Hops Pelleting Facility

Bratney's collaborative approach to design-build construction was rewarded with a contract to design a turn-key hops pelleting plant. The greenfield project faced several challenges from coordination of many stakeholders, local permitting regulations and a complex, yet flexible process arrangement that allows for careful monitoring of the material as it flows through the system. The processing line concludes with a Concetti packaging system designed specifically to fill a unique combination of both pre-made and form, fill and seal bags.

Project Background

Bratney’s process design team started with the end in mind, developing an extremely flexible process flow that converts baled whole cone hops to pelleted hops. The plant was designed to handle an initial capacity of 3 tons per hour with the ability to expand it to 6 tons per hour. Specific attention was given to three critical areas particular to processing hops:

hops are not free flowing so extra steps were taken in the design and installation of the material handling equipment, transitions and spouting to eliminate hang up points and prevent bridging
the process flow was done to ensure easy access to the process equipment and conveyance and equipment features were added to aide cleanout as the resin in hops tends to build up on contact parts and must be cleaned
great care was taken to prevent and reduce the hops exposure to both heat and oxygen, two items that are detrimental to the overall quality of the pelletized hops

High-Speed Bagging Scales

Concetti automatic bagging scales are accurate to 1/10th of a pound on 50 lb. bags and include multiple feeder options to match product handling needs.

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Automatic Stretch Wrapper

Automated stretch wrapping systems provide load security and protect bags during shipping.

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Integrated Bag Inspection Equipment

Fully integrated check-weighers, metal detectors, x-ray systems with automatic bag reject conveyors.

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Robotic Palletizing System

Concetti hybrid-robot palletizer includes robot end tooling to build overlapping layers along with layer squaring and layer compressions to build tight, square pallets.

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Automatic, Open-Mouth Bagging Machine

Concetti high-speed, automatic bagging machine with bag spout designed to fill flat and gusseted bags made of any type of material including porous poly.

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Project Scope

Turn Key Hops Pelleting and Packaging Plant

process design and engineering
project management
construction management
millwright services
equipment selection and supply
equipment installation
process line startup and commissioning
operator training

Project Details

Greenfield design-build construction project
Design started in December and the facility was operational for the following year’s harvest
3 ton per hour receiving capacity, expandable to 6 ton per hour
Automatic Concetti bagging line with nitrogen flush system to preserve pelleted hops and option to run both pre-made and FFS bags
Integration of five different process equipment suppliers from various parts of the world
Considerable planning and coordination to keep project on schedule and budget