The Beer Fan's ABCs
It all begins with Ale.
If you grew up in the United States prior to 1990, ale was something consumed warm by people in the UK, and by costumed characters in black and white adventure movies shown late at night on high-numbered TV channels. Beer meant lager, and lager meant beer, and in terms of total percentage of US market share, that is still more true than not. But in the large and diverse craft beer segment, the opposite is true. If you've had any craft beer at all, you've more than likely had an Ale, and if you are the kind of person who is likely to be reading content like this, more than a few.
So what's the difference, and should I care?
Short answer is no, shouldn't matter, drink for the flavor. If that satisfies your curiosity, go ahead and skip to the next Beer Of The Day Review. If, as I suspect, you've gotten this far because you want to know, read on.
It's all about that yeast, 'bout that yeast, 'bout that yeast...
All brewing depends on the action of yeast in converting sugars to alcohol and CO2. The effect of this magical process was understood long before the science of it. When brewers began propagating yeast to use in brewing these early strains they would find that they did their job at "room temperature", creating a large foamy head in the fermenter and when it's sugary meal was consumed, the yeast fell to the bottom and laid dormant. These strains are referred to as "top fermenting". Somewhere in the 1400s, brewers in what is now Germany
made popular the practice of storing (lager means, roughly, to store) their beer in cool caves. This practice led to the development of strains of yeast that fell to the bottom (You guessed it, "bottom fermenting") but kept working in these cold conditions, producing the style now familiar to millions. Tradition dictates that certain styles of beer be produced as Ales , and others as Lagers. And while it does affect the flavor profile, it is entirely possible to produce an Ale with many of the flavor characteristics of a good lager, and vice-versa. Try a nice chilled Kolsch or Cream Ale sometime and put this to the test. Better yet, don't get it too cold, and enjoy the flavor more ;-).
Homebrewers produce far more Ales than lagers due to the comparative simpilicty of Ale production, being produced without the need for special refrigeration - warmer than your refrigerator but cooler than that corner in your basement - and as a side benefit, it is also ready to consume in less time.
At the end of the day, whether the yeast works best on top in the warm or on the bottom in the cold is only one of dozens of factors determining how you enjoy the final product. While there are significant differences in the biology of the yeast and the details of production, both can be enjoyed within the broad spectrum of craft beer.
Prost!
