Mobile hop pelletizing

[bcofresi]

A recent thread about mobile bottling has got me thinking about building a mobile hop pelletizing system. I am looking for imput from smallscale hop growers and brewers contracting with them, who might be interested in my service. There is a lot to be said about the good things that happen by using local ingredients, which is why I think it is important to pelletize our local hops.
Several reasons:
Pelletizing stabilizes hop freshness, flavor and alpha.
Pelletizing makes local hop beers available year round.
Pelletized hops are usable by more brewers.

I recently made an all CA beer (River City Brewing Co. California Harvestweizen) with wheat and malt from our Delta area (thanks Santiago and Lance!) and hops from Jordan Family Farms in Penryn, CA, I would like to make this beer all year, but it would be very difficult without pelletized hops. Using local hops for a wethopped harvest beer is great, but I want more! Interested parties - please let me know what you think.
Thanks,

[einhorn]

And would you harvest the hops too? From what I know, that seems to be another major hurdles for hops growing. But I suppose that the main problem would be timing - all would want your services at approximately the same time, no?

[bcofresi]

Thanks for reply. I've thought about the harvesting/drying part. The everything all at once timing issue really makes that a job for the grower/contracted local brewers. Any grower with a local lumberyard can build a reasonably simple and efficient hop dryer. As for a small scale picker, there are already some interesting ideas in use and more to be invented/developed I'm sure. My grower friend Scott is working with a friend of his, (who I hope won't charge him much since I'm willing to help at a large discount. After all, I want these local hops, and, I think I'm a pretty good inventor.) Pelletizing is almost easy by comparison (well there is that $$$ thing). As far as timing for pelletizing goes however, it is something that can be done even months after harvest (I know personally, since I am waiting on Hop Union to pelletize some of my contracted 2008 harvest hops, which may take until Feb or even March, which is the normal deal). So, any hop growers want to make reservations for the 2009 crop?

[Jaltwies]

I take some exception to the comment that pelletizing is "easy"...which it can be...if you're not concerned about quality. That flat die mill you show is a huge headache waiting to happen...believe me, we tried one.

We purchased a ring-die mill like the larger processors use (but smaller), fabricated a liquid nitrogen injection rig to keep the mill below 100F. I have heard of folks using a much thinner die and air as the coolant but based on the analyses of those pellets (in our lab) they suffered heavy oxidation and color bleaching...too hot!

Also consider that hop processing should be considered food processing (at least in WI, NY, and MI) with the trappings of any other food processing facility...