When you open a fresh pack of hop pellets, you smell concentrated aromas of citrus, pine resin, or tropical fruit — and it’s not a marketing gimmick.
Pelletizing hops compresses the cones by up to 10 times, protects essential oils from oxidation, and gives brewers recipe stability.
Today, according to BarthHaas, over 75% of all hops globally are sold in pellet form. Why?
✅ Logistics — 1 ton of pellets takes up the space of just 100 kg of raw cones.
✅ Shelf life — when vacuum-sealed and chilled, pellets retain their alpha acids for up to three years.
✅ IBU accuracy — bitterness deviation stays within ±3%, while whole cones vary by ±10%.
The global market for pelletized hops is booming — expected to exceed $6 billion by 2030.
At the heart of this growth are craft breweries seeking consistent quality and unique flavor.
Hop pellets allow brewers to achieve the same bitterness in every batch — just what modern brewing demands.
Interestingly, more and more breweries don’t just want to buy pellets — they want to make them in-house, to control quality and cut costs.
Who benefits from hop pelletizing?
Farmers growing hops
You can charge more. Pelletized hops are easier to store, more convenient to use, and preferred by buyers. If you already grow hops — you have the raw material for a profitable business.
Brewers who want consistency
In-house pelletizing gives you full quality control. You can blend varieties, fine-tune aroma intensity, and reduce losses — since raw cones often soak up wort during brewing.
You can also achieve:
✅ –20% hop cost in the first year;
✅ +15% IBU stability between batches;
✅ –50% cold storage space needed;
✅ ROI within one harvest season.
Entrepreneurs seeking niche opportunities
Demand is growing, technology is accessible, and competition is minimal. This segment is just starting to emerge in many countries.
If you combine your own pellet production with contract pelletizing for other farmers or brewers, and sell lupulin dust to cosmetic brands — you can recoup your investment in a single season.
Artmash’s experience and capabilities
Our journey with hops began in August 2020, when we received raw cones for a pelletizing test. The test was conducted with a 4 mm die in standard granulator mode.
We produced smooth, brown pellets.
Only later did the client clarify that low-temperature processing was crucial to preserve properties and color.
The next step was selecting a die that would produce green, 6 mm pellets with lower density.
Clients comparing Ukrainian and American machines wanted to ensure our pelletizers could match the quality.
The experiment was a success — we sent samples for lab analysis, which confirmed our pellets were on par with American ones.
With experience in hand, in May 2021 we built a pelletizing line for the Riven brewery in western Ukraine.
That line — which included grinding, pelletizing, cooling, and packing equipment — is still in operation today.
In 2025, new customers approached us with hop-related needs.
We resumed testing — grinding trials, die optimization, and line configuration development.
Our social media followers could follow the process in real time.
After aligning on performance, layout, and ceiling height, our engineer designed the final 3D model of the system.
In April 2025, our team traveled on-site for final installation and fine-tuning.
The line is now running successfully, and we continue to improve our equipment to make it even more user-friendly.
Conclusion
Pelletized hops are not just a trend — they’re an economically sound standard for modern brewing. They offer consistent aroma, simplify logistics, and open the door to new business models.
If you want full control over the journey from “cone to pint,” consider making your own pellets. Artmash’s experience proves: the investment pays off fast — and the results can be tasted in every sip of craft beer.
