Ale or lager?

Is there anybody on here that can shine light on this age old debate?
From everything I have read, Ale or Lager comes down to the yeast used, period.
Sure some reference is made to lager being lighter, or dryer, or not as high ABV, but in the end nothing says that any of those things are exclusive to lagers alone.
Most bock beer is lager yeasted .
I have read of an old manuscript written by an historian in the 15th century, referring to the beer in the town of Einbeck Germany.
There is supposedly much reference to it being ale yeasted, or top fermented.
After Halloween I made an ale yeasted 'bock' recipe.
It turned out pretty damn good.
I will definitely make it again.
Now, if 'bock beer can be made by either yeast and produce a good product, then what is the advantage of running refrigeration (raising batch cost) to produce the same quality product?
Any ideas?

It's all about the yeast....period.

When it comes to temps, your temps are determined by the yeast, not the type of beer. Some ale yeasts use low temps, and some lager yeasts use warmer temps.

Some recipes can be great as both a lager and ale. As you've said, bock is one of them. Bock is a somewhat confusing style though, because some versions of bocks are ales as your book says and some are lagers. Most of them are lagers.

Irish Reds are another beer that I love as an ale but it's great as a lager also.

In my opinion, lagering leaves the beer a bit more crisp a clear than an ale.

So is a steam beer (california common) an ale or a lager?

AnthonyD said:

So is a steam beer (california common) an ale or a lager?

Click to expand...

Good question. Steam beers are pretty much in between. I've made Steam beers using lager yeast and ale yeast. Kolsch and Alt beers are a few others that run in the same categories. I would put all three in a seperate category other than Ale or Lager. Maybe Alger?

My son keeps pestering me to make a lager, like it's gotta be some magic brew.
We don't have a lagerator or cold room or cellar so the temps are not stable enough to pull this off, as far as I'm concerned.
I told him we will make a lager when he helps me build a lagerator, until then we drink ale, no matter the other ingredients.
He is just cock sure that there has to be more to it than the type of yeast.

I honestly don't know why anyone would prefer a lager over an ale anyway. Yes, there are some flavorful lager styles, but ales are soooo much more tasty to me. The only time I want a lager is when it's hot outside and I need something ice cold.

Ale yeast - Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Lager yeast - Saccharomyces uvarum

End of story.