When it comes to the beer you are drinking, it will always be one or the other. By this, we mean that all beers can be classified under one of two categories. Some beers are ales. Other beers are going to be classified as lagers. With so many different local and national products on the market these days, it is definitely a good idea to know the difference between ales and lagers.
Thankfully, you don’t have to be an expert to know the particulars that define the differences between these camps. There are just a few simple things that you will want to keep in mind.
What Are The Differences Between Ales And Lagers
Ultimately, when it comes to understanding these differences, you want to start off by disregarding a few things. What this means is that you will want to strike colors, bitterness, and alcoholic content from your list of ways to differentiate between ales and lagers. You will want to focus almost entirely on the processes by which each of these beer types are made.
Yeast is the first element that differentiates ales and lagers. Top-fermenting yeast strains are used in the creation of ales, which means ales are going to need the yeast that makes its way to the top of the fermentation tank. Esters can also appear during the ale fermentation process, which can impact to some degree the flavor of the beers. This depends on the strain being utilized.
With lagers, you’re going to use the bottom-fermenting yeast strains. These are the ones that sink right to the bottom of the tank. The fact that these strains tend to collect along the bottom of the tank also means that they can be reused. This version of yeast, more often than not, does not add anything significant to the flavor.
With temp and time, you want your ales to stick with fermenting at warmer temperatures. Room temperature is fine, more often than not, but you can go up to about 75F. Fermentation and maturation tend to occur more quickly with the ales, when compared to lagers. Lagers can ferment at temperatures of anywhere from 46F to 59F. This is perhaps why Germany, a country that can certainly highlight some brutally cold temperatures in certain parts of the country, has built a considerable reputation on their love of the lager.
Ales tend to need more in the way of hops and malt, which means they tend to taste maltier.
