A couple whole leaf hop questions

[denny]

@Skeeter686

@denny

@dannyjed

@denny

Hop drying tip…for better quality,  dry at a higher temp for a shorter time. 135ish F for maybe 3-4 hours works great. It’s what the people who grow your hops do.

This is true! I didn’t know this until my Club (Glass City Mashers) took over a small hop farm 3 years ago. We take our hops to  Mr. Wizards Hops in Michigan after harvest and they process, dry, test, and pelletize them. My wife and I have helped in all of the steps and I couldn’t believe how hot the drying bins were. They were well over 100 degrees.

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When I was at harvest a couple  weeks ago I actually took pics of computer screens and thermometers showing the drying temps so people could see how it’s really done.

How counterintuitive.  I just did mine using the low “herbs and spices” setting on my dehydrator because that sounded like the appropriate setting to use for hops. Gentle heat and all.

It might seem like it, but that’s not the best way.

[dmtaylor (Dave Taylor)]

I wonder if the exact temperatures involved are the key.  If most of the good volatiles don’t leave the hops until ~140 or 150 F, then as long as they have careful controls, they can get away with heating at 135 F for a short time.  However, at home I know my oven doesn’t even let me set it below like 170-175 F, which would not be a good thing if I lose a lot more volatiles at that temperature.  And I think for many ovens, the temperature would be very unstable at low temps, so you’d need an oven designed for low temps.

Long story short: maybe dehydrators are best for homebrewers.  Otherwise… Don’t try this at home.

[TechBrew (Richard)]

@dmtaylor

I wonder if the exact temperatures involved are the key.  If most of the good volatiles don’t leave the hops until ~140 or 150 F, then as long as they have careful controls, they can get away with heating at 135 F for a short time.  However, at home I know my oven doesn’t even let me set it below like 170-175 F, which would not be a good thing if I lose a lot more volatiles at that temperature.  And I think for many ovens, the temperature would be very unstable at low temps, so you’d need an oven designed for low temps.

Long story short: maybe dehydrators are best for homebrewers.  Otherwise… Don’t try this at home.

I tried kilning some malt in my home oven and had big problems. Not only would it not go low enough, so I got Munich instead of Pale malt, I had to defeat the switch on the door to keep heat on with the door open. Even then the temperature was very unstable.

[denny]

@dmtaylor

I wonder if the exact temperatures involved are the key.  If most of the good volatiles don’t leave the hops until ~140 or 150 F, then as long as they have careful controls, they can get away with heating at 135 F for a short time.  However, at home I know my oven doesn’t even let me set it below like 170-175 F, which would not be a good thing if I lose a lot more volatiles at that temperature.  And I think for many ovens, the temperature would be very unstable at low temps, so you’d need an oven designed for low temps.

Long story short: maybe dehydrators are best for homebrewers.  Otherwise… Don’t try this at home.

I’ve tried the oven and window screen/fan. Dehydrator is so much better there’s no comparison. They’re not very expensive, either.

[chinaski]

I built an oast/dehydrator powered by one of those old-fashioned hair dryers that feeds warm air through a hose.  Works great and can hold a lot more hops that any dehydrator I’ve ever seen.  Plans are in the book “Homebrewer’s Garden”

[Drewch (Drew C.)]

Here’s the Sui Generis dude’s setup:

The Fifty Meter Beer Project Part 13 – Hop Harvest!

[Joe_Beer_1 (Joe_Beer)]

@erockrph

If you want to try out Willamette, I’d recommend a bitter. In particular, I’d use Ron Pattinson’s 1957 Whitbread IPA recipe and sub in Willamette for all the hop additions.

Sounds like a plan. Have a link to a particular recipe? Finding a few variations (1957 Whitbread IPA Beer Recipe | BIAB Ordinary Bitter | Brewer's Friend) and not sure what’s authentic.

[Skeeter686]

@chinaski

I built an oast/dehydrator powered by one of those old-fashioned hair dryers that feeds warm air through a hose.  Works great and can hold a lot more hops that any dehydrator I’ve ever seen.  Plans are in the book “Homebrewer’s Garden”

I’m imagining a big Chia Pet, with hops for hair, sitting under an old hair dryer from the 60s, and I’m LMAO!

[chinaski]

That’s a lot cooler image than what it actually is.

[system]

I dried my hops in the dehydrator at 95 degrees for 8-9 hours. Seemed to work good.

[denny]

I dried my hops in the dehydrator at 95 degrees for 8-9 hours. Seemed to work good.

Next time try 125-135

[system]

Next time try 125-135

[/quote]

I saw you mentioned that earlier. I have never heard that. Everything I read said 95 degrees. Interesting

[denny]

Next time try 125-135

I saw you mentioned that earlier. I have never heard that. Everything I read said 95 degrees. Interesting

[/quote]

I learned that by going to hop harvest the last 10 years and observing what the growers do. I decided that if it’s good enough for the hop producers, I should try it. They’re right! Imagine that…

[system]

I learned that by going to hop harvest the last 10 years and observing what the growers do. I decided that if it’s good enough for the hop producers, I should try it. They’re right! Imagine that…
Quote

I guess I will give that a try next year.