What is the difference between ale and lager?

The key factor that distinguishes ale from lager is that the yeasts used to produce the two beers are different. There are two types of yeast most commonly used in beer: ale yeast and lager yeast, thus producing two different beers Fermentation method: top fermentation of ale yeast and bottom fermentation of lager yeast.

Alye yeast, which is the fermenting yeast above, is suitable for fermentation at a relatively high temperature, generally 15-25°C. This temperature is an ideal metabolic temperature for most microorganisms, so in this state , the reproduction speed of beer yeast cells is very fast, which can quickly convert the sugar in the wort into alcohol, and within 3-5 days, the fermentation conversion process from wort to beer can be completed, and a variety of fermented flavor substances can be produced .

Although the fermentation speed is relatively fast, there are also some defects. It will produce complex metabolites in the process of converting wort into beer, among which flavor tissues such as esters, phenols, and aldehydes that provide complex aromas to beer. These are Belgian wheat or German wheat beers go for flavors, but also have more diacetyl, other esters, phenolics, etc., which cannot be found in some beer types. During this period, a large amount of heat will be generated, which makes it difficult to ferment beer in large quantities. Otherwise, due to the accumulation of heat, the health of the yeast will decline, and even the beer will deteriorate.

Lager yeast, namely the following fermenting yeast: its fermentation temperature is only 4-12°C, and other metabolic fermentation speeds are slower than that of Ayer yeast, resulting in a longer fermentation time, which may take up to 15 days or even More than a month. The fermentation temperature is too low, so it can only be brewed in the colder European inland regions such as the Czech Republic and Germany.

But its advantage is that the fermentation is more thorough, the metabolites are much less, and the taste is clearer, cleaner and refreshing. It reflects the taste of the other three raw materials in beer-water, malt and hops. Since the process generates so little heat, lagers are also easier to produce on a large scale. Refrigeration is no longer an issue in modern industrialized societies, so it's no surprise that lagers quickly took over the market with their purer taste and lower prices.

Therefore, ale yeast is equivalent to fast eating and fast drinking indigestion, which produces a lot of flavor substances, so there are many styles of ale series beer. Lager beers are much simpler and have fewer varieties, but lagers are easier to drink and drink happily.

However, there is no distinction between these two beers, which are suitable for different consumer groups and drinking styles: mass-market fast-selling or targeted fine-selling, luxury drinking or pleasurable drinking.

Therefore, the two styles of beer and the drinking culture they represent, in China with diverse values, the road to development is as mountainous and winding as China's mountains and rivers.