Breweries that don't lager their "lagers"

It's not just a "rough rule of thumb". The difference between ales and lagers isn't simply a matter of top fermenting vs bottom fermenting. The yeast strains are distinctly different and the fermentation temperatures and time periods are also quite different. I pointed this out the last time the issue was discussed. It's silly to oversimplify this and try to claim it's just a single difference that's being used arbitrarily.

 

I imagine storing drinkable beer is a waste of capacity and time when you can package and sell it. Any lagering is done in shipping, hopefully cold. Labeling can be confusing too, like on Coors Batch 19 Lager it says ALE right on the side of the label, is it a ale or a lager? it's low in alcohol. The consumer can only use his tasting skills to know for sure. Anchor Steam is quite a different product from 15yrs ago both in color and bitterness and still great beer.

 

That's what happens when people use the word "ALE" without thinking it through.To some people it's just another word for a top fermented brew, to others it's simply another word for beer.A little research shows that it's neither , but people use the word assuming its meaning.

 

Is that just based on your own opinion, or do you have proof on this? It seems that whenever I turn to a sixpack of the Steam, because I don't drink it all the time -- but have been drinking it for almost 30 years, the flavor characters take me back in time to those early days of the Micro Boom®. That is to say, it tastes the same to me as ever.

Now, I will say that I haven't had a lot of the beer since the new owners took charge, but early on I still found it as I always had.

 

Whats a lager ? Do they barrel age any ? Are there any sour lagers ? Do they trade for walez ??

 

Sure they do. There was a whole thread about barrel-aged lagers not too long ago.

 

Not surprising. Dont think I'll waste any time looking for it.

 

Never mind that you have almost 10 lagers reviewed/had -- most of them pretty favorably?

Never know unless you try.

 

What Sierra Nevada Brewery states on their website:

“Ale versus Lager

All beer is broken down into two camps: ale or lager. The principal difference is the variety of yeast. Ales use a yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae, referred to as “top fermenting” because of the frothy foam created during fermentation. Lagers use a yeast called Saccharomyces pastorianus, called “bottom fermenting” because of the slower, restrained fermentation process. Ales are fermented at warmer temperatures and generally produce more fruity and spicy aromas from the yeast. Lagers are fermented at cooler temperatures and produce cleaner, more reserved aromas, which let the malt and hops shine through.”

Cheers!

 

I have had hundreds of lagers. Its the thread I was referring to.

 

No objection to the yeast bit though things aren't quite so clear cut these days. It's the use of "ale" to encompass all the top fermented brews whether they are in fact ales or not.Ales make just one family of top , warm fermented brews , there are others.

 

According to the Sierra Nevada Brewing website there are two types of beer: “All beer is broken down into two camps: ale or lager.”

Cheers!

 

And there are three types of mathematician , those who can add up and those who can't.
Quite honestly,though SN might know a lot about how to brew that doesn't mean they are well qualified to make such statements.
I wonder why Labatts listed these separately if they are the same thing;

I'll now hand over to Ron who has his own way of putting things;
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.co.uk/2008/05/is-klsch-ale.html

 

The topic of Ron’s blog on Kolsch beers was discussed in a previous thread.

The brewing of Kolsch beers in Cologne (Koln) is defined by the Kolsch Konvention: “a light-colored, highly fermented, strongly hopped, bright, top fermented Vollbier."

There is only mention of the beer being top fermented and no mention of lagering in the definition of a Kolsch beer by the Kolsch Konvention.

Cheers!

 

The the lager extracts in the Mr. Beer kits does not require lagering. I lagered a few bottles for 2 weeks and there was no difference.