Lagers versus Ales

There are two types of yeast used in the production of beer, ale yeast and lager yeast. In my quest to find the stylistic differences between the two, I was able to pin down some answers with the help of a few articulate brewers at this year's Great American Beer Festival.

Brewers add or 'pitch' yeast into wort, a boiled concoction of water, hops, and grain malt. Yeasts eat the sugar in the wort and produce alcohol. Ale yeasts ferment from the top of the wort and prefer warmer temperatures. Lager yeasts lie at the bottom of the wort when performing their duties and prefer cooler temperatures. Ale yeasts have been used traditionally for brewing in the warmer months and the resulting beer is consumed during the cooler months. Because the yeast begins fermentation quickly and works from the top of the wort, ales tend to have more solids suspended in them.

Conversely, lager yeasts have been used traditionally during the winter months. The word lager means 'to store' in German. Wort would be pitched with lager yeast in the cool months, but the fermentation would not take place until spring. The sediment in the stowed container of wort would settle for months before fermentation would begin. American style lagers are produced quickly and are very light in flavor. They are not representative of what lager yeasts can do when given the proper amount of time.

When following the same water, hops, and malt recipe, each beer will retain some of the same flavors. Ales will be heavier in flavor and lagers will be crisper and cleaner. Look for micro-brewed and imported lagers and ales to truly explore the flavor differences. Understanding the nuances of each style allows us to appreciate why the brewer chose one yeast over the other.

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