Kiln Dried Hops

Kiln Dried Hops. (kil[n]' drayd' haps')

Hops dried in a special kiln shortly after harvesting.  Freshly picked hop cones contain 75-80 percent moisture that must be rapidly reduced to 12 or 13 percent to prevent the soft resins and essential oils from oxidizing and polymerizing.  The drying temperature should not exceed 122 degrees F (50 degrees C), otherwise the quality will be impaired by a loss of lupulin.