Pilsner vs. Lager: The Variations Defined

IPAs are nonetheless main the cost in craft beer gross sales, however lagers, pilsners, and different extra crushable kinds are proving to be a breath of recent air for beer fanatics who’ve grown weary of the seemingly unending haze craze. That mentioned, these lighter kinds — particularly American adjunct lagers — are the beers everybody likes to hate, regardless of their sweeping recognition. They’re easy-drinking, usually not all that advanced, and a budget-friendly possibility for fueling any get-together.

Given the same profile between lagers and pilsners, some drinkers could also be led to consider that they’re one and the identical. The actual fact is that each one pilsners are lagers, however most lagers aren’t pilsners. Let’s dive in.

What’s a beer?

In easiest phrases, lagers are gentle in coloration, excessive in carbonation, and produced from bottom-fermenting yeast. This comes right down to the precise pressure of yeast employed within the brewing course of, which is commonly a hybrid of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces eubayanus. These yeasts dwell on the backside of the wort (the liquid mix of pre-fermented beer substances together with hops, malt, and water) and thrive at a a lot decrease temperature than top-fermenting ale yeasts.

Within the 1400s, when lagers hit the scene, brewers may solely make lagers within the colder winter months, and cave storage was used to maintain these brews chilly when the seasons modified. This explains the origin of the “lager” time period, which is derived from the German phrase “lagern,” or “to retailer.” By the late nineteenth century, although, fashionable refrigeration gear allowed brewers to make lagers year-round.

Like all beer kinds, lagers want hops, however simply not as many as different varieties. In gentle of the considerably free definition of lager, it’s a fairly huge class. Within the Brewers Affiliation’s (BA) beer type information, there’s a whopping 35 subcategories of lager, working the gamut from helles lagers and doppelbocks to IPLs, Baltic porters, and naturally, pilsners.

What’s a pilsner?

A pilsner is a kind of pale lager. They’re historically produced with pilsner malt, which usually comes from two-row barley, and include extra hops than a regular lager. Pilsners didn’t come about as a stylistic alternative, however as a matter of problem-solving circumstance: Within the early 1800s, brewers within the metropolis of Pilsen in Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic) made a 36-cask batch of lager that spoiled. Uncertain of what to do, the Bohemians introduced in Bavarian brewer Josef Groll for steering, and he made the essential determination to up the hop amount of their beer, as hops double as a flavoring agent and preservative. Thus, the primary pilsner-style lager was born in 1842 on the Pilsner Urquell Brewery.

There are two important subcategories of pilsners: Bohemian-style and German-style. Bohemian pilsners have a tendency to make use of Saaz hops, identical to Groll did within the 1840s, whereas German pilsners typically make use of Hallertau and Spalt hops. All of the hops fall into the class of noble hops and are famous for his or her floral, peppery, spicy aromas. A whole lot of what makes the 2 kinds completely different comes from the notes of those hops — German hops are usually extra herbaceous and assertive than Czech ones — in addition to water high quality. Water sources in Germany have greater sulfate ranges than these of the Czech Republic, and general make for a extra bitter profile. When it comes right down to it, although, each beers are crisp, straw-yellow, and clear lagers with dense white heads and pronounced hop flavors. If we’re going to get actually particular right here, there are additionally American imperial pilsners, however they’re mainly German pilsners with extra hops and a better alcohol content material.

Pilsner vs. Lager

As we talked about, a pilsner is a subcategory of lager. On that word, lagers can vary from pale and golden to black in coloration, and their flavors span from candy, spicy, and bread-like to sulfuric, roasty, and malt-forward. Moreover, on the malt entrance, lagers can enlist myriad malts like Vienna, Munich, and Maris Otter malts. Pilsners use… properly, pilsner malt, which imparts the type’s signature pale yellow coloration and clear, hoppy, taste profile. Finally, given the precise malt and hop profiles that differentiate the 2, pilsners are spicier and extra hop-forward than most different sorts of lagers. Each pilsners and their mother or father class use bottom-fermenting, cold-temperature-friendly yeast, and have a tendency to hover in the identical ABV vary of 4 to six p.c.

Well-liked Lager Manufacturers

There are a lot of lager manufacturers to select from. However to supply a strong introduction to the umbrella type, right here’s an inventory of a handful of the most well-liked and ubiquitous ones on the market, from macro to craft.

• Samuel Adams
• Shiner Bock
• Yuengling
• von Trapp Brewery
• Jack’s Abbey

Well-liked Pilsner Manufacturers

Pilsners, whereas not practically as expansive a class as lagers, nonetheless account for a big chunk of the beer market. For these searching for a rundown of a few of the most iconic the world has to supply, take a look at the checklist beneath.

• Pilsner Urquell
• Bitburger
• Grolsch
• Heineken
• Stella Artois

*Picture retrieved from Brent Hofacker by way of inventory.adobe.com