192-2.] 



Cultivation of the Hop Chop. 



267 



kiln, otherwise the air passing some parts of the drying floor 

 may be 5 or even 10 degrees hotter than that at others. Thia 

 mixing of the hot and cold air may best be attained by so arrang- 

 ing the stricture of each fireplace that large quantities of cold air 

 can enter above as well as below the fire bars. 



In addition to this a baffle-plate should always be supported 

 immediately above the fireplace to prevent direct radiation from 

 hot places in the fire to the drying floor. The baffle-plate should 

 be supported upon perforated brickwork, constructed so that the 

 perforations are very numerous and that the warm air can 

 readily pass through the wall. Under these conditions it will not 

 generally be necessary to let much cold air directly into the oast, 

 except for purposes of cooling, and the mixing of the air as 

 described will ensure uniform temperature. 



Sulphuring . — When the fans are running the fumes of the 

 burnt sulphur pass much more rapidly through the hops and 

 therefore produce less effect; in view of this some people have 

 advocated running the fans at a slower rate for the first hour 

 whilst the sulphur is burning. This of course hinders drying 

 and is therefore disadvantageous and may result in some precipi- 

 tation of " reek " unless the temperature is down well below 

 100° F. Probably a better plan is to allow the fans to run at 

 full speed from the start of drying and to allow larger quantities 

 of brimstone to be burnt, amounting to 1 lb. to 20 or 30 sq. ft. 

 of drying floor. 



Control of Draught. — This is a simple matter. Usually the 

 fans should be kept running at the maximum speed from the 

 commencement to the end of drying except in the case when 

 the hops are turned shortly before the finish. When this is 

 done the resistance to the passage of the air is greatly reduced, 

 less suction is necessary and the speed may well be slackened 

 by 20 per cent., so that power and fuel may be economised. 



Management after Drying. — When the hops are dry and 

 cooled down to about 110° F. they are unloaded to the cooling 

 and packing floor; in this operation great care musl be taken 

 •not to break them unnecessarily or a " chippy " sample will 

 result, for the hops are now extremely brittle. The best method 

 consists in the use of false floors by means of which the hops 

 can be unloaded without the necessity of handling them with 

 scoop and broom. There are two Buch alternatives, the patent 

 Hetherington floor, by means of which the drying floor cloth is 

 wound off bodily to one side of the kiln and the hops drop doWD 



