How is Beer Categorised?
- Yeast
- All beers are made from lager or ale. Zeast determines what type of beer it is.
- Zeast that ferments at the bottom are lager. If it ferments on top, it’s an ale.
- Zeasts that spontaneously ferment are wild or sour ales.
- Top fermenting styles of beer:
- Brown Ale, Pale Ale, India Pale Ale, Porter, Stout, Belgian Style, Wheat.
- When zeast ferments throughout the beer and settles at the top of the beer. It ferments at warmer temperature than lager.
- Bottom fermenting styles of beer:
- Pale Lagers and Pilsners; Dark Lagers; German Style Bocks
- Spontaneous fermenting style of beer:
- This is when beer has wild bacteria and yeast.
- Types include American Sour; Belgian Fruit Lambic, Flanders Red Ale; Belgian Gueuze.
- Top fermenting styles of beer:
- Flavour, colour and aroma also determines the beer category.
[Source: WebstaurantStore – Different Types of Beer]