What’s the Difference Between Ales and Lagers: The Basics of Beer

You had me at beer - that’s generally how lots of folks think about their beer - including yours truly at one point. As I’ve widened my horizons my palate has evolved over the last five or so years. I’ve learned that craft breweries and home brewers alike produce a staggering variety of beers and that have come to appreciate that there has never been a better time to be a beer drinker then now! With all of the different styles of beer it can be hard to tell what sets them all apart. Allow me to help make some sense of this all.

Let’s first start by studying this picture to the left. What do you notice?

On the right we have a Lager. On the left we have an Ale - specifically an IPA (India Pale Ale). If we look just at those two words, Lager and Ale, we’ve pretty much got the two main categories of beer covered. That’s right, all beers are generally either Lagers or Ales. Let’s now look at the main differences between these two major beer categories and how these differences can be harnessed during the brewing process to produce either an Ale or Lager.

Taste

Very generally speaking, ales are fuller bodied, fruitier and more robustly flavored than lagers. Lagers are generally crisper, cleaner and milder than ales. While not always the case, an ale is also more likely to be a sweeter beer than a lager. Again, these and the notes that follow are meant to be generalizations - not every beer will display every characteristic exactly -there will always be exceptions and variations.

Hops

Ales will tend have more hops than lagers. The hops will also lend stronger flavors and aromas as well as more bitterness to ales when compared to lagers. Lagers will have some bitterness but not as much as ales. Generally speaking, hop use in lagers tends to be more subdued, with the brewer typically using hops for balance rather than a predominant flavor or to produce an overly bitter beer. Not that all ales are bitter but they will be more likely to have stronger / more bitter flavors than lagers. The type of hop used will also generally be different, with ales calling for hops that are much more fragrant and aromatic than lagers.

Yeast

There are two main yeast strains (or species) when talking about ales and lagers. Ales use a species of yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, known for it’s ‘hardiness’ in that it can withstand higher temperatures and a wider range of temperature during fermentation. This yeast type is considered to be a top fermenting yeast because during the fermentation process the yeast will rise to the top of the wort in the fermentation vessel and give it a foamy top. S. cerevisiae is also know for a shorter fermentation time.

Lagers use a yeast strain called Saccharomyces pastorianus that is much more sensitive to temperature than Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This cold-tolerant yeast will typically result in a slower fermentation process than an ale yeast. A lager strain of yeast is also considered to be a bottom fermenting yeast mostly because it doesn’t typically collect at the top of the wort like ale yeasts do, though it’s not uncommon to see a lager yeast collect at the top of the vessel used during fermentation.

Fermentation Temperature

Ales will typically ferment anywhere between 60-80 degrees F with some Saisons preferring temperatures in the 80-95 degree range. That means that ales are perfectly suited for fermentation at room temperature - this is often why they are a popular choice for new homebrewers. These warm temperatures mean that you can easily ferment an ale at home without needing any special equipment. Lagers will typically ferment at much lower temperatures between 45-55 degrees F though some lager yeasts will do just fine in the 65-75 degree F range. Whatever the variety, if heated above 105-110 degrees F, the yeast will typically die.

Note that Lager is taken from the German word lagern, which means to store. Lagers will typically go through an additional step, a ‘cold storage’ process, that will age the beer under refrigeration for a longer period of time than an ale to yield a clearer brew. This aging process will also help promote the crisp flavor that is characteristic of this style of beer.

Alcohol Content of the Beer

Ale yeasts are typically considered to be hardier than lager yeasts - this means that they can typically withstand higher-alcohol environments than lagers so ales will have higher ABVs than lagers. A lager might be what you’re looking for if you want a beer with a lower alcohol content.

Beer Styles

Within each category of beer there are a number of different types or styles of beer. Here are some examples:

Lagers

This category includes Pilsners, Bocks, Marzens, Oktoberfests, and all of the different variants of lager itself including Vienna Lager, Dark Lager, Amber Lager and Pale Lager.

Ales

This category includes Pale Ales, American Pale Ales, India Pale Ales (IPA), New England IPAs, Porters, Stouts, ESBs, Sour Beers, Wheat Beers and Brown Ales.

Remember some of this information is general. For example, there are some brewers making India Pale Lagers, a sort of hybrid between a lager and an IPA. Another example, not all ales have higher alcohol content than lagers - think of Session IPAs and Goses that can have ABVs well under 4%.

I’ll dive more into subtypes with future Articles and Recipes but remember, at their core all beers are generally Lagers or Ales - simple as that. In my book, there’s no right or wrong or Ales are better than Lagers talk - it’s all about experimenting and trying different things and figuring out what you like. Also remember that your tastes can change. A few months back I didn’t think I’d ever get off the NEIPA bandwagon but I recently visited a new-to-me-brewery and tried a style that was totally new to me - Kentucky Common - and I absolutely loved it. I’m going to have to figure out how to make it. All I can tell you is that based on the color and malty/sweet finish my guess would be that it is a type of Ale. I followed that with a killer coffee-flavored Porter. A few months ago I never would have ordered either of those and probably would have scoffed at the fact that this place didn’t even have a single IPA available out of the 12 beers on draft. That’s part of the fun about being a beer drinker, especially these days - it doesn’t matter if it’s an Ale or Lager - what matters is whether you like it or not.