Brad Chmielewski and Ken Hunnemeder bring you some beer information as an "intro to beer" course in episode 72 of the Hop Cast. The two of them look at the differences between an ale and a lager. They explain that the key difference between an ale and a lager is in the fermentation. Lagers are fermented at a much lower temperature, and usually with a different yeast, than an ale. The lager Brad and Ken picked to drink is the Flywheel from Metropolitan. The Flywheel is classified as a German Pilsner and has an AVB of 5.5%. A Pilsner is a type of pale lager, or in this case a "bright lager". After this excellent lager Brad and Ken move onto an ale. The ale they picked to talk about is the Third Eye P.A. from Steamworks, it is an American IPA and has a ABV of 6.4%. The important distinction for ales is that they use a top-fermenting yeast and are fermented at higher temperatures and thus ferment more quickly than lagers. Brad and Ken just scratch the surface in the differences of a lager and an ale. Hopefully you learned something and now can know a little more about what you might be drinking. Stay tuned for future beer 101 episodes like this from the Hop Cast.
