🍺 ALE Beer: Characteristics and Types

All the information about Ale Beer

Ale is a name that encompasses all high-fermentation beers, which differentiates them from lager that is low-fermentation.

At ForBeerLovers we are going to tell you everything you need to know about Ale, one of the most popular and widely consumed beers in the world.

Characteristics of ALE beer

In ales, the fermentation process occurs on the surface of the liquid, while in lager beers it occurs near the bottom.

Appearance

From light blond to coppery and red. Very aromatic and full-bodied

Taste

Its taste is usually sweet due to the sugars of fermentation.

How to Serve

The recommendation is to serve the ale at 12-14°C

This type of high-fermentation beer goes well with a number of simple dishes, making it ideal for serving on common occasions. It goes well with hamburgers, pizzas, chicken wings, Asian and Mexican food, and generally with spicy or fried foods

Ingredients of ALE beer

This type of beer has ingredients like the ones we discovered below. Take note!

2.5 pounds of malt (1.8 pounds of base malt and 0.7 pounds of special malt) All grains must be ground.
Approximately 0.6 ounces (17 grams) of hops

Half a packet of yeast (5.75 grams).
3 tablespoons of honey for natural carbonation in bottles

How it is made

Do you want to make ALE beer at home? You should know that, by following the all-grain method, you can make a high-quality beer yourself. To do so, follow these steps:

We brew the malt for one hour at 63 degrees. We remove the grain and add the malt extracts, heated in a bain-marie to facilitate pouring from the can. Add the honey as well.
We add the aroma and taste. We heat water and add the hops and the other
Fermentation. Sterilize previously all the elements that are going to be used in the following steps. Pour the liquid into the sterile fermenter, using a sterile funnel and strainer
Bottled and naturally carbonated. After 2 weeks of fermentation, check the fermenter for bubbles. If there are still bubbles, wait a couple more days and check again, as this indicates that the beer has not finished fermenting. Dissolve 3 tablespoons of honey in half a cup of water and pour the contents into a sterilized pot.

History of Ale

Mild Ale is one of the oldest styles of beer in England, and originally the term referred to a "young or unripe" English beer. It originated in the 18th century, when there was a considerable increase in the population. Some brewers began selling beer before it was ready at a lower price. This beer was called "Mild" (it was very bitter and was often mixed with "aged" beer to make it "drinkable"). Over time its brewing changed, making it less bitter and not mixed with other types of beer. Its alcohol content has also decreased.

ALE Beer Types

Mild Ale

This is the mildest ale (mild means soft in English). They are light, less bitter in taste and have a low alcohol content of 4% or less. It used to be the best known type in England and was mostly served in barrels. The bottled version of this style is called Brown ale, although it is a little stronger.

Pale Ale

One of the best known ale nowadays. Although Pale means pale, a Pale Ale is darker than, say, a lager. This name came to this beer in contrast to the beers of the time, which were all dark. The color of the Pale Ale is usually amber or bronze. The Duvel or the Brewdog Dead Pony Club are excellent examples of this beer.

Indian Pale Ale (IPA)

This is a much more intense and bitter type of beer than Pale Ale, the result of combining much more malt and hops in the recipe. These are beers with a lot of body and very fruity nuances. It is one of the most fashionable beers nowadays.

Porter

They are the strongest ales, which are characterized by being dark, almost black, made with roasted malt, with a very intense flavor. Its name comes from the London porters among whom this type of beer was very popular as it was said to be more nutritious than normal ale and would help them to carry out their daily work better.

The 3 best brands of beer in ALE

We conclude this article by talking about the most prominent brands of ALE beer at the moment. Although there is a wide variety of options, here we are going to leave you with a list of the 3 best ones you have to try, yes or yes!

Camba Pale Ale: Its Camba Pale Ale is precisely a pallet ale made with American hops (Centennial, Chinook and Simcoe), which gives it an exotic aroma of mango, grapefruit and papaya. With its 5.3% alcohol
Cassels Milk Stout: A beer with an alcohol content of 5.2% to which non-fermentable lactose is added to achieve greater body and a silkier mouthfeel
Rivière d'Ain Thou: A 5.4% beer, made from wheat, which stands out for its intense flavour and citrus aromas, especially of lime