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What is the Difference Between Beer and Ale?
www.delightedcooking.com ^ | July 19, 2023 | Mary McMahon

Posted on 08/03/2023 7:09:56 AM PDT by Red Badger

Beer, a fermented beverage made from grains and yeast, is a popular drink all over the world. There are many different types of beer, although they are usually broken up into two basic categories: ale and lager. The term lager is often interchanged with “beer”, especially outside of Germany, which is why some consumers make a distinction between beer and ale, rather than lager and ale. The difference between beer and ale has to do with the way in which is it brewed, and how the yeast ferments.

Before hops became widespread in Europe, ale was a beer created without the use of hops, while lager combined hops with the other ingredients. As hops began to pervade breweries, however, this distinction between beer and ale no longer applied. Brewers began to differentiate between beer and ale on the basis of where the yeast fermented in the cask: ale uses yeast that gathers on the top, and lager uses yeast that ferments on the bottom.

...Hops, a main ingredient in beer.

Beer and ale both start out in the same way. Barley or another type of grain is malted, which means that it is sprouted in a moist environment and then dried. Brewers yeast is added and it ferments the beverage, usually very quickly, before the malt has a chance to spoil. Other ingredients such as hops are added to increase the depth of the flavor, and to temper the sweetness of the malt.

...Barley, a common ingredient in many beers.

Ale is fermented at a higher temperature, and matures more quickly as a result. The yeast rises to the top as the beer ferments, creating a yeasty froth on the top of the beer cask. Lager is fermented at a lower temperature, and the yeast settles to the bottom as the beer matures. Lagers were traditionally brewed in German caves, which got quite chilly during the winter especially.

...A stout, a brown ale, and a pilsner.

Beer and ale can usually be separated by taste as well as brewing process. Ale has a brighter, rich, more aggressive, hoppy flavor, and often has a higher alcohol content as well. Lager has a smooth and mild flavor with a clear, clean finish. Examples of ale include any sort of beer with “ale” in the name, porters, stouts, and many German specialty beers such as Abbey ales. Lagers include pilsners, dopplebocks, and Oktoberfests.

...Malt extract is known for its use in brewing beer.

Beer and ale also have different distribution patterns. Ale is found in the Belgium, the British Isles, and many former British colonies including the United States and Canada. Lager is widely served in Germany and other European nations, although some German specialty beers are actually ales. Many consumers have difficulty distinguishing between beer and ale on the basis of taste alone, as many modern breweries incorporate a variety of brewing techniques and flavors in their beers.


TOPICS: Agriculture; Food; Health/Medicine; History
KEYWORDS: guinness; ipa; stout
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To: Red Badger

After reading this article, with it’s switches between beer, ale and lager, I think Mary may have been sampling a few while writing.


21 posted on 08/03/2023 7:31:06 AM PDT by Do_Tar (All my comments are creative or artistic expression.)
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To: Red Badger
I prefer German beer.


22 posted on 08/03/2023 7:35:31 AM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open (<o> --- )
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To: Red Badger

Yeah, I don’t drink anymore either. I thouhgt the American Pale Ales got carried away with the hops. Some of the stuff had so many Cascade hops in it that I thought I was drinking Pine-Sol.

I’ll put in a good word for Clausthaler Dry Hopped - Non Alcoholic. Best NA ‘beer’ I’ve tried by far. Has just enough of the Cascade and other hops to give it an edge, but not over-hopped. It’s also a good bit cheaper than some of the other NA beers, at least around N.GA.


23 posted on 08/03/2023 7:36:06 AM PDT by Roadrunner383
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To: Do_Tar

It’s like Lucy’s ‘Vita-meat-a-veg-a-min’ skit...........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY3eOtJwOhE


24 posted on 08/03/2023 7:48:29 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Red Badger

Beer , Ale it’s all disgusting


25 posted on 08/03/2023 7:49:59 AM PDT by butlerweave
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To: Red Badger
Just adding, these are the BJCP (beer judge certification program) style guidelines for beer:

Beer Style Guidelines

26 posted on 08/03/2023 7:56:54 AM PDT by Tench_Coxe (The woke were surprised by the reaction to the Bud Light fiasco. May there be many more surprises)
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To: Red Badger

I’m interested in a taste test between ale and mead.


27 posted on 08/03/2023 7:57:23 AM PDT by texanyankee
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To: Red Badger

All these IPA people when tasting say “Hmmm, maybe if we add more hops”.


28 posted on 08/03/2023 7:57:30 AM PDT by glorgau
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To: Red Badger

So, can we be consistent on whether to call it “beer” or “lager”?

Sure seems to be constantly interchanging the words in here.


29 posted on 08/03/2023 7:59:12 AM PDT by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Federal-run medical care is as good as state-run DMVs.)
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To: Red Badger

One is spelled with 4 letters and the other with 3 letters.


30 posted on 08/03/2023 8:03:08 AM PDT by mabarker1 ( (Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! A fraud, a hypocrite, a liar. I'm a member of Congress!!!)
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To: texanyankee

Mead is made from honey.....................


31 posted on 08/03/2023 8:03:24 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: Roadrunner383
Yeah, I don’t drink anymore either. I thouhgt the American Pale Ales got carried away with the hops. Some of the stuff had so many Cascade hops in it that I thought I was drinking Pine-Sol.

Some of those hops-abusing brewers have decided to jump into the craft distilling game as well, making American single-malt using their own beer recipe in the process. It yields a nasty turpentine note on the nose and palate.

32 posted on 08/03/2023 8:04:27 AM PDT by Charles Martel (Progressives are the crab grass in the lawn of life.)
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To: Red Badger

What’s the difference between beer nuts & deer nuts?

Beer nuts are $1.25, deer nuts are under a buck.


33 posted on 08/03/2023 8:07:11 AM PDT by P.O.E. (Pray for America.)
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To: Red Badger

You can easily make ale in your own home. Lager requires refrigeration, which makes it too difficult unless your partner is willing to sacrifice a lot of your fridge space. ALOT.


34 posted on 08/03/2023 8:13:20 AM PDT by bobbo666 (Baizuo)
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To: Red Badger

Yeah, I know but I’d still like to try some since I’m sure my Scottish ancestors enjoyed that drink.


35 posted on 08/03/2023 8:18:27 AM PDT by texanyankee
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To: Red Badger
Recently was introduced to Bierstadt (slow pour pilsner) brewed in Denver. One of the best beers I've tasted ever. Their area of distribution is limited for the most part to the front range of Colorado. I live in western Colorado but travel to Denver fairly frequently making a point of bringing back a couple of 4 packs of Bierstadt. Being a boutique brewery, they sell their beer in 16 ounce 4 packs ... cost is about $14.00 per 4 pack. Having visited Pilsen, Czechoslovakia (about 50 miles west of Prague) where it all began some 175 years ago I consider myself a quasi-expert on Pilsner beer.
36 posted on 08/03/2023 8:19:27 AM PDT by BluH2o
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To: texanyankee

And the Vikings!.................


37 posted on 08/03/2023 8:19:31 AM PDT by Red Badger (Homeless veterans camp in the streets while illegal aliens are put up in hotels.....................)
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To: gundog
Six of one, half a dozen of the other...please.

In scrool today they call that sixes and sevens.

38 posted on 08/03/2023 8:19:31 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

“So, can we be consistent on whether to call it “beer” or “lager”?”

Lagers are beers. Ales are also beers.

So what you are asking is like “is it a ‘car’ or is it a ‘chevy’”?


39 posted on 08/03/2023 8:19:47 AM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Leep

My mom use to drink Ale because she said it was smoother than beer.


40 posted on 08/03/2023 8:28:55 AM PDT by caww (O death, when you seized my Lord, you lost your grip on me......)
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