Nick Carr on August 28, 2020 0 Comments The Premiant hop variety isn’t too well known anywhere but in its native Czech Republic, but it’s a good hop to know something about. The name Premiant means prizewinning in Czech and it definitely can be a prized choice for any German lager. It was created in Zatec at the Czech Hop Research Institute with the goal of making a dual purpose hop variety. Premiant fulfills this role wonderfully, bringing neutral bitterness in the form of higher alpha acid content making it a cost-effective bittering alternative to some lower alpha acid noble varieties. Premiant’s pedigree is Osvald’s clone 72 ( a saaz clone) and an American bittering variety. Its lineage includes Northern Brewer. Apparently it went through over 20 years of testing before being registered in 1996. That’s much longer than the average 10-year trial and evaluation period for most new varieties. However, long evaluation time seems to be normal for the Czech Hop Research Institute; its first two hybrids, Sladek and Bor were released in 1994 after 25 years of testing. Premiant, having better yields, has largely replaced Bor and is now the third-highest produced hop, after Saaz and Sadek, in the Czech Republic. How To Brew With Premiant Hops If you plan on growing hops in your backyard, we would make a few recommendations to help you in your endeavors. Before you choose the variety you want to grow, it’s a good idea to talk to other local growers or possibly someone at your local homebrew supply store. They may be able to point you toward varieties that grow well in your area. The Premiant variety is protected under National Plant Variety Rights so plants and rhizomes are not available for home propagation. However, be sure to check out our other hop profiles for some other planting possibilities. General Characteristics: Origin- Czech Republic Year Released- 1996 Growth Rate– Strong Yield– 1,800 – 2,050 kg/ha Cones– long, egg-shaped Maturity– Medium Early Susceptible to– Information Not Available Resistant to– Tolerant to both Downy and Powdery Mildew Ease of Harvest– Information Not Available Storage– Fair Patented or Public- Protected under National Plant Variety Rights Acid Composition Breakdown: Note: Hop oil composition will vary between harvest years and where the hop was grown. The numbers below are meant to be an average only. Alpha Acid: 7 – 9% Beta Acid: 3.5 – 6.5% Co-Humulone: 19 – 23% Oil Composition Breakdown: Total Oils: 1 – 2 g/100g Myrcene Oil (% of total): 35 – 50% Humulene Oil (% of total: 20 -40% Caryophyllene Oil (% of total): 8 – 13% Franesene Oil (% of total): 1 – 3% B-Pinene Oil (% of total): 0.2 – 0.7% Linalool Oil (% of total): 0.4 – 0.7% Geraniol Oil (% of total): 0 – 0.4% Aroma & Sensory Description: Premiant has a milder aromatic profile than many of the other Czech varieties, but it can still lend noticeable and pleasant characteristics. Its profile is a gentle mix of fruity, floral, and spicy notes. Descriptors often associated with it include Jasmine, Lavender, lemon, lemongrass, and slightly resinous. When used in larger amounts, such as in pales or IPAs, brewers have said its character becomes grassy and woody. Low amounts of cohumulone ensure its bitterness is rounded and neutral, presenting no harsh aftertaste. Availability: They are sold in pellet form and easy to find. Actually, you might be surprised how many places sell them once you start looking. It’s even likely you saw and passed them by at one time or another since they are not well known in the U.S. Use: Premiant is considered a high alpha variety in the Czech catalog of hops and this, along with its neutral bittering, has given it a reputation as a worthy dual-purpose hop. Its well-rounded and neutral bittering profile makes it an ideal candidate for beer styles with low hop profiles, such as German Pils, Czech Lagers, or other Lager styles. It’s also a good choice for economical reasons. The slightly higher alpha acid content it offers means you will have to use less of it than any noble hop variety, allowing you to save the nobles for later additions. It’s often used in Czech breweries as part of the aroma addition along with the Sladek variety. Dry-hopping might be interesting to explore with this variety. How much can you put in to make the mild fruity/floral profile stronger without making it too grassy? Can Substitute With/For These Hops: Saaz Common Beer Styles Using Premiant Hops: Czech Pilsner American Lagers Belgian Ales Pale Ales IPAs Belgian Ales Saison Cream Ale California Common Commercial Examples: To help you gain a better idea of this hop’s aroma and flavor I would recommend you sample as many of these as you can find. This research will deepen your understanding of how Premiant works in different beer styles and give you a better idea of how to use it in your own homebrewing. Uses Only Premiant: Adnams Broadside from Adnams Brewery (UK) Uses Premiant With Other Hop Varieties: Triple from Brasserie de l’Abbaye du Val-Dieu (Belgium)- Also uses Saaz Petes N/A from Aslan Brewing Company (U.S.)- Also uses Sterling Big Iron from Aslan Brewing Company (U.S.)- Also uses Mittlefruh Seaweed Saison from Dungarvan Brewing Company (collaboration w/ Nogne O) (Ireland)- Also uses East Kent Golding and Northern Brewer Klaster Premium from Pivovar Klaster (Czech Republic)-Also uses Magnum and Saaz Desítka from Pivovar Zemská (Czech Republic)- Also uses Sládek Happy Brewing!
