What is the difference between ale, amber and lager beer

Question

What is the difference between ale, amber and lager beer

Answer 1

All beer can be classified as either a lager or an ale.

The differences begin during the brewing process. Whether the beer is an ale or lager is defined by the type of yeast used in the brew and the temperature at which fermentation takes place.

Ales are brewed with top-fermenting yeast which allows for rapid fermentation at warmer temperatures;

Lagers are brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast which ferments more slowly and at colder temperatures.

Lager means to store or put aside.

This beer is made with bottom yeast, so-called because it flocculates to the bottom of the vat.

Traditionally bottom yeast will ferment at cold temperatures less than 10 deg C. Now fermentation takes place at 12 to 18 deg C. This cold or deep fermentation allows the malt and hops to assert their fine flavours.

Lager tends to be paler, drier and less alcoholic than ales.

Pilsener or pils beer originated in Bohemia where brewers first found beer that was over-wintered or lagered improved if stored in cool caves and kept on ice.

German lagers, including beers such as bock and marzen, are made according to the Bavarian Purity Laws of 1516 to ensure the beer is all-malt (no sugar) and hopped with bitter and aromatic varieties (noble hops).

Some German-style beers are described as "helles" meaning pale or blonde. Pale beers grew in popularity following the adoption of the glass for drinking in the 19th Century.

Ales are brewed with top-fermenting yeasts at temperatures from 15 to 25 deg C.

Ales are matured for shorter periods and at warmer temperatures.

Ales include a wide range of beer styles from porters and stouts to pale ales and wheat beer.

Generally, ales are higher in alcohol, more robust and complex than lagers.

Answer 2

Already got some good answers -- it's all about the yeast and how they're brewed.

In the US, most beers which say on them "Premium Lager" (besides being cheap) are actually trying to be a Pilsner.  They usually have some extra ingredients (called adjuncts because they are unnecssary... for example, using rice and malt instead of all malt, or beachwood aging a beer which is not traditional), so they can't actually be called Pilsner.  

So, most people see Lager and think it's a specific style of beer.  It's not, as you now know.  In addition to the Pilsner style of Lager beer, there's numerous other styles which are lagered.  Schwarzbier, one of my favorites (anything that says Black Lager is a Schwarzbier), Oktoberfest (Marzen), and Bock / Double Bocks are all lagers.

... Amber is just a color.  It's not a style of ale.  One of the lighter colors, considering what a typical Russian Imperial Stout looks like.

Answer 3

LMAO!!!

Ying Dind Aing you have no idea about what beer is and so should not be answering questions on the subject.

Answer 4

an ale uses top fermenting yeast while a lager uses bottom fermenting yeast , this results in an ale having a stronger flavour and cloudy color while a lager is clearer and crisper in taste. amber is just a variation of ale which is a little lighter and clearer.

Answer 5

Your question is difficult to answer as phrased, so let me approach from a different direction.

There are two types of beer, period!  1. Ales.  2. Lagers.  That's it, amigo, it all boils down to these two beer styles.  Yeast determines whether a beer is an ale or lager.  Ale yeast are called "top fermenting" yeast because they literally ferment the beer at the top of fermentation vessel.  Lager yeast, as you may expect, are called "bottom fermenting" yeast because they ferment towards the bottom of a fermentation vessel.  

Ale yeast are generally fermented around 70F - give or take about 10F in either direction depending on the yeast type and beer style.  In general, ale yeast tend to add more character to beer than lager yeast.  (Mind you this is a very broad generalization).  Lager yeasts were developed (discovered) to ferment at lower temperatures - generally around 55F -- give or take some degrees in either direction depending on yeast and beer style.  The lower fermentation temps create a "cleaner" or more neutral yeast flavor in the finished beer.  Here is an imperfect example.  Try Sam Adams Boston Lager right next to Sam Adams Boston Ale.  This isn't a perfect differentiator because the malt an hops are the exact same.  But, what you will find is much more flavor in the Ale.  A lot of this flavor is derived from yeast.

Ales fall into a number of sub-categories: stout, porter, amber, IPA, bitter, ESB, wheat, etc..

Lagers also fall into a number of sub-categories - American light, marzen, octoberfest, bock, etc.

Getting back to your original question.  All beers are either ale or lager.  Amber really can be either, it depends on the malts used and the label the brewery puts on it.  Generally, amber is an ale.  But a lot of bigger breweries have appropriated this term and brewed lagers.  For instance, George Killians Red is a lager.  As is Michelob Amber Bock.  However, Bells Amber is an ale.  

Truly Amber isn't really a beer style inasmuch as it is a description of color.  Amber ale is generally considered to be a member of the bitter or pale families and doesn't have a BJCP category.  Amber lager is generally a marketing term for red lagers.

All that said, enjoy... I've had too many amber somethings tonight...

Answer 6

Amber is a type of ale; ales are often categorized according to color (pale, light, amber, etc).

Ales are beers that use a top-fermenting yeast, so-called because the yeast molecules hitch a ride to the top on the CO2 produced during the fermentation process.  They are fermented at a slightly warmer temperature than lagers, and consequently more of the grain dissolve into the beer, giving ales a taste often characterized as 'fruity' or 'nutty.'

Lagers, in contrast, use a yeast that stays on the bottom of the mash while fermenting, and in order to keep the yeast flavor from becoming predominant in the beer, it is fermented at a lower temperature.  As a result, generally more hops go into lager than ale.

One particular variety of lager is called pilsner, which uses a method of filtration that was developed in Plzen, Czech, and makes the beer almost transparent without losing its color.

Speaking broadly, Europe West of the Rhine drinks ale, and East of the Rhine they drink lagers.