OUR HOPS PROCESS

Pellets specially crafted for craft brewers.

Hop Head Farms Type 90 pellets are designed to meet the unique needs of the craft brewer. Strict control of temperature during pellet processing results in a softer pellet that readily disperses into the beer when used in a cold side addition, such as dry hopping. You can feel the difference in the pellets and see the results in your beers. And it all starts from the first pluck.

Our Process

We use a combination of German harvesting and drying equipment and American ingenuity. From cutting the bines in the field, to plucking hop flowers cleanly, then drying them to perfection—every step of the process is done with extreme attention to detail, for the best possible results.

Harvesting

We ensure that hops are picked at their peak maturity to reach optimal oil levels.
State-of-the-art WOLF Hop Harvesters with specially designed after-cleaners pluck the flowers from the bines leaving no stem attached, so virtually no leaves or debris make it to the hop belt.
Fresh hops are sent to vented bins within minutes of being cut from the field for wet hop deliveries. They come out clean and ready to brew!
All other hops are carried by conveyor belt directly into the oast towers to be dried.

Drying

The Hop Head Farms drying system is German engineered and specially designed for our facilities and farm sizes.
The system is designed to be continuously refilled as hops pass through the layers. Fresh hops go to the dryer sooner.
Clean heated air is blown up through the beds of hops. No burning gas fumes!
The hops are exposed to heat for less time than traditional American kiln methods, preserving hop aroma.
We closely monitor heat and moisture levels to create consistently dried batches for thousands of pounds of hops.
After leaving the oast, Hop Head Farms Hops are conditioned perfectly in specialized vented chambers.
Once ready, the hops are baled, and stored in the cooler, ready to be pelleted.

Pelleting

At Hop Head Farms, we take pride in delivering the freshest hop pellets with great aroma and high oil content.
By working with brewers, we have adjusted our pelleting methods to ensure our product has great utilization and exceeds expectations.
We perform continual quality inspections on the baled material before pelleting and after.
Every lot of pellets is tested and given its own analysis posted on the finish label, so brewers know exactly what they are getting—not a range of what it might be.

Packaging and storage

All hop pellets are sealed in nitrogen flushed oxygen barrier bags, then boxed and refrigerated until shipped.
Our standard 11 lb. soft pack is brewer friendly and easy to handle.