# Comparative Study of Hops Moisture Content and the Relative Humidity of the Drying Environment in a Hop Belt Dryer

## TL;DR

This study examines how the drying environment's humidity affects the moisture content of hops and creates a model to predict it for better drying systems.

## Contribution

The paper introduces a quadratic model to predict hop moisture based on drying environment humidity using multi-season data.

## Key findings

- Hop moisture content depends on the relative humidity in the drying environment.
- A quadratic model was developed using data from three harvest seasons to predict moisture content.
- The model could aid in creating automatic hop-drying systems.

## Abstract

The paper concerns a study of drying and the creation of a statistical model for measuring the relative humidity of the drying environment in a belt dryer, as well as the moisture content of hop heads, stems, and bracts. The SAAZ variety was used, which is widely cultivated in the Czech Republic, and the data from harvesting seasons since 2017 were recorded. The findings demonstrated the influence and dependence of the moisture content of hop cones and their parts on the relative humidity of the drying environment in a belt dryer of hops. This dependence was confirmed by a statistical analysis of the measured values. Furthermore, a quadratic model was developed based on measurements taken over three harvest seasons. The model is applicable to predict the moisture content of the hops at a given location based on the relative humidity of the drying environment in the belt dryer and could be useful for developing an automatic hop-drying system.