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Facilities and Technology...

To meet the changing needs of craft brewers and hop merchants, we constantly adopt new technology and follow best practices. You can be sure you’re getting quality hops that are stored, processed, and analyzed using modern equipment.

Warehouse

  • Located in the historic “Fruit Row” district of downtown Yakima. Our facilities are comprised of three half-city blocks of commercial cold storage and CA (controlled atmosphere) storage for fruit and hops
  • The buildings range in age from the Perry Building built in 1911 to the pellet mill built in 2015, maintaining the agricultural history of downtown Yakima, while progressing with technology
  • All cold storage and CA utilize ammonia refrigeration, computer controlled with real-time monitoring for all necessary parameters depending on the product (hops stored at 28° F)
  • Our capacity for storage is always growing and adaptable as needs arise
  • One off-site CA storage facility is operated by HBS, but owned by La Salle High School where all proceeds go to the school

Pellet mill

  • High throughput T-90 Pellet Mill
  • Overall design with the unique needs of craft brewers in mind
  • Pellet specifications focus on processing aroma hops for craft use, i.e. courser grist and softer pellet for optimal dry hopping
  • Multiple cooling steps in process ensure a low pellet temperature with minimal oil degradation
  • High volume blending capabilities maintain a consistently homogenous product
  • An assortment of pellet mill dyes are used to dial in pellet specifications based on variety
  • All packaging in 22 lb (10kg) Nitrogen flushed, soft pack, Mylar foils
  • Box label includes hop variety, pellet alpha, a lot number for traceability, and a QR code that can be scanned for the full pellet analysis

Farm

  • Operate a ~400-acre farm in Wapato, WA (approx. 15 miles south of Yakima Facility)
  • Consists of about 300 acres of tree fruit. Primarily apples and pears, but also includes peaches, donut peaches and nectarines.
  • Another 100 acres stays in rotation of various row crops, including alfalfa, wheat, and dry beans.

To evaluate quality, we analyze hops at every step of the process:

hop bale icon

Hop bales received from farms:

We look for premium hops that exceed customer expectations, and we formulate pellet blends that showcase each variety.

hop pellet icon

Pellets during production:

We monitor and fine-tune our process to ensure quality pellets. Our labels are accurate and comprehensive, so brewers can have confidence in their recipes.

thermometer icon

Hops in storage:

Different varieties, packaging types, and warehouse conditions all affect hops, and we monitor freshness so brewers always receive consistent product.

  • Hollingbery storage
    Graham discussing pelleting schedule with Baldo, warehouse foreman
  • Hollingbery hop pellet scale
    Pellet mill scale
  • Loading boxes at Hollingbery
    Crew building pallets on packaging line
  • Loading hops into bale breaker at Hollingbery
    Loading hops into bale breaker
  • Hollingbery hop cold storage room
    Hop pellets and bales in cold storage
  • Hollingbery workers in hop storage room
    Crew building boxes on packaging line
  • Decommissioned equipment in Hollingbery historic warehouse
    Decommissioned equipment in our historic warehouse
  • Hop grinder at Hollingbery
    Grinding hop cones for harvest alpha

Quality Analysis

We use industry standard techniques and advanced equipment to determine hop quality, potency, and trueness to type to communicate as much information as possible to brewers. If you would like to learn more about our hops, don’t hesitate to reach out. We love hearing from brewers, and we’re excited about working together on new ideas for projects.

Hollingbery lab

For more info about our technology and capabilities, contact:

Lilly Nava, Head of Quality Assurance

Lab Capabilities:

  • Alpha Acids (Spectrophotometer/HPLC)
  • Beta Acids (Spectrophotometer/HPLC)
  • Hop Storage Index (Spectrophotometer)
  • Cohumulone and n+adhumulone (HPLC)
  • Colupulone and n+adlupulone (HPLC)
  • Moisture
  • Total Essential Oils (Steam Distillation)
  • Essential Oil Profile (Gas Chromatograph)

Lab Instruments:

  • Gas Chromatograph – Flame Ionization Detector (GC-FID, Agilent 6850 Series)
  • High Pressure Liquid Chromatograph (HPLC, Agilent 1100 Series)
  • UV/Vis Spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer Lambda 25)
  • Steam distillation apparatus