Abstract
Hop drying is an important step during the hop harvest, where hops must be quickly dried from 70–80% to 8–12% moisture to prevent deterioration of hop cones. Collaborating with hop growers in Oregon and Washington, U.S.A., the study employed commercial-scale drying experiments to investigate the impact of drying hops using static 130 °F (54 °C) and 150 °F (65 °C) air-on temperatures with six popular American aroma hop varieties (Amarillo®, Cascade, Centennial, Citra®, Mosaic®, and Simcoe®) over two harvest years, 2020 and 2021. Hop kilning temperature did not significantly impact the chemical and sensory properties of the hops. However, hop dextrin-reducing enzymes responsible for hop creep were reduced with higher kiln temperatures for all varieties over both harvest years. Drying times were significantly reduced by an average of 20-42% (2–4 h) when drying at 150 °F (65 °C) versus 130 °F (54 °C), depending on the variety. These results could benefit the hop industry by allowing hop growers greater flexibility during hop harvest and offer potential energy savings via reduced drying times.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
