Hops processing

Rootstocks

TOP HOP GROUP has been active, through it’s subsidiary V.F. HUMULUS, s.r.o., in production, sale and distribution of virus free rootstocks of Saaz Fine Aroma Hops variety. We offer treated Osvald’s clones n.31, n.72 and n.114, which come from our own lineage (health group VT – virus tested, VF – virus free).

Growing

We grow hops at our own hop gardens, that cover a total of 721 hectares (1782 acres), all situated in the best locations of Saaz Hop Growing Region.

Harvest

Each year, harvest begins approximately in mid August and lasts roughly until first half of September, depending on how much each year hop has grown. Right after being harvested, raw hops is dried, packed and immediately stored in our refrigerated warehouse.

Processing

Later this raw, dry hops gets processed in our production plant. First it gets homogenized, then ground to a form of powder, which later passes through a pelletizer. The final products – hop pellets – are subsequently packed according to each customer’s custom specification.

Storage

Processed and packed hop pellets are stored at a stable temperature of 2-4°C, until the customer doesn’t call it off. In such ideal conditions, the shelf life of hop pellets is 3 years.

Distribution

According to the customer’s request, hop pellets are shipped either individually, sometimes just boxes, typically a pallet, or in case of large breweries, full shipping containers are dispatched. To ensure the best quality, we strongly recommend using refrigerated shipping containers, which maintain best storage conditions throughout the whole journey to wherever our customer is located.