Beer Basics from BeerBitch12

Ales vs. Lagers

The word Ale may come from the Old English "ealu," or even further, "alut," which holds connotations of "sorcery, magic, possession, intoxication."






Lager, comes from "lagern," which
means "to store."






An Ale is a type of beer using top-fermented yeast, fermented at higher temps so they ferment faster than lagers. These higher temps produce significant amount of esters, which give the beer a fruity quality, whether it be pineapple, apple, banana, etc., so they have a sweeter, fuller body than lagers.




A Lager is a type of beer that uses bottom-fermented yeast that ferments at lower temperatures at the bottom of the vessel. They are usually light in color and usually fall into one of the three following categories: helles, pale lager or Pilsner. Because of the type of yeast and temperatures used, lagers are more mild than ales and have less fruitiness and spiciness to them, as the lower temps don't release as many esters as in a lager.




That was Beer Lesson #1

Next up: Beer Laws of Oklahoma!