Brief Introduction
A hop gun is a sealed‑type device specially for dry hopping.It is used for the dry hopping in larger fermenter, which can realize the full mixing of liquor and hops under pressure state. Most hops are left in the drying hopping gun and do not enter the fermenter, so as to reduce the filtration pressure of beer and reduce the loss of beer.
Without a hop gun, brewers have to open the manhole of fermenters to add hops. This operation brings oxygen into beer, causes hop overflow, and leaves plenty of hop residue inside tanks.
Hop Gun by Tiantai:
1. Model:
60L 80L 100L 120L 150L 200L
2. Components:
- Hop Gun
- Diaphragm Pump or Centrifugal Pump
- Control Cabinet
- Portable Skid
Core Functions
1. Closed dry hopping to minimize oxidation
The system uses CO₂ to sweep away internal air. All operations run under sealed pressure. Opening manholes is avoided, so beer oxidation and off‑flavors are reduced, and shelf life of beer gets extended. This is the biggest advantage of a hop gun.
2. Efficient hop‑aroma extraction without extra bitterness
Beer circulates at low temperature to extract hop essential oil. It brings floral, citrus and pine‑like aroma, and barely creates extra bitterness. Turbulent flow improves extraction efficiency. Compared with direct dry hopping inside fermenters, it can save 25‑40% hop raw materials and lower production cost.
3. Prevent hop‑volcano overflow
When adding hops by opening manholes, released CO₂ may push beer and hops to splash out, leading to material loss. Pressure‑charged dosing by hop gun completely avoids overflow and keeps the production area clean and safe.
4. Trap hop residue and reduce tank‑cleaning workload
The inner filter screen holds all solid hop waste inside the hop gun, instead of leaving large amounts of residue in fermenters. Operators only need to clean the hop gun. It shortens CIP cleaning time and cuts cleaning‑consumption.
5. Stable batch‑to‑batch flavor
Circulation time can be adjusted freely to control hop contact duration. With fixed parameters, aroma and taste stay consistent among different batches, suitable for large‑scale craft‑brewery production.
Simple Working Process
- Load pellet or whole‑cone hops into the hop gun chamber and close the hatch tightly.
- Inject CO₂ to purge all air out of the device.
- Use pump to transfer beer from fermenter into hop gun, then circulate beer back to fermenter.
- Beer flows through hops to capture aroma substances, while residues are blocked by filter screen.
- After dry‑hopping, release pressure from hop gun, remove waste hops, and prepare for CIP cleaning.
Suitable Beer Styles
IPA, Double IPA, Hazy NEIPA, New‑England Ale, fruit‑forward ale and other aroma‑focused beer.
Advantages
- Closed‑process for low‑oxidation brewing
- Higher hop utilization rate to save hop cost
- No hop‑splash risk for safer operation
- Less residue inside fermenters, easier tank cleaning
- Easy to connect to existing fermenter equipment
Disadvantages
- Extra investment for pump and CO₂ supply
- Operators need to learn and control circulation time
- Filter screen requires regular cleaning and maintenance
The hop gun offers a reliable closed dry‑hopping solution for craft breweries. It minimizes beer oxidation, boosts hop aroma extraction and keeps fermenters free from large amounts of hop residue. Even though it needs extra equipment investment, it is still a practical choice for breweries that frequently produce IPA, hazy NEIPA and other hop‑forward beer styles.