Every aspect of our farm’s infrastructure has been determined after extensive research of hop farms in the Pacific Northwest, then tailored to meet the unique demands of Southern Wisconsin.
The natural terrain of the hop yard provides ideal drainage and peak sunlight. And the orientation of the yard was chosen to take full advantage of south and southwesterly winds — allowing fresh air to flow through the rows. A row of pine trees to the North protects the yard from being blindsided by harsh northerly winds.
After seeing and visiting with commercial hop production facilities in the Pacific Northwest, we determined it was best to build our kiln and hop conditioning facility on-site — to take control of post-harvest measures.
To ensure maximum alpha acids for bittering and essential oils for flavor and aroma, we monitor and adjust air flow while maintaining drying temperature at, or below, 110 degrees. As soon as hops reach an optimum storage moisture of 8.00–12.00 percent, we transfer them to a temperature controlled conditioning room. The cones are then compressed into 100-pound bales to exclude air and are placed in cold storage — maximizing quality and freshness — before being sold as whole cone or sent to WHEx for pelletizing.
Learn more about Davali Ridge's local commitment.