Banjo
03-13-2011, 12:32 PM
http://www.examiner.com/craft-beer-in-durham/beer-101-what-is-an-ale
Beer is classified into two types – ales and lagers. The yeast used to produce an ale style beer gathers at the top of the beer in the fermenter. Ales are also kept at about 60-72 degrees Fahrenheit and stored for a few weeks at around 55 degrees. These three factors are the fundamental things that make an ale.
Because ales are brewed at warmer temperatures they end up with a more complex and flavorful taste unlike their lager counterparts. Unlike lagers, ales are generally served at room temperature and are a lot more difficult to pair with food due to their complex flavor. The warmer temperatures also lead to more sugars from the malts, so many ales have a bittering agent which not only balances out the sweet malt, but also acts as a preservative.
Originally, ales derived their name because they didn’t have hops, so they weren’t “beer.”
Types of ales and examples of each:
Barleywine – anywhere from sweet to bittersweet and high in alcohol content, they pair well with Vermont cheese and rich Belgian chocolate, these beers tend to age very well – Rogue Old Crustacean
Brown Ale – English brown ales first appeared in the early 20th century and use a darker malt to produce the mild/nutty flavored beer – Newcastle Brown Ale, Pete’s Wicked Ale, Terrapin Hop Karma Brown IPA
IPA (India Pale Ale) – bitter and pale ale became synonymous in the mid 1800s. Pale ales are more noticeably hopped than comparable porters – Foothills Hoppyum, Dale's Pale Ale
Porters – engineered in Britain, these crafted beers consisted of a sour/stale, brown/pale, and a mild ale and can easily reach a 7% ABV– Sierra Nevada Porter, Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter
Stouts – they can vary in flavor but all stouts have a roasted flavor from the roasted barley which hasn’t been malted – Guinness, Ipswich Oatmeal Stout
Imperial Stout – a stout brewed to an extreme strength (8-11% ABV) and conditioned for months or years – Sam Smith Imperial Stout, Rogue Imperial Stout
Wheat Beer/Hefeweizen – German in original and uses malted wheat & yeast. Very crisp & refreshing with a lot of carbonation – LoneRider's Shotgun Betty, UFO Hefeweizen, Breckenridge Agave Wheat
Witbier – generally cloudy, unfiltered, and made of malted barley or un-malted wheat and spices/herbs to cut the wheat flavor – Allagash White, Blue Moon, Manneken Pis Belgian White Ale
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Beer 101 - Ales - Durham craft beer | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/craft-beer-in-durham/beer-101-what-is-an-ale#ixzz1GV9jNGAi
Beer is classified into two types – ales and lagers. The yeast used to produce an ale style beer gathers at the top of the beer in the fermenter. Ales are also kept at about 60-72 degrees Fahrenheit and stored for a few weeks at around 55 degrees. These three factors are the fundamental things that make an ale.
Because ales are brewed at warmer temperatures they end up with a more complex and flavorful taste unlike their lager counterparts. Unlike lagers, ales are generally served at room temperature and are a lot more difficult to pair with food due to their complex flavor. The warmer temperatures also lead to more sugars from the malts, so many ales have a bittering agent which not only balances out the sweet malt, but also acts as a preservative.
Originally, ales derived their name because they didn’t have hops, so they weren’t “beer.”
Types of ales and examples of each:
Barleywine – anywhere from sweet to bittersweet and high in alcohol content, they pair well with Vermont cheese and rich Belgian chocolate, these beers tend to age very well – Rogue Old Crustacean
Brown Ale – English brown ales first appeared in the early 20th century and use a darker malt to produce the mild/nutty flavored beer – Newcastle Brown Ale, Pete’s Wicked Ale, Terrapin Hop Karma Brown IPA
IPA (India Pale Ale) – bitter and pale ale became synonymous in the mid 1800s. Pale ales are more noticeably hopped than comparable porters – Foothills Hoppyum, Dale's Pale Ale
Porters – engineered in Britain, these crafted beers consisted of a sour/stale, brown/pale, and a mild ale and can easily reach a 7% ABV– Sierra Nevada Porter, Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter
Stouts – they can vary in flavor but all stouts have a roasted flavor from the roasted barley which hasn’t been malted – Guinness, Ipswich Oatmeal Stout
Imperial Stout – a stout brewed to an extreme strength (8-11% ABV) and conditioned for months or years – Sam Smith Imperial Stout, Rogue Imperial Stout
Wheat Beer/Hefeweizen – German in original and uses malted wheat & yeast. Very crisp & refreshing with a lot of carbonation – LoneRider's Shotgun Betty, UFO Hefeweizen, Breckenridge Agave Wheat
Witbier – generally cloudy, unfiltered, and made of malted barley or un-malted wheat and spices/herbs to cut the wheat flavor – Allagash White, Blue Moon, Manneken Pis Belgian White Ale
Continue reading on Examiner.com: Beer 101 - Ales - Durham craft beer | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/craft-beer-in-durham/beer-101-what-is-an-ale#ixzz1GV9jNGAi