Indie Hops’ new hop-pelletizing plant gives a big boost to craft brewers.
Indie Hops’ new hop-pelletizing plant is helping craft brewers compete with the industry giants.
The $2 million plant’s production process ensures better preservation of the hop oils and aromas desired by craft brewers.
“We want to change the form of the hops, not the characteristics,” [CEO Jim Solberg] said. “We took some pellets down to Stone Brewing recently (the San Diego craft brewer famous for Arrogant Bastard and other hoppy beers) and the brewers were comparing our pellets to a competitor’s … and, without any prompting, they said, ‘These are so much more like whole hops.’ “
But there is a tradeoff: The plant runs slower than the pelletizing plants in Yakima — about an acre an hour, Solberg said, or eight 200-pound bales of compressed hops. That fits in with the business plan devised a couple of years ago by Solberg and partner Roger Worthington, an Orange County attorney and longtime friend.
Read the full story at OregonLive.com.
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