9 8 



Picking, Drying, and Packing Hofs. [may., 



Should the draught at any time be too fierce, as may 

 happen towards the finish of drying, after the hops have 

 been turned, it can be easily remedied by opening the door 

 of the kiln above the hops ; cold air will then be drawn in and 

 the draught checked. 



Sulphuring. — Sulphur is now universally burnt during the 

 drying of hops in England. It was at one time thought that 

 the sole value of sulphur in hop-drying was to improve the 

 appearance of the finished sample by bleaching the hops. 

 The use of sulphur is, however, advantageous in hop-drying 

 for several other reasons. In the first place, the use of 

 sulphur hastens the drying process considerably, so that both 

 time and fuel are saved. Secondly, hops dried in the absence 

 of sulphur retain a peculiar odour, resembling withered 

 vegetable substance, due probably to some fermentation of 

 the hops. If sulphur is burnt this odour is not present. 

 Thirdly, it is believed by some brewers that the presence of 

 the burnt sulphur helps to preserve hops which are to be kept 

 for considerable periods before use. 



The sulphur, in the form of Roll Brimstone, is usually 

 burnt at about the rate of J lb. of sulphur to 10 bushels of 

 hops. It should be burnt as soon as drying commences, in 

 open pans rather than in the fireplace. 



Types of Oasts. Open-Fire Kiln. — The most common 

 oasts in use at the present day are open-fire kilns (see Fig. i), 

 in which the products of combustion from the fire pass directly 

 through the hops. These necessitate the use of high-quality 

 anthracite coal, free from arsenic, for the fires. 



The kilns are either square or round buildings, with brick 

 walls and tiled roofs. The most convenient size for the oasts 

 is from 16 ft. to 18 ft. square, or in diameter; if larger than 

 this, there is some difficulty in levelling the hops accurately. 



About 4 ft. from the top of the walls and about 12 ft. or 

 14 ft. above the fireplace, a wooden floor of joists (see AA 

 in Fig. 1) is built into the walls, and upon this floor is 

 stretched a cloth made of horse-hair, upon which the hops are 

 spread out for drying. 



The roof slopes upwards from the top of the walls to a 

 circular opening about 3 ft. in diameter, and over this opening 

 is fitted a cowl C, swinging upon well-oiled bearings in the 



