Italian pilsner and the rise of the dry-hopped lager

Where the style came from

The style is usually traced to Birrificio Italiano near Como in northern Italy, whose Tipopils first appeared in 1996. The idea was simple: brew a dry, pale German-style pils, then dry hop it with German noble hops to give an aroma that a traditional pils, with all its hops in the kettle, does not have. Other Italian craft breweries followed, then brewers far beyond Italy.

Our pilsner style guide covers the German and Czech originals. The Italian version keeps the German frame and changes the aroma.

The base beer

Start with a good German pils. Pilsner malt, usually all of it or close to it. Soft water with a modest sulphate level. A mash around 63 to 65 °C for a dry finish. Bitterness around 25 to 40 IBU, from a clean early addition. Strength around 4.8 to 5.4% ABV. Lager yeast fermented cold, around 9 to 12 °C, with a diacetyl rest before conditioning.

The base has to be excellent because the dry hop will not hide flaws. Sulphur, diacetyl or a harsh bitterness all come through. An Italian pilsner is a clean lager first.

A practical starting point for a 1,000 litre brewpub batch is around 190 to 200 kg of Pilsner malt for an original gravity near 11.5 to 12 °P, depending on your brewhouse efficiency. Bitter with a single early addition, add a small noble hop charge late in the boil and save most of the aroma budget for the dry hop.

Dry hopping a lager

The defining step is the dry hop with noble or noble-type hops: Hallertau Mittelfrüh, Tettnang, Spalt, Saaz or similar. They give floral, herbal, lightly spicy and grassy aromas rather than the tropical fruit of New World varieties. Typical dose rates are modest compared with an IPA, often around 1 to 3 g per litre.

Timing matters. Many brewers dry hop near the end of primary fermentation, while the yeast is still active, so it can deal with oxygen picked up during the addition and with any extra fermentation the hops trigger. Others dry hop cold after lagering for the freshest aroma, accepting more risk. Contact time is short, often two to four days, then the hops are dropped or the beer is moved off them. Long contact adds grassy, vegetal notes. Our dry hopping guide compares the methods.

The risks: oxygen and hop creep

Every dry hop addition is a chance to introduce oxygen. Pellets carry air in. Opening a tank lets more in. In a delicate pale lager, even a little oxygen dulls hop aroma and starts staling. Purge hop dosing vessels with CO2, add hops under counter-pressure where possible and keep transfers to a minimum.

Hop creep is the other trap. Enzymes in hops break down dextrins, the yeast ferments them and the beer may develop diacetyl and extra carbonation days after you thought fermentation was over. Dry hopping while yeast is active and checking with a forced diacetyl test before crashing are the main defences. Our guide to hop creep covers it in more detail.

Why it suits Indian taprooms

For brewpubs in India, the Italian pilsner is a useful beer. It is pale and crisp enough for hot afternoons, approachable for lager drinkers and aromatic enough to interest craft regulars. It pairs well with lighter food: grilled fish, salads, pasta and chaat.

It does depend on fresh hops. Noble hops are imported, so store them cold and sealed and use them quickly. Old, cheesy hops will ruin a dry hop that is meant to be fresh and flowery.

What separates a good one

A great Italian pilsner smells like a fresh hop flower, tastes like a crisp German pils and finishes dry and clean. A poor one tastes grassy, stale or buttery. The difference comes down to the base beer, fresh hops, careful dry hop timing and oxygen control throughout. These skills apply far beyond this one style. They are the ones a brewer needs most when building any hop-forward lager.

Taste your own beer next to a German pils each time you brew it. If the dry hop is not adding something you can name, change the timing before you change the dose.