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Ever wonder what the difference between an ale and a lager is?
And what about all those other varieties? Well, here's an explanation:
The differences begin at brew time.
Whether the beer is an ale or lager is defined by the yeast used in the brew and the temperature of the fermentation.
The top fermenting yeast, "Saccharomyces cerevisiae" produces ales; the bottom-fermenting yeast, "Saccharomyces carlsbergensis", produces lagers.
Ales typically ferment rapidly and at warmer temperatures, lagers more slowly and at colder temperatures.
This is why we home-brewers most often brew ales - to brew a lager, you need a cold place (like an extra fridge), and a lot of patience.
Here's a little graph that shows the family of beers under the ale and lager types:
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