Comment by JacobAldridge | Hacker News Reader

Comment by JacobAldridge | Hacker News Reader

Related, something I learned last week when I hosted a beer-tasting baby shower for a mate.

The difference between an Ale and a Lager comes from the different yeast used in each type (the Lager yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus will ferment at lower temperatures - so if you were also once taught that 'temperature' was the difference between the two, you were mostly correct).

But while Ales have a long history over thousands of years, Lagers only appeared in human history in the 1500s. Why was this?

Turns out the Lager yeast, like the peanut, is a cross. In Lager's case, its genomes are a cross between the Ale yeast S. cerevisiae and a South American yeast S. eubayanus. Exploration of the Americas somehow tracked S. eubayanus back to Europe (most notably, Pilzn Czech Republic) where it interbred and was 'discovered'.

I don't actually like peanuts, but I do prefer a Lager over an Ale.

[1] More info http://www.popsci.com.au/science/beersci-what-is-the-differe...

I prefer Ales, but there's another "variety" I'm very fond of - Belgian Lambic beers[0]. They're brewed using wild yeasts instead of the brewer's, and have a really special (sour) taste. Try the unblended ones if you get the chance, otherwise a Gueuze or a Kriek will do (avoid the fruit ones though).

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lambic

While I wouldn't say I'm fond of them, Lambics are definitely an excellent beer to explore and a must for any beer lover. I had a long weekend in Belgium a few years ago, which included many, many beer tastings. My beautiful wife and I had other clear favourites, but the Lambic brewery we stumbled upon in Brussels is the one we talk about the most.

[Edit] This is the one we visited - http://www.cantillon.be/br/3_1

From memory I enjoyed the Faro most - you could only drink it on site, because the sugar content was so high it was liable to explode if transported roughly.

Hopefully it's not too pedantic to mention: the sourness of Lambics has nothing to do with the wild yeasts, but rather lactobacillus bacteria. Either way, it's really cool how some unique brewing processes shaped the style (mainly, cooling the wort in large shallow coolships, giving plenty of time and surface area for yeasts and bacteria to inoculate from the environment).

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