«Dry (or cold) hopping» is the addition of hops to beer after the end of fermentation process . The basis of the taste and aroma of hops are essential oils, which easily evaporate at high temperatures. Thanks to the «dry hopping», the beer acquires a bright hop aroma and at the same time does not receive additional bitterness. Usually hops are added to the fermentation tank and infused for several days or weeks. The Hop Smart device is used for dry hopping in a more intensive mode and outside the tank.
The Hop Smart beer dry hopping unit is made of AISI-304 food grade stainless steel. It is a vertical cylindrical container on roller supports, with a conical bottom and a hemispherical hatch-lid. Beer is passed through the hops filled into the installation cavity and returned to the fermenter (CT, CT or HLT) already enriched with oil and essential substances. At the same time, hop particles remain inside the unit.
The Hop Smart device is equipped with:
access hatch;
mesh separator for holding hop pellets or hop cones;
inspection diopters with a diameter of 50 mm;
CIP pipeline with two washing heads;
safety valve with pressure relief lever;
a pressure gauge with a membrane separator and a carbon dioxide connection fitting.
Only high-quality European fittings are used.
A high level of working surface processing contributes to the ease of flushing.
The installation allows intensively adding essential oils and aromatics, extracting hops into cold beer. As a result, beer acquires a rich taste and aroma.
There is no loss of carbon dioxide and beer heating.
It becomes possible to add fruits, berries, spices, herbs to beer instead of hops.
While loading hops directly into the tank, 5-6 kg per 1 ton of beer is needed. using Hop Smart unit, the consumption of hop is 2.5-3 kg per 1 ton. At the cost of hop pellets from 3000 rubles per 1 kilogram, the unit reduces the cost of beer by an average of 7500 rubles per ton. producting 20 tons per month, the savings will amount to 150,000 rubles, accordingly, Hop smart unit for cold hopping will pay off pretty quickly.
Pressed hops used in Shop smart, as a rule, are used for hopping wort while brewing in a wort-brewing boiler. As a result, maximum savings are achieved.
The losses of up to 15% of beer that occur during dry hopping directly into the tank are excluded. During dry hopping with the Hop Smart unit, beer circulates through it.
