ADVANCED HOP QUALITY CONTROL
By using the hops testing services at AAR, you can monitor the quality of your crop from the bineyard to boil!
As you make adjustments to improve the handling and processing of your hops. Rest assured, we remain accurate and consistent. This is extremely import, as two processes changing just leads to more error and confusion. Simply put, did the change improve or worsen the quality of my hops?
Let's look at the AAR approach to Hops Quality Control
Where to start? Well, let's look at pre-harvest testing of wet hops. As harvest approaches, dry matter, oil content, and alpha acid content increase. Monitoring dry matter weekly is the most cost effective means to indicate harvest, yet it is not the most accurate. Regional, seasonal, varietal, factors all play a role in effecting what % dry matter relates to optimal "ripeness" as it relates to the alpha acid and oil content. This is why at AAR we recommend using the HPLC Alpha & Beta Acids test to monitor alpha acid content (and you will get a free Dry Matter result as well). Keeping our reports in your records over time will allow you develop your "own" %Dry Matter value that will trigger your harvest. At this point, a HPLC Alpha & Beta Acids test should be run to confirm that the crop has met the expectations for the variety. Your pre-harvest HPLC Alpha & Beta Test report from AAR Lab will contain your "predicted" or calculated alpha & beta acid at 10% moisture. This is very helpful, since almost all published data for alpha & beta acids content on the internet, in varietal catalogs, etc. is at 10% moisture, allowing you to easily compare your results.
Note: For Aroma Hops, buyers purchase based on oil content, so the same approach as outlined above can be used by adding a pre-harvest Total Oil Content. As with A & B content, almost all published data out there for total oil is at 10% moisture as well. Your pre-harvest Total Oil AAR Lab report will contain the "predicted" or calculated the total oil content at 10% moisture.
Note: For Aroma Hops, buyers purchase based on oil content, so the same approach as outlined above can be used by adding a pre-harvest Total Oil Content. As with A & B content, almost all published data out there for total oil is at 10% moisture as well. Your pre-harvest Total Oil AAR Lab report will contain the "predicted" or calculated the total oil content at 10% moisture.
Harvest
As harvest concludes your cones are ready for the next phase. Are you selling wet hops? If so, your pre-harvest AAR HPLC Alpha & Beta Acid report is a perfect addition to your marketing. Let your buyers know the quality of your crop!
If you are going to move forward with processing to whole leaf, pellets, or whatever? The "predicted" alpha & beta acid content at 10% moisture values from pre-harvest are your new baseline values for monitoring the effects of processing. Heat & handling can cause losses in quality through the drying and pelletizing process.
As harvest concludes your cones are ready for the next phase. Are you selling wet hops? If so, your pre-harvest AAR HPLC Alpha & Beta Acid report is a perfect addition to your marketing. Let your buyers know the quality of your crop!
If you are going to move forward with processing to whole leaf, pellets, or whatever? The "predicted" alpha & beta acid content at 10% moisture values from pre-harvest are your new baseline values for monitoring the effects of processing. Heat & handling can cause losses in quality through the drying and pelletizing process.
Processing
After your processing has completed. We recommend testing Alpha & Beta Acids by HPLC and Total Oil + GC profile to certify your crop. You will receive a C of A (Certificate of Analysis) from AAR. This report shows the Alpha & Beta Acids content at 10% moisture of your processed crop. At this point you will reveal the losses from processing and it can be calculated as follows in this example:
Pre-harvest Post-Processing
Total Alpha Acids at 10% - Total Alpha Acids at 10% = 12.54 - 10.57 = 1.97 loss of AA's during processing.
12.54% 10.57%
Note: For Aroma Hops the same approach can be used above by looking the pre-harvest vs post processing oil content of your crop by the following example:
Pre-harvest Post Processing
Total Oil Content at 10% - Total Oil Content at 10% = 2.8 - 2.5 = 0.3 mL/100g loss of hops essential oils.
2.8 mL/100g 2.5 mL/100g
As part of the post-processing hops evaluation, a portion of the hops essential oil is collected and analyzed by GC (Gas Chromatography). This test separates the individual oil compounds found in hops and reports the relative amount of each. This information is valuable in identifying the specific variety because it reveals a "fingerprint" of the hops that can easily be compared to the established standards for your variety. This increases the value of your crop by giving your customer the assurance they are truly receiving the correct variety.
After your processing has completed. We recommend testing Alpha & Beta Acids by HPLC and Total Oil + GC profile to certify your crop. You will receive a C of A (Certificate of Analysis) from AAR. This report shows the Alpha & Beta Acids content at 10% moisture of your processed crop. At this point you will reveal the losses from processing and it can be calculated as follows in this example:
Pre-harvest Post-Processing
Total Alpha Acids at 10% - Total Alpha Acids at 10% = 12.54 - 10.57 = 1.97 loss of AA's during processing.
12.54% 10.57%
Note: For Aroma Hops the same approach can be used above by looking the pre-harvest vs post processing oil content of your crop by the following example:
Pre-harvest Post Processing
Total Oil Content at 10% - Total Oil Content at 10% = 2.8 - 2.5 = 0.3 mL/100g loss of hops essential oils.
2.8 mL/100g 2.5 mL/100g
As part of the post-processing hops evaluation, a portion of the hops essential oil is collected and analyzed by GC (Gas Chromatography). This test separates the individual oil compounds found in hops and reports the relative amount of each. This information is valuable in identifying the specific variety because it reveals a "fingerprint" of the hops that can easily be compared to the established standards for your variety. This increases the value of your crop by giving your customer the assurance they are truly receiving the correct variety.
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