Ale Beer

Ale dates back at least to medieval times where, along with bread, ale beer was a daily source of calories and nutrients. Brewed using top fermenting yeast at 15-24°C (60-75°F), or room temperature, Ale requires very little time to ferment (a few hours to a few weeks), produces a generally sweeter, slightly fruity, full bodied taste and can have slightly higher alcohol content than typical lagers. Ale yeast flocculates at the top of the fermentation tank and is less aggressive than Lager yeast, which tends to produce beer that is less clear and clean than the latter.

Traditionally, what distinguished “ale” from “beer” was the fact that it was brewed without hops. For a time, gruit (a mix of herbs and spices) was used as a bittering agent to balance the sweetness and as a preservative although eventually, probably because herbs and spices were more expensive, gruit was replaced by hops.

Through the use of various types of malt, additives and aging, several styles of ales are created such as Scotch Ale, Pale Ale or Bitter, Old Ale, Mild Ale, Porter, Stout, Wheat Beer and Trappist Beer. Ales are brewed throughout the World although they are predominant in Western Europe (Belgium, Britain) and British colonies such as the US and Canada.