Ale! What is it?

[Kazbek]

Hello everybody,
Could you please help me to understand what sorts of beer we can call Ale?
I grew up in Russia and what we usually call Ale it is very bitter and usually strong sort of beer with no sweet notes at all.
What would be a proper definition for Ale?

 

[mxd]

the yeast used

 

[WhiteLomu]

Big generalisations here;
Bottom fermenting yeast for lager at cooler temps compared to top fermenting for ale at warmer temps.
No yeast derived flavours for lagers, yeast derived flavours important in many ale styles.
Cheers

 

[nosco]

Different ales can be like chalk and cheese. No insult meant but the link is a good start (theres probably alot better sites).They left a few out though. Get onto a good home brew store web site and check out the types of liquid yeast and check out the BJCP site for a run down on styles.

 

[nosco]

Oops link would help
http://m.dummies.com/how-to/content/types-of-ales.html

 

[Kazbek]

Guys, please forgive me my stupidity.
However, I still have an impression that there are wider variety of types of beers rather than just Ales and Lagers.
For example, there are 6 different types of cultures which should be used to prepare a proper Belgian Lambic:

• Enteric bacteria
• Kloeckera apiculata
• Saccharomyces species
• Lactic acid bacteria
• Brettanomyces yeast
• Oxidative yeasts

From my perspective, lambic can't be classified as a pure Ale or Lager.
What do you think guys?

 

[pablo_h]

You're correct.
Not every beer is and ale or a lager.
Ales use strains of a certain species of yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Lagers use strains of a different certain species of yeast, Saccharomyces uvarum.
There's many ways to make beer, these are just the two common ones, top fermenting ale yeasts, or bottom fermenting lager yeasts.

I often wonder in the past how often the beer was strictly an ale or lager.
Brett and bacteria are everywhere, and even in this modern age where we have starsan (made to kill lactobacillus and aceterbactor), starsan doesn't harm yeast much. The maker says don't fear the foam, I've read articles where a known bacteria infected starter was sprayed, it killed all the bacteria and the yeast lived on after a short recovery. So I wonder how good it is against brett anyway.

 

[Coodgee]

Try this: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=ale

 

[nosco]

Please forgive my stupidity Kazbek. I have been learned


* Enteric bacteria
* Kloeckera apiculata
* Saccharomyces species
* Lactic acid bacteria
* Brettanomyces yeast
* Oxidative yeasts

I've heard of 3 of them but now I'm gonna have to look up the rest. Will the Googling ever end!?

Edit: I've heard of bacteria too

 

[nosco]

Now I'm gonna have to buy the yeast book that I won't have time to read

 

[nosco]

**** you very much for that excellent link Coodgee. I was all G'd up for some well informed reading lol

 

[Coodgee]

**** you very much for that excellent link Coodgee. I was all G'd up for some well informed reading lol

sorry I've just always wanted to do that

 

[good4whatAlesU]

Traditionally Ale was brewed without hops wasn't it? Beer used hops.

 

[MastersBrewery]

Traditionally Ale was brewed without hops wasn't it? Beer used hops.

hops have been in ales for quite sometime but yes before hops were discovered other herbs etc were used as bittering agents to balance the flavours. Heather is one that comes to mind.

 

[thylacine]

"Periodic Table Of Beer Styles":

http://visual.ly/beers-periodic-table

 

[good4whatAlesU]

hops have been in ales for quite sometime but yes before hops were discovered other herbs etc were used as bittering agents to balance the flavours. Heather is one that comes to mind.

hops were known about, but not used in Ales.

 

[Bribie G]

So what are you brewing at the moment? As a new contributor to the forum we'd be interested to know what you are doing in the brauhaus so we can possibly help / learn with you as a member.

 

[barls]

hops were known about, but not used in Ales.

i think you are talking about the original definition. it has changed significantly since then
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ale

 

[good4whatAlesU]

Yes the original definition of an Ale was that was without hops.

 

[barls]

Yes the original definition of an Ale was that was without hops.

but we aren't talking the original definition from over 400 years ago we are talking the current definition.
so a warm fermented beer based on grain with hops in the boil. would be correct