Types of Beer or Styles of Beer

There are 2 types of beer; lagers and ales. A third type of beer is often referred to as "Real Ale" which is cask conditioned beer - for the purpose of this manual, "Real Ale" will fall under the "Ale" category or description.

Lagers and Ales both have several sub-categories with subtle and not so subtle differences. The main difference between these two types of beers is the length of the fermentation and the type of yeast used during the fermentation process.

Lagers: Lagers are cold-fermented at the bottom of the fermentation vessel for longer periods of time. They typically range in colour from golden to apple juice in colour. In general, lagers have medium-high levels of carbonation. Most lagers have little to no sweetness associated with them and are often described as "crisp", "light", "clean", "clear", and "hoppy".

Ales: Ales are warm-fermented at the top of the fermentation vessel for shorter periods of time. They typically range in colour from pale apple juice to black in colour. In general, ales have medium-lower levels of carbonation. Most ales have residual sweetness and flavours associated with them and are often described as "full-bodied", "heavy", "dark", "cloudy" and "roasted".

Hybrid Beer: Some beers will be hybrid beers that use a combination of grains and fermentation styles that cause them to have characteristics of both categories of beer. This includes kolsch, some steam beers and some cream ales. Typically, these beers will use either lager or ale ingredients, and then use the opposite type of yeast or fermentation temperature.