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Harvesting and Drying

Overview of equipment options

January 6th, 2017

Harvest Requirements

When to harvest:

72 - 78% MC

Lupulin glands bright yellow

Harvest window: 8 -10 days

Harvest amount:

0.75 to 2 lb/bine at 1,000 to 1,300 crown/acre

1 (single) vs. 2 (“V”) bines per crown

Potential doubling of the harvest time with “V”

Harvest rate:

Hand vs. Machine harvest

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Harvesting by Hand

Labor intensive

Estimate 750 labor-hours/acre

0.75 to 1 hour per twine

Six, 10 hr workdays for 12 pickers

Separation step shouldn’t be necessary…

…but since 1940’s, reports exist of more leaf & stem debris than in machine harvested hops

Benefits:

Year 1-2, leave the bine up

Allows more starch and sugar to build in the root stock

Less capital outlay

Machine Harvesting

Step 1: Hop cones stripped from bine

Clusters must be broken

Leaf & stem debris

Step 2: Sorting leaf & stem debris from cones

Trommel screen

Dribble belt

Air classification

“Hand” sorting

Source: U.S. Patent 3,927,680

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Machine Harvesting

Picking fingers in a “drum” configuration

Picking fingers in a vertical configuration

Machine Harvesting

Trommel screen to remove large debris before dribble belt.

Dribble belt from below.

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Machine Harvesting

Bringing it all together in a 1970’s Wolf

Dribble belt sorter

Harvest Equipment Parameters

Harvest rate:

Wolf 140 = ~140 twines per hour (1 to 2 days/acre*)

Bine 3060 = ~25 twines per hour (5 to 10 days/acre*)

Electrical requirements:

1 vs. 3 phase, 120V vs. 220V, amp draw?

Or is it PTO/engine driven?

First cost/operating cost

Physical space requirements

Mobile vs. stationary

New vs. used vs. prototype

Operator/maintenance skill level

* Assuming 1,200 crowns/acre and 9 hour days, single vs. “V”

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Danger

The numbers about to be presented are as an academic comparison.

DO NOT USE TO DEVELOP YOUR BUSINESS PLAN!!

Example: 1 acre yard

3 varieties, single twine, 1,200 crowns

10 day harvest window each for 30 days

Parameter Hand (10 ppl) Bine 3060 Wolf 140

Harvest time 90 hr (11 days) 48 hr (6 days) 8.5 hr (1+ days)

Electrical N/A1 ph, 120V, 20 amp

1 ph, 120V/220V, 100amp

Footprint N/A 12’x16’x10’ (h) 15’x15’x15’ (h)

1st cost N/A $14 k $30 – 50 k

Operatingcost*

$9,000$1,920 (4 ppl) + $5 (elec)

$340 (4 ppl) + $20 (elec)

Parts cost None Minimal Unknown

5 year total $45,000 $23,600 $41,800*$10/hr labor & $0.10/kWh

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Example: 10 acre yard

6 varieties, single twine, 12,000 crowns

10 day harvest window each for 60 days

Parameter Bine 3060 Wolf 140

Harvest time 480 hr (60 days) 86 hr (11 days)

Electrical 1 ph, 120V, 20 amp 1 ph, 120V/220V, 100 amp

Footprint 12’x16’x10’ (h) 15’x15’x15’ (h)

1st cost $14 k $30 – 50 k

Operating cost*$19,200 (4 ppl) + $50 (elec)

$3,440 (4 ppl) + $200 (elec)

Parts cost Minimal Unknown

5 year total $110,000 $57,400

*$10/hr labor & $0.10/kWh

Sharing Harvesting Equipment

Is sharing or renting harvest equipment possible?

Yes…with obstacles:

Scheduling issues

Taking turns vs. peak ripeness

Transportation

~30 lb of plant material to obtain 1 lb of cones

1 acre = 18 tons (1 semi trailer full)

Where does the waste go?

Where is the dryer located?

Hops need to start drying soon after harvest

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Commercial Harvesters

Harvester Description Manufacturer/

Dealer

Equipment status

Bine 3060 Hop

Harvester Small Harvester Bine Implement In production since 2010 season

Hopstar Small harvester Seaside HopsBeta test for 2015 harvest season,

expected release for 2016

HH1000 Mid-sized harvester Steenland MNF In production since 2014 season

Hopster Mid-sized harvester HopsHarvester LLC In production since 2014 season

Humulus 1500P Mid-sized harvester 43°Hop FarmsBeta test for 2016 harvest season,

expected release for 2017

UVM Mobile

Hop HarvesterMid-sized harvester University of Vermont

Open source design with prototype for

others to copy

Wolf (used)

harvestersMid-sized harvester

Wolf Hop Harvesters &

other Equipment

Used Wolf harvesting equipment +

spare parts

WOLF hop

harvestersMid-sized harvester Dauenhauer & WOLF

New & Used Wolf harvesting

equipment + new parts

Wolverine

HarvesterMid-sized harvester Patrick Comerford Beta test in 2015 season

Dauenhauer

harvesters

Large harvester +

spare parts

Dauenhauer

Manufacturing

Large scale harvesting equipment +

components (e.g. picking fingers)

Why Do We Dry?

• As picked, cone is nearly 80% moisture

• Moisture must be removed down to 8-12% moisture content

• Excess moisture can lead to:

• Mold & mildew

• Loss of alpha acids

• General spoilage (oxidation)

• We want to retain:

• Alpha acids

• Oils, aromas and many other volatiles

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Hop Drying Technology

All hop drying is the process of air contacting cones to remove moisture

Heated (Traditional): warm air (reduced RH) blown from below

Ambient: ambient air removes moisture

Dehumidification: combinationof ambient and dried air

Airflow*

Traditional: 0.5 – 1 ft/sec

Reversed: 1 – 4 ft/sec

*Face velocity as air impacts hops

Drying Parameters

Dryer Volume

Ideally matches 1 day’s output of harvester

Drying rate

Do you need it done in 24, 48 or 72 hr? 1 vs 2 vs 3 dryers

Speed vs quality issues Medium heat drives of oils/

aromas

High heat destroys alpha acids

Heat dries faster

Operator/maintenance skill level

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Drying Parameters

Adding heat?

Q = 1.08 x CFM x (Tout – Tin)Q = Heat needed [Btu/hr]

CFM = air volume [CFM]

Tout = Air temperature leaving heater

Tin = Air temperature entering heater

If using electric resistance: 1 kW = 3,413 Btu/hr

Dehumidification?

Every 100 lbs (dry) hops, must remove ~400 lb of water (~385 pints)

Physical space requirements

1,000 lb at 2’ deep = 480 ft2 (12’ x 20’)

Drying Parameters

First cost

Box, fan, heat, other…

Mobile vs. stationary

New vs. used vs. Prototype (i.e. homemade)

Hop bed leveling method

Electrical requirements:

1 vs. 3 phase, 120V vs. 220V, amp draw

Type of fan: centrifugal vs. axial

Capacity2/Capacity1 = RPM2/RPM1

BHP2/BHP1 = (RPM2/RPM1)3

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Examples

Assume each yard is 3 varieties (3 harvest periods), 1,000 lb/acre, harvested in 10 days, +50F air increase

YardSize

Picking Method & Rate

DryingVolume

Airflow at 1ft/sec (face)

Heat AdditionRate

½ acreHand (5 ppl),

60lb/day 72 ft3

6’x6’x2’2,160 CFM 117 kBtu/h

1 acreHand (9 ppl),

108lb/day 130 ft3

8’x8’x2’3,840 CFM 207 kBtu/h

2 acre Machine

(20 bine/hr), 180lb/day

216 ft3

10’x10’x2’6,000 CFM 324 kBtu/h

10 acreWolf 140,

1,000 lb/day1,200 ft3

10’x40’x3’24,000 CFM 1,300 kBtu/h

* Assuming 9 hour days and 1 lb/bine

Commercial Dryer

Harvester DescriptionManufacturer/

DealerEquipment status

Bin Oast Small dryer Bine ImplementPlans available free upon request

since 2009

The Hop Dryer Small dryer Steenland MNF Beta tested 2015 season

Therma-Stor/

QuestDehumidifier Therma-Stor

High efficiency dehumidifiers for

drying hops at lower temperatures

UVM Modular

Hop OastSmall dryer

University of

Vermont

Open source design with prototype

for others to copy

480/720 Oast Mid-sized dryer Bine ImplementPurchase construction plans, and

fan needed since 2011

Silver Bullet Mid-sized dryer Bine ImplementBeta tested 2015 season,

production slated for 2017 season

Wolf (used)

components

Mid-sized dryer

components

Wolf Hop Harvesters

& other EquipmentUsed Wolf drying components

WOLF hop

dryersMid-sized dryer Dauenhauer New Wolf drying equipment

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Drying Equipment

Window Screen Drying

UVM Modular Dryer

Drying Equipment

Bin Oast

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Drying Equipment

“Silver Bullet”

Bin Oast

Questions?

Daniel Dettmers

Gorst Valley Hops&

Bine Implement

dan@gorstvalleyhops.com