When it comes to beer, there are two main types: ale and lager. Both have their own unique characteristics, flavors, and brewing processes. India Pale Ales (IPA) beers, which encompass numerous styles of beer, draw their characteristics largely from hops and herbal, citrus or fruity flavors. They can be bitter and contain high levels of alcohol, although the final product depends on the variety of hops used.
Some IPA may taste like pure citrus fruits, while others are strong and bitter. Prominent IPA styles include West Coast IPA, British IPA and New England Style IPA. Lagers tend to have a light, crunchy taste and a mild, balanced flavor. They are often less bitter than other styles of beers. If you had to compare beer to wine, lager would be more similar to white wine.
Pilsners and malt liquor are different styles within the lager category. Many of the most common beer brands, such as Heineken, Sapporo and Budweiser, can be classified as lagers. Lagers go well with seafood, grilled chicken or pork, and Mexican food.The ale usually has a darker shade and has a more fruity and bitter taste. Lagers tend to have a clear and clear appearance and the taste tends to be softer and sweeter.
Pilsners are lagers with additional hops, which give them more flavor than Bud Light or PBR. The original pilsners are Czech and are darker and more bitter than those from Germany, which are sometimes called “Pils”.The IPA, also known as Indian Pale Ale, originated as a form of beer, as the name suggests. Brewed at warmer temperatures, beers take less time to ferment compared to lager beers. As a result, this provides a stronger flavor compared to a Lager.
Hybrid beers combine brewing practices for both lagers and ales, for example, they can use ale yeast at higher temperatures, or vice versa. When the topic of lager vs Ale comes up, more attention is invariably paid to the yeast used, to the fermentation process to which each type of beer is subjected and to its different flavors and appearances. In general terms, ales are made with highly fermented yeast, while lager beer is brewed with its lower fermentation type. In the broad beer category, there are numerous types of beer, including pale ale, indian pale ale (IPA), porter, stouts and wheat and Belgian varieties. In a nutshell, lagers are made with lower fermented yeast strains that are kept at cooler temperatures, while ales are made with a higher fermentation yeast that works at warmer temperatures. As you can see, ale and lager beers have a number of different characteristics that make them as different from each other as two beers could be. With so many fine beers on either side of the fence, there's no reason why you can't enjoy a nice, crisp lager one day, and a stronger, more vigorous ale the next day. American Pale Ale began to emerge around 1980 when American hop varieties were added to the already popular pale ale style.
According to Popular Science, ale yeast strains and lager yeast strains native to Patagonian forests in Argentina were cross-contaminated at some point during historical trade and exploration to form the distinctive lager yeast. Now that you know the differences between ale and lager beer types better you can learn how to brew your first lager or beer. Lagers span a variety of styles including pale Pilsners and German Helles as well as darker American beers. The lager yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus sinks to the bottom of the liquid as it ferments working slower and cooler (50°F) than ale yeast.