preserve product quality ?What needs to be observed to preserve product quality ?

• Like beer, hops has to be protected from the influence of oxigen heat and light

• “Quality” is defined independently from the growing region and hop variety as

degree of freshness.

•Above all pellets should be stored in a refrigerated warehouse at temperatures of 0

to 5°C.

•Breweries which use a just-in-time delivery system take advantage of our

HVG- Cold-Storage service

•Temperature is registered by automatic devices

Product StorageProduct Storage

•Temperature is registered by automatic devices

That cool temperatures are so important, shows the snow cristal in That cool temperatures are so important, shows the snow cristal in the second half of our logothe second half of our logo

Product TransportProduct Transport

WhatWhat needsneeds toto bebe observedobserved toto preservepreserve productproduct qualityquality ??

• Packing material has to be adapted to transporting conditions

• Stability must be granted

•The impact of temperature during transport can be tremendous. It should be

observed that hop products are not victim of high temperatures which are detrimental

for quality

•We use temperature loggers to meassure impact in oversea transports

•Pure resin extracts are by far not as sensitive as pellets.

optimum transport < 25 °C disastrous conditions up to 50 °C

Temperature registration

of uncooled containers

going to Asia during

different periods of the

year. Therefore we

recomend to preserve

the quality to observ time

of shipping or usage of

reefer-containers