Ale vs. Lager

One question that I seem to hear often is, "What is the difference between an ale and a lager?" Both beers can start with very similar ingredients, but the yeast and fermentation temperature are quite different. That in turn produces a very different tasting beer.

Ale
Ales are almost always made with a top fermenting yeast at temperatures typically between 60 and 75 degrees. The higher temperature leads to quicker fermentation. Ales tend to take on flavors not found in lagers. Most often those flavors can resemble a sweet fruit taste. Some typical types of ales are Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, Barley Wine, Belgian Ale, English/Scottish Ale, Dark Ale, and German Ales. Some common brands of ales are Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Guniness Stout, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Paulaner Hefeweizen, Newcastle Brown Ale, Dogfish Head India Pale Ale and Bass Ale.

Lagers
Lagers use a bottom fermenting yeast and are stored for long periods of time during fermentation in cool temperatures typically in the range of 45-55 degrees for primary and 35-40 degrees for secondary fermentation. The beer bottles then are usually stored in a fridge for weeks or months at a temperature near 32 degrees. The lenghty cool fermentation produces a much smoother beer, free from the esthers and flavors that are found in ales. Some of the common types of lagers include Dortmund, Dunkel, Pilsner, Bock/Dopplebock, Märzen/Oktoberfest and Helles. Many of the familar brands of lager are Budweiser, Miller High Life, Samual Adams Boston Lager, Stella Artois, Warsteiner Dunkel, Löwenbräu, Spaten Oktoberfest, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold and Pilsner Urquell.

Homebrewing Ales and Lagers
For homebrewing it is most common to make ales, due to the cold and lengthy fermentation required for lagers. Most ales can be stored in the basement and the temperature will be adequate for fermentation. Lagers were originally stored in caves, lakes or even rivers to keep the temperature low. Today you can brew a lager at home with a dedicated fridge that allows you to adjust the temperature properly.