Traditionally, lagers get pigeonholed as “crispy, clean, and bitter”.  It feels like that’s the only lane they’re allowed to drive in. I wanted to see if a lager could keep that drink-all-day clarity while putting hop flavor and aroma up front. It wanted to see if I could brew a bright, hoppy lager with a welcoming nose. So, here we are presenting what I’m calling a happy hoppy lager: simple Pilsner base, firm bittering, then both a whirlpool addition and a cold packaging addition of Elani hops to bring lime-zest, pine, and a touch of geranium-like florals. Fermented warm with 34/70 and fined for clarity, this beer turned out to be dangerously crushable.

Elani Hoppy Lager Recipe

For a 5 gallon batch:

Water:
Spring water with 5 grams of gypsum

Grain Bill:
10 Pounds (4.54 kg) Pilsner Malt

Hops:
1 ounce (28g) of Michigan Chinook hops 11%AA – first wort hopping
2 ounces (56g) of Elani hops – Whirlpool
1 vial of Elani hop extract – added at cold packaging

Yeast:
1 packet of Fermentis SafLager W-34/70 Bohemian Lager

Instructions:
Mash at 148°F for 60 minutes
Boil for 60 minutes
Fermented in keg for 2 weeks at warm room temperatures (~75 °F / 24 °C)

Outcomes:
Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.010
ABV: 5.25%

What We Thought (Tasting & Takeaways)

Warm-Fermented Lager, Zero Drama
34/70 remains the people’s champion for home lagering. Even at ale-ish temperatures, the profile stayed clean and “lager-y”. There are no weird esters, no off-flavors. If refrigeration is keeping you from lagers, let this be your sign: you can absolutely pull it off with this yeast and a sane process. Then, cheat shamelessly with gelatin for that showpiece clarity.

Hop Forward Without Losing the Lager Soul
The Michigan Chinook hops provides familiar structure, but the Elani hops whirlpool plus a dash of hop oil at packaging give the beer its personality: piney, zesty, lightly tropical-leaning aroma without the esters of a pale ale. It drinks easy, finishes crisp, and makes you immediately want another pour. I think we accomplished getting more hop flavor/aroma up front while staying firmly in lager territory.

BREW ON!