Ale
From Free net encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Ale (disambiguation).
Ale is an ancient word for a fermented alcoholic beverage obtained chiefly from malted barley. The name ale is commonly used as an appellative for a top-fermented beer.
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History of ale
Before the introduction of hops into England from the Netherlands in the 15th century the name "ale" was exclusively applied to unhopped fermented beverages, the term "beer" being gradually introduced to describe a brew with an infusion of hops. This distinction no longer applies.
A modern ale is commonly defined by the strain of yeast used and the fermenting temperature.
Strain of Yeast: An ale yeast is normally considered to be a top-fermenting yeast, though a number of British brewers, such as Fullers and Weltons, use ale yeast strains that settle at the bottom. Common features of ale yeasts regardless of top or bottom fermentation is that they ferment more quickly than lager yeasts, they convert less of the sugar into alcohol (giving a sweeter, fuller body) and they produce more esters (which give a fruity taste) and diacetyl (which gives a buttery taste).
Fermenting Temperature: Ale is typically fermented at higher temperatures than lager beer (15–23°C, 60–75°F). Ale yeasts at these temperatures produce significant amounts of esters and other secondary flavor and aroma products, and the result is a beer with slightly "fruity" compounds resembling but not limited to apple, pear, pineapple, banana, plum or prune.
Stylistic Difference to Lager: Stylistic differences between some ales and lagers can be difficult to categorize. Steam beer, Kölsch and some modern British Golden Summer Beers are seen as hybrids, using elements of both lager and ale production, while Baltic Porter and Bière de Garde may be produced by either lager or ale methods or a combination of both. However, lager is commonly perceived to be cleaner tasting, drier and lighter in the mouth than ale.
In a number of U.S. states, especially in the western United States, "ale" is the term mandated by state law for any beverage fermented from grain with an alcoholic strength above that which can legally be named "beer," without regard to the method of fermentation or the yeast used. This distinction is not obsolete, but it is idiosyncratic.
In former times the Welsh and Scots had two distinct kinds of ale, called common and spiced ales, the relative values of which (compared to mead) were appraised by law in the following terms:
- If a farmer have no mead, he shall pay two casks of spiced ale, or four casks of common ale, for one cask of mead.
Ales are very common in Britain, Germany, the United States, and Belgium; however, Lager - but please see the discussion page about the term lager - is the dominant style of beer in almost all countries, worldwide.
Varieties of ale
British / Irish / American ales
British and Irish ales are, worldwide, the most popular variety of beer fermented with top-fermented yeast. Most beers in this region typically are made with yeast strains that leave some esters behind, producing flavors often described as "fruity" or "buttery". "Earthy" English hops are added, adding to the complexity. Within this region, a wide variety of substyles can be found, ranging from roasted malt ales (porter, stout), to highly hopped ales (India pale ale), to malt-balanced ales. Alcohol ranges from the very low (e.g. the English mild beer) to the very high (e.g. the English barley wine).
American style ales rose out of the microbrewery / craft brewing revolution that began in the early 1980s. Typically, these ales are very similar to their British counterparts, but have cleaner yeast strains, and often have higher hop rates dominated by American varieties (such as the citrusy Cascade hop.)
Any of these styles, when cask conditioned, can be termed cask ale, and when unfiltered in the bottle can be termed bottle conditioned. CAMRA is a British organization that promotes real ale.
- Amber/Red ale
- Barleywine
- Bitter
- Pale ale
- India pale ale or Imperial pale ale or Strong pale ale
- Light ale
- Summer ale
- Blonde/Golden ale
- Brown ale
- Cream ale
- Mild ale (or just "mild")
- Old ale
- Irish red ale
- Scotch ale
- Porter
- Robust Porter
- Brown Porter
- Stout
- Irish stout or Dry stout
- Imperial stout
- Milk stout or Sweet stout
- Oatmeal stout
- Chocolate stout
- Oyster stout
- Coffee stout
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Belgian ales
Belgium produces a wide variety of specialty ales that elude easy classification. In addition to making a variety of blonde ale, common classifications for these specialty beers may be dubbel (malty-complex with a red hue) and tripel (a high-alcohol, lightly-gold colored beer).
Some specialty beers are based on monastic brewing recipes. The best known among them are the Trappist beers, which are brewed under direct control of the monks themselves. Only six Trappist monasteries in Belgium and one in the Netherlands brew this beer. Similar styled ales, brewed by commercial breweries (sometimes under licence of an actual monastery) are called Abbey beer.
German barley ales
These are old-style ales fermented in Germany. A long, cold conditioning period yields a cleaner style, free of the esters that one finds in UK ales.
Wheat beer
Wheat beer is found mostly in Germany, but examples can also be found in the United States and Belgium. German wheat beers are typically fermented with a yeast that yields esters with banana- and clovelike flavours. In contrast to most styles, these beers are typically served unfiltered (with the suspended yeast clouding the beverage, thus the German name 'Hefe' for yeast). In American microbreweries, wheat beer is usually fermented with a clean yeast and filtered. Often this beer is combined with fruit flavors (e.g. raspberry wheat beers) to create a light, refreshing drink.
- Belgian witbier/bière blanche
- Weissbier, Hefeweizen and Dunkelweizen
Specialty ales
- Lambic — a sour ale fermented by wild yeast, sometimes flavored with fruit.
- Berliner Weisse — a low-strength sour wheat ale originating in Berlin.
- Flanders ale (Saison, Oud bruin, Bière de Garde) — a unique farmhouse style sour ale produced primarily in the Flanders region of Belgium and France.
- Rauchbier — a style of beer made with smoked malt. While beers called Rauchbier may be ale, the classic examples are technically lagers.
- Sahti — traditional Finnish rye ale
See also
de:Ale (Bier) es:Ale fr:Ale nn:Ale pl:Ale fi:Ale sv:Ale (öltyp) th:เอล (เบียร์)