Division 1 Determination of the leaf, stalk and waste content

Sieve five 100 gram samples (or one 250 gram sample) using a 2 to 3 mm sieve. Collect the lupulin, waste and seeds and separate the seeds by hand. Place the samples on one side. Transfer the contents of the 2 to 3 mm sieve to a 8 to 10 mm sieve and sieve again.

The hop cones, leaves, stalks and extraneous matter are collected by hand from the sieve while cone leaves, seeds, lupulin waste and some leaves and stalks pass through. All this is sorted by hand and divided into the following groups:

1. 1..

   leaves and stalks,

2. 2..

   hops (cone leaves, hop cones and lupulin),

3. 3..

   waste,

4. 4..

   seeds.

Whereas it is extremely difficult to separate the waste and the lupulin precisely it is possible, using a sieve with a mesh size of 0,8 millimetres, to determine approximately the relative proportions of the waste and the lupulin.

When estimating the proportion of lupulin, it should be taken into account that the density of the lupulin is four times greater than that of the waste.

The various groups are weighed and the percentage which each group represents in the weight of the original sample is determined.