Commercial Hop Harvesting Machinery

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rockgineer

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I am trying to do some research on hop harvesting machinery, particularly hop picking machines.

The only machine I have seen mention of is something called The Wolf but can't seem to find any information on this.

Can anyone point me in the right direction on how to find out more information on some of the existing hop picking machines?



Thanks,
Brad
 
I know of 2 wolf pickers for sale.have a bunch of pictures of the one I brought to the farm for testing. Will get them up shortly. Cheers Glen
 
rockgineer:

How large is your farm? I suspect most commercial equipment is too large for your needs...OK, make that too expensive.

The Wolf machines are designed to do around 180 bine/hr, which is about right for a 20 to 50 acre grower. The Dauenhauer's are even bigger.

If you only have an acre or so, you can almost get away with handpicking. Of course it helps if you have a lot of friends and different varieties so it doesn't all come due on the same day.

At this point, there isn't any commercially available harvesting equipment for the small scale farmer. We are working on some as are others, but I know we won't be ready to sell anything for this next season.

To be honest, making something that will pick the cones off the bines isn't too hard. The harder part is separating the cones from all the leaves, stems and other debris that also gets picked.
 
rockgineer:

How large is your farm? I suspect most commercial equipment is too large for your needs...OK, make that too expensive.

The Wolf machines are designed to do around 180 bine/hr, which is about right for a 20 to 50 acre grower. The Dauenhauer's are even bigger.

If you only have an acre or so, you can almost get away with handpicking. Of course it helps if you have a lot of friends and different varieties so it doesn't all come due on the same day.

At this point, there isn't any commercially available harvesting equipment for the small scale farmer. We are working on some as are others, but I know we won't be ready to sell anything for this next season.

To be honest, making something that will pick the cones off the bines isn't too hard. The harder part is separating the cones from all the leaves, stems and other debris that also gets picked.


Dan is right. Dauenhauer machines are not for the small scale farmer. They require a large shed to house the picker, but can pick over 1,500 vines per hour. I mentioned it more as a point of interest.

Some of the pictures in this Flickr album show our Dauenhauer machine.
 
I don't know if this will be helpful, but it sure looks interesting as an in-house harvester.
Yep, that's the perfect example of a "homemade" picker. The whole idea is to strip the cones of of the bine. Not too hard. The problem is that you get all the leaves and stems, too. USDA requirements don't allow you to mix that in with the cones, plus it would cause your alpha acid % to drop.
 
Dan is right. Dauenhauer machines are not for the small scale farmer. They require a large shed to house the picker, but can pick over 1,500 vines per hour. I mentioned it more as a point of interest.

Some of the pictures in this Flickr album show our Dauenhauer machine.

Thank you for the pictures. That was a cool steb by step. Where where they taken?
 
rockgineer:

How large is your farm? I suspect most commercial equipment is too large for your needs...OK, make that too expensive.

The Wolf machines are designed to do around 180 bine/hr, which is about right for a 20 to 50 acre grower. The Dauenhauer's are even bigger.

If you only have an acre or so, you can almost get away with handpicking. Of course it helps if you have a lot of friends and different varieties so it doesn't all come due on the same day.

At this point, there isn't any commercially available harvesting equipment for the small scale farmer. We are working on some as are others, but I know we won't be ready to sell anything for this next season.

To be honest, making something that will pick the cones off the bines isn't too hard. The harder part is separating the cones from all the leaves, stems and other debris that also gets picked.

This is the picker I made.It worked great in 08 for the 1st year harvest but was inadequate for 09.All it really needs is a auto feeder, leaf seperator and dribble line.Even with these additions it would be tough to do much more than a acre maybe 2 Cheers Glen
Still
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Yep, and I saw in another thread you know the Gamaches, right?

Yep. I was the flight instructor for one of the guys. Big-A$$ family.
So I'm sure you know the Roy's?
It is going to be intersting to see how these new farms do now that the price of hops and taken a downfall. I couldn't believe all the farms(mint, corn, etc.) that got plowed under and trellises came up in the lower valley. People trying to cash in on the new green gold.
What varieties are you growing?
 
Let me ask the two of you, now that prices have plummeted are they ripping the plants back out? I've read the stories about leaving them unharvested, but are they just leaving them or planting new crops in their place? Its seems to me that would just guarantee a shortage again in a couple years and the cycle will continue.
 
Yep. I was the flight instructor for one of the guys. Big-A$$ family.
So I'm sure you know the Roy's?
It is going to be intersting to see how these new farms do now that the price of hops and taken a downfall. I couldn't believe all the farms(mint, corn, etc.) that got plowed under and trellises came up in the lower valley. People trying to cash in on the new green gold.
What varieties are you growing?

Yeah, I know a few of the Gamaches, the Roys, and many of the growers in the area. It's a pretty small community in that regard.

The new acreage that was planted was very surprising. We actually didn't increase our acreage at all which in hindsight was a pretty good decision even if at the time we felt like maybe we should have. Currently our main varieties are Tomahawk, Palisade, Simcoe, Cascade, Willamette, and Warrior with a couple smaller ones mixed in.


To answer Dan's question, the stories about leaving hops unharvested were from this crop year and even then the crop was still of record size and much too big for the demand that exists. I would expect that acreage will be ripped out and that the cycle would continue, but the timeframe is anybody's guess. Such is the problem of highly inelastic demand...
 
I saw a few fields that they simply lit off piles of hops because processing was more expensive, huge crop this year. It was something to fly over the lower valley and see all the transitions taking place from one crop to hops. A lot of time and money for the farmers to do that. Gamache started me off with some rhizomes about five years ago and I haven't bought hops since(lovin' 22lbs dried every year) and our property is filled with them during the summer.
It's a fun hobby but I have to keep telling myself that's what it is as my crop keeps building every spring....good reason to spend time outside.
 
Thanks for all of the info guys. I have about 100 plantable acres on my farm but I am only interested in an acre or two of hops at this point. This year I am planting a small garden of around 20 or 25 plants just to test the waters.

These machines seem so complicated for such a simple task and the dauenhauer is a monster beast!

The combine is an awesome idea. does anyone sell them in the US and how expensive are they?

Is there any good place for information on how these machines actually work?

Are there any other small scale "home made" harvesters that may be available for purchase in the coming year or two?

Also when you are actually harvesting a hop how does it want to separate from the bine? Does the stem usually detach from the cone or does the stem break and stay attached to the cone which would have to be separated. Also about how much force does it take to pull off a hop cone?

I'd like to at least have some harvester ideas to test with this years harvest if there isn't anything I can buy.

Thanks again for all of the info,
Brad
 
There are a number of textbooks on growing and harvesting hops, but there isn't much information in them on the harvesting part. The best way to learn, is too look up the patents from all these various machines. Of course, the patents don't say which ones work and which don't but that's where the fun of experimentation comes in.

To the best of my knowledge, there are no small scale harvesters currently available for purchase. We are trying to get something ready for market, but it would be another year at a minimum, probably 2.

The only reassurance I can give you is that you have time. The first year, on a commercial farm you maybe get 10% of the 4th year harvest. So if you are doing a trial plot now, you have at least 3 years before you have a serious harvest. Until then, you can do it the old fashioned way...by hand. Just be sure you wear gloves so you don't start growing Moobs.
 
Estrogens in hops are close enough to human estrogen to cause women to menstruate and men to start lactating.

Anyone want to help us hand harvest next year?

Good to know, planting my first two plants this year.
 
LOL...You'll get more feminizing effects from the beer you drink while harvesting the two bines than from the hops themselves. According to the history books, it took 3 days of contact before the effects fully kicked in.
 
LOL...You'll get more feminizing effects from the beer you drink while harvesting the two bines than from the hops themselves. According to the history books, it took 3 days of contact before the effects fully kicked in.

I figured I was safe, but a man is allowed to worry. I don't want my weenie to fall off. haha
 
Yeah, I know a few of the Gamaches, the Roys, and many of the growers in the area. It's a pretty small community in that regard.

The new acreage that was planted was very surprising. We actually didn't increase our acreage at all which in hindsight was a pretty good decision even if at the time we felt like maybe we should have. Currently our main varieties are Tomahawk, Palisade, Simcoe, Cascade, Willamette, and Warrior with a couple smaller ones mixed in.


To answer Dan's question, the stories about leaving hops unharvested were from this crop year and even then the crop was still of record size and much too big for the demand that exists. I would expect that acreage will be ripped out and that the cycle would continue, but the timeframe is anybody's guess. Such is the problem of highly inelastic demand...

Hello HopBlooded. Are You part of HopUnion? (HopBlooded) I also grow Hops for a living down in Oregon. About 10 miles North of Salem. We have also taken out 100 acres of nuggets and are idling another 60. Plus 20 acres of Chrystals. I also know some of the Gamaches. Gwen, Dales wife was the buyer for Coors for years until they decided they wanted to speak Canadian. :( I also delivered my Apples to Olympic for a few years. That was a long haul. I'm part of the Weathers clan. What family do you belong to?

This site sure is full of good info. Here's to good brewing! :mug:
 
I've a neighbor that has planted appx. 10 acres so far this year, he bought a wolf picker from germany and it hit the states last week. If there is something specific you need to know I could probably find out, I'll be helping him from time to time:D. I believe he has another 25 acres to plant.

Keep hopping my friends:mug:
 
I've a neighbor that has planted appx. 10 acres so far this year, he bought a wolf picker from germany and it hit the states last week. If there is something specific you need to know I could probably find out, I'll be helping him from time to time:D. I believe he has another 25 acres to plant.

Keep hopping my friends:mug:


What does he plan on doing with them?
 
Selling, mostly to Colorado breweries. He already has the pelletizer and will be working on a drying greenhouse for solar drying. I think that's the latest plan. I believe he's gotten most of the rhizomes from some of the farms up there, near yakima?
 
Selling, mostly to Colorado breweries. He already has the pelletizer and will be working on a drying greenhouse for solar drying. I think that's the latest plan. I believe he's gotten most of the rhizomes from some of the farms up there, near yakima?


How do You guys go about getting State certificates for the Hops?

For L/S...Seeds Ect?
 
How do You guys go about getting State certificates for the Hops?

For L/S...Seeds Ect?

Well, I dont. But then I'm not the one doing it, like I said I'm a lowly neighbor. There are numerous hop farms sprouting here in CO so I don't believe any regulations are a problem, but I really have no idea. I don't even know what L/S is, seeds? what seeds?:tank:
 
Well, I dont. But then I'm not the one doing it, like I said I'm a lowly neighbor. There are numerous hop farms sprouting here in CO so I don't believe any regulations are a problem, but I really have no idea. I don't even know what L/S is, seeds? what seeds?:tank:

In WA and OR, the state departments of agriculture do an analysis on every lot of hops that come off the farms for leaf & stem percentage (L/S) and seed content. (If male hops are near to the females, the cones of the female plant will get pollenated and produce seeds.)
 
Thanx for that info, hopefully he's looked into all that, I'm just happy to have so many hops so close to me, makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.:)
 
Wolf is a good machine, but the one that I have (wolf 180) I have modified drastically to be more efficient and less wastefull. I find it is also dificult to work on as it is a very compact machine. Apart from that, for my set up, it is too small and I am in the process of buying a larger machine.
 
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