Hops Testing for Beer using a Moisture Analyzer

How to make Beer using a Moisture Analyzer

In this article we highlight how Precisa’s moisture analyzers play their part in the process of hops testing as suitable hops moisture meters.

When to Harvest Hops?

Harvesting hops at the correct time is essential to ensure they are of the highest quality. Early harvest can reduce yield and even impact the yield of the following year. Late harvest can result in enhanced oxidisation, reducing the storage life and impact the unique flavour of the hops. One factor that influences the correct time for harvesting hops is the moisture content.¹

Testing moisture before harvesting hops is a must for every hopyard. Optimal harvest is generally once the hop has reached around 23% dry matter. As hops grow and mature, the moisture content reduces and dry matter increases. At the point of harvest, it is essential to measure the dry matter within hops.²

How to Dry Hops for Beer?

Hops is one of the essential ingredients in beer that preserves the freshness of the product and enhances the overall flavour.³

Hops drying has a substantial impact on the flavours and aromas of the beer as the volatiles are removed during drying. To dry hops, you must reduce the moisture content. During harvest, the hops contain a substantial amount of moisture, around 70-85%, which needs to be reduced to 8-10%. If hops are not properly dried, they will oxidize and mould will form, making hops expendable.⁴

Hops are usually dried in a kiln. They are spread across a surface with hot air blown on them to remove moisture. During the hops drying process, it is essential to monitor the moisture content of the hops. Reducing the moisture content too much can have a negative impact on the hops as they can become brittle, crumble and loose quality. The moisture content of the hops must be measured efficiently during the drying process to avoid this over drying.

Traditional methods for monitoring moisture content involve weighing a sample of the hops, drying them out using an oven or in a pan and then comparing the weight to calculate the percentage of moisture. This can be time consuming and costly, especially if the drying process of a large batch of hops must be stopped each time the moisture content is measured.

Precisa’s Moisture Analyzers offer an efficient, convenient, and cost-effective solution to monitor the moisture content of hops during the drying process. Moisture analyzers are made up of two critical components, a balance to capture the initial and end weight and a heat source to heat the sample. The moisture analyzer can determine the moisture content of hops in 3 easy steps:

Set parameters for the drying process using the keypad.
Place the sample in the drying chamber
Start the measurement and after a few minutes the instrument will display the moisture result

Moisture Analyzers for Measuring Hops Moisture

For the most accurate measurements and results of moisture content analysis, Precisa excels with a wide variety of moisture analyzers, which meet the highest requirements in research, production, and quality control such as in the hops drying process.

Precisa’s moisture content analyzers are compact and robust, their use leads to significant improvements in production and means savings in time and cost.

Browse our fantastic range of moisture analyzers today.