i am trying to figure out all these new terms....
i have heard lager all my life. But wasnt until i started brewing that i know it had to do with temp.
so what is the differnce in some of these terms? ale....stout....ipa ...porter...pilsner....malt....ect??????????????
Ale- a broad classification of beer made using ale yeast strains.
Stout- a very dark beer brewed with a substantial amount of roasted barley. Stouts are ales.
IPA- India Pale Ale is a strong hoppy beer known primarily for its higher alcohol and bitterness. Note: IPA has come to be a moniker for any very hoppy beer, ie: Black IPA.
Porter- a dark style of beer brewed with large amounts of darker malts, though typically not a lot of roasted barley. Can be ale (brown porter) or lager (baltic porter).
Pilsner- a very light lager that originated in the town of pilsen. Many variants exist today, all are very light in color and lagers.
Malt- an ingredient in brewing beer. Malt is made by germinating grains until they are fully modified and then drying them. When fully modified the enzymes and starches become available for brewers to use in a mash. Note: crystal malts have undergone the enzymatic process already and have sugars instead of starches for the brewer to use. They don't need to be mashed.
Most all of these terms are explained in the HBT wiki that can be found in the full site online. Just look for the tab that says wiki to the right of forums. Hope that gets you started.
