Magnum T90 Hop Pellets – German Hops

Magnum T90 Hop Pellets – German Hops

Magnum T90 hop pellets are one of the most reliable high-alpha bittering hops available to home brewers. Originally bred in Germany, Magnum has become a firm favourite for brewers looking for clean, smooth bitterness without adding an overpowering hop flavour to the finished beer.

Our 2023 Harvest Magnum hops have an alpha acid of 11.6%, giving you plenty of bitterness potential while still offering a subtle combination of spice, citrus and floral character.

Magnum is an incredibly versatile hop and can be used in everything from German lagers and Pilsners to British ales, American Pale Ales and IPAs.

If you're looking for a dependable hop that lets you build bitterness without dominating the flavour of your beer, Magnum is an excellent choice.

Magnum Hop Flavour & Aroma

Magnum is not normally chosen for huge tropical or citrus aroma. Its appeal is its clean bitterness with a restrained hop character that can sit comfortably underneath the other flavours in a beer.

Depending on how it is used, you can expect subtle notes of:

• Spice
• Herbal character
• Citrus
• Floral notes
• Pepper
• Light fruity character

German hop research describes Magnum's aroma as tending towards floral and fruity notes, with hop-spicy character becoming apparent in the beer. Other hop producers also describe notes of pepper, fruit and apple.

Used primarily as an early kettle addition, Magnum provides a clean and balanced bitterness without getting in the way of the malt, yeast or later hop additions.

How to Use Magnum T90 Hop Pellets

Magnum T90 pellets are best known as a bittering hop, but they can also be used for flavour and aroma when added later in the brewing process.

Bittering

This is where Magnum really shines.

Its relatively high alpha acid makes it an economical choice for achieving the required bitterness without needing large quantities of hops.

Magnum is particularly useful when you want a clean, rounded bitterness and don't want your bittering addition to contribute a strong hop flavour.

Try Magnum as your main bittering hop in:

• German Pilsner
• Helles
• Lager
• Kölsch
• Best Bitter
• Pale Ale
• IPA
• American Pale Ale

Using Magnum early in the boil allows you to establish the bitterness of the beer before adding more characterful hops later in the brewing process.

Whirlpool / Hop Stand

While Magnum is primarily regarded as a bittering hop, it can also be used in the whirlpool or hop stand when you want a subtle contribution of spice, citrus and floral character.

It won't deliver the huge tropical fruit character of modern varieties such as Citra or Nectaron, but that can actually be an advantage when brewing a more restrained beer.

A small whirlpool addition can add another layer of traditional hop character without overwhelming the malt or yeast.

Late Kettle Additions

Late kettle additions of Magnum can provide a little more of its spicy, floral and fruity character alongside some additional bitterness.

For traditional German beers, a later addition can work particularly well when you want a little more hop expression without moving too far away from a clean and balanced profile.

For modern beers, Magnum is often better used early in the boil, with more aromatic varieties such as Citra, Mosaic, Simcoe or Amarillo added later.

Dry Hopping

Magnum isn't normally the first choice for dry hopping, particularly when compared with modern aroma varieties.

However, it can be used as part of a traditional or experimental dry-hop regime if you want to explore its herbal, spicy and subtle fruity character.

For most modern Pale Ales and IPAs, we'd recommend using Magnum for bitterness and choosing a more expressive hop for the dry hop.

Magnum Hop Specifications

Our Magnum T90 hop pellets are from the 2023 Harvest.

• Hop variety: Magnum
• Crop: 2023
• Origin: Germany
• Type: T90 hop pellets
• Alpha Acid: 11.6%
• Use: Primarily bittering, with flavour and aroma potential
• Best uses: Early kettle additions and bittering
• Flavour: Spice, citrus, floral, herbal and subtle fruity notes
• Ideal beer styles: Pilsner, Helles, Lager, Kölsch, Best Bitter, Pale Ale, IPA and American Pale Ale

The 11.6% alpha acid figure is particularly useful when calculating your recipe, allowing you to achieve your required bitterness without using large quantities of hops.

Clean bitterness. High alpha. Subtle spice and citrus. Magnum is the dependable workhorse of the hop cupboard.