Hop dryer

[Quebec_brewing_2012]

All right so my hop was getting ready to get harvested i wanted a cool Quick Way to dry it i got a few
Items from the store most of it was lying a round the house let me know what you think. It is my first harvest
I didnt get much from my 14 plants but still maybe next year!

Cheers!!!

 

[mforsman]

Whoa thats great. Are you rotating the shelves from top to bottom so they dry evenly? Is there a fan in the top that pulls the heat through?

 

[Quebec_brewing_2012]

Yes i am rotating and it is a 6 inch fan the switches are so if i want only one or two lights
Pretty eager to see the results

 

[day_trippr]

The lower you keep the temperature the less loss of good stuff there will be...

Cheers!

 

[dieden187]

That is gorgeous.

 

[microbusbrewery]

Nice work but you gotta call it by the correct name, an oast. Then when people ask what an oast is, you can tell them it's a hop dryer

 

[833R]

Good work. Did you put a thermometer in there? How hot does it get?

 

[Quebec_brewing_2012]

I haven't done much testing on it yet only finished sunday, I did not put the thermometer in, I'd say you could control the heat really well because you can either have only the fan going, one light or both, ill maybe add a temperature control so it could be very precis, i'll see, i mean I dont have much hop for the moment it's my first year, maybe do some touche up next year!

Cheers!

 

[thatjonguy]

(Ramathorn voice) Mother of god.

That thing is kickass, although I second thr opinion on just forced air drying with no heat.

 

[Chrisl77]

I built something similar except I did not use a heat source instead I put an inline duct fan at the top that pulls air from the bottom through the layers and out the top. Full mine dries them in 2 days max. I would suggest adding a fan and a cheap temp controller to control those lights so they don't get to hot. I think its something like 90 degrees and above will start breaking down the lulipin in the hops.

 

[Quebec_brewing_2012]

As i said i have a 6 inch fan on top, that is under the metal mesh, second picture, and i will probably put a temps control but i'm not sure, i mostly use the lights during the nigth, the night here in quebec are more and more cold so, and i agree 2 days and my hop was dry

 

[thatjonguy]

As i said i have a 6 inch fan on top, that is under the metal mesh, second picture, and i will probably put a temps control but i'm not sure, i mostly use the lights during the nigth, the night here in quebec are more and more cold so, and i agree 2 days and my hop was dry

My other concern would be any type of UV light generated by lights. I don't know if those heat lamps are capable but something to think about as you don't want UV light on dry hops. (Or so I have been told or read).

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

IMO you dont even need heat to dry the hops. 2 days @ 70 degree's with a fan blowing and they will be perfectly dry.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

A glass door on the front, and face it towards the sun.........Solar drying.

Could even install a black painted chimney on it to increase the draft.