[Sca-cooks] Reference to 'stale' ale.

[grizly at mindspring.com]

sca-cooks at ansteorra.org wrote:
<<<< For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure the term *beer*
is a derivation of the Germanic *bier* (which may also
be a derivation), and is a general category which
covers all barley or wheat based fermented beverages.
*Ales* are beers which use an ale yeast, and are
brewed at warm temperatures, giving them a sweet,
rich, somewhat floral flavor (particularly if they are
hopped).  "Lagers" are beers which use a yeast which
prefers much cooler temperatures for fermentation, and
are often much *crisper* than ales, lighter in body,
and so forth.  This is not to say that lagers cannot
be rich or highly alcoholic, merely that they tend to
taste thinner than ales.  I am not certain that lagers
are period (Cindy??) though I would imagine it was
possible to brew them during the winter in cooler
climates.  I could be completely wrong about this...

I know that *pilsners* are period, and they require
cool temperatures to produce (possibly actual
lagering??).  Pilsner Urquell has been produced in
Pilsn, Checq Republic since the late 1200's.  Come to
think of it, I believe it was originally hopped, as
well, but I will have to check into that further.  Of
course, modern day commercial pilsners are the
red-headed step child of that glorious brewing
style... > > > > > > >


The differentiation of Ale vs. Lager seems post period distinction, if
I recall, that came with the 1700 or 1800 (I can't remember clearly).
Modern distinction of the yeast strains as ale or lager have to do
with how completely it breaks down a certain sugar molecule.  Lager
strains break down a certain polysaccharide one step farther than
its cousins.  Yeast seemed moslty yeast in the times we study.  Some
still use "bottom" and "top" fermenting, but that isn't exaclty true.
I don't have ready reference to the first use of "lager", but I'll
certainly ask and look about for it.

I inadvertantly nuked Bear's reply, so if he or Balthazar would
forward it to me, I'd be endebted.  I love more notes for the files.