I wanted to understand the difference between lagers and pilsners. I initially googled "what's the difference between a lager and pilsner" and read three different articles on it. I then searched UA-cam for "lager vs pilsner" and this is the third video I've seen on the subject. Out of all of them, articles and vidoes, this was *by* *far* the best explanation. Well done.
I don't even need to watch this because I was brewer for many years. Pilsner is a style of lager. It originated in the Czech Republic. Lagers and Ales are determined by the style (strain) of yeast that is used for fermentation. Lagers (to lay down) are fermented at cooler temperatures and ales are fermented at warmer temperatures. Beyond the two different yeast types - a thousand variations can be brewed.
Some extra info in regards to American beers. Brands like Bud, Miller, and Coors, call their beers pilsners, because they are pale lagers. Problem is that they skimp so much on the hops, that those watered down buckets of piss, are anything but a pilsner !
I love bud and miller lol if I'm drinking a beer with dinner or it's a hot day there's nothing more refreshing. If I want to get drunk I'm not drinking beer unless it's vooodoo ranger lol
For me, a lager is a lager. Pilsners use slightly lighter base malt (pils malt) which makes lighter and crispier beer, but it's still a lager that got its name from the city of Pilsen. If you ask me, the name Pilsner/Pils should receive a PDO status.
@@Sycokay wheat its a kind of ale. Until some years ago, pilsen, pilseners and so on were all on the category of lagers. The industry started changing the terms to keep up with the craft business (at least in marketing)
originally were 2 big families of beers: Top fermented - All ale and wheat styles Botton fermented - Lager family, it includes the Pilsen that is a specific type of lager Due to the competition with the craft beer movement, big companies started transforming beers that they previously sold withoud a name as "lager" or "pilsen". Thats why some of them are incredibly similar. Originally, in order to be a pilsner or pilsen, it needed to be a lager, a particular kind of lager (E.g: There are cars and trucks, a ferrari is a sports car, but it is still a car, not a truck or plane)
As a German, I have always wondered what exactly these "lagers" are abroad. I had actually suspected the German word for "storage" is behind it. But again, in Germany hardly any beer is called lager but they are usually called Pilsner or have a regional brewer's name. One is never stop learning...
I don't know how much of the language I retained when drinking almost every day for three weeks, but I made a point to learn "dunkel," and I learned it pretty well. I also continued to drink schnapps for years. Cask strength double-oaked Kentucky bourbon or single malt Scotch is the personal preference, but a good Schwartzbier is an easy go-to.
Here’s a word I see now on labels frequently - sessionable. It means you can drink a few in a session without feeling bloated or falling over. Sometimes you feel thirsty and want to have a few laughs with friends. Lagers and pilsners - perfect!
In the video, lager beers are shown dark. But there are also pale lager beers that look very similar to Pilsener. Most famous example: The Oktoberfest beer (1 liter mugs) is a lager beer, slightly more alcohol than Pilsener. Pilsener is very popular in Germany, but not in Bavaria, where people drink pale lager beer in the Bavarian brewing style with the same alcohol content as Pilsener (there are - mainly seasonal - exceptions such as the Oktoberfest), i.e. less hoppy and less bitter, more malt aromas and sweetness instead Bitterness and fruit aromas of the hops, but almost identical in color and foam to the Pilsener. But the bavarian pale lager story is not complete yet: as a Bavarian I can say: beers from Spain and South America are not dissimilar to the Bavarian pale lager in appearance and taste. I was never dissatisfied with beers with spanish labels on it.
@@DutchmanAmsterdam I think so. But not very malty though. More similar in this regard to pilseners from northern Germany or the Netherlands which are lagers, too.
@@santaclaus0815 Ah right, thanks. I much prefer ales myself, way richer taste, but don't drink anymore because I don't actually enjoy the effect of alcohol at all anymore. Also beer tends to make people fat, so what's the use really. I prefer good water and for mind expansion some homegrown psychedelic mushrooms, takes away all longing for drugs in my experience, except for coffee, and cures depression and makes you more authentic, takes you out of the mind, and into life. Alcohol just makes people dull, stupid and unconscious, weed much the same. Just my experience and opinion.
@@DutchmanAmsterdam It's actually the same with me. I almost quit consuming alcohol completely. But once in a while a good beer is still a nice thing to have. I think Beer will become the new wine. Just drink very little and only the best.
There are two broad categories of yeast used in brewing beers and ales. Aerobic, and anaerobic. Aerobic, or top fermenting, yeasts are used for ales, and anaerobic, or bottom fermenting, yeats are used for lagers. Anaerobic yeasts prefer cooler temperatures, and longer fermenting times.
Actually saccharomyces pastorianus, formerly S. Carlbergensis, or lager yeast, is a hybrid of saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is baker's, wine and ale yeast, and saccharomyces eubayanus. They are all capable of working or feeding in both an aerobic and anaerobic environments. Usually for brewing, start in an aerobic then to an anaerobic environment. Ale or saccharomyces cerevisiae is top ferment, saccharomyces pastorianus is bottom ferment.
Just a small quibble. It isn't really "top" vs "bottom" fermenting. It is aerobic yeast vs anaerobic yeast. Lagers use an anaerobic years, which lends itself to the lagering process, the long fermentation in cool temperatures. Every brewer has their own strain of yeast, and they are guarded like the crown jewels. In the old days, before beer was pasteurized, one could take the dregs from a bottle and use it to start their own batch of beer or ale. Often didn't have that great a result, but it was cheap. Lagers are quite difficult to make, in they have a longer fermentation period, and with the low alcohol content and low level of acidity they are subject to infection by various bacteria and oxidization.
Most lagers I drink are more amber and do not reply upon hops for taste. But of late, in the US, with the increasing number of small brew houses, there has been a blending of the idea of pilsners and traditional lagers to the point that they have all become light in colour and taste the same... too hoppy or too citrusy.
What is apparently amazing for Americans, there was neither Germany nor the Czech Republic in the time in which the Pilsner was created. At that time, Bohemia was part of the Holy Roman Empire and therefore the German names Pilsener and Urquell have survived until today. By the way, because in the EU a place name may only appear in a brand if it is actually produced there, there is the Pilsener only from Pilsen aka Plzeň. In the rest of the EU it is sold as "as brewed in Pilsen" or in Germany briefly as "Pils". In Switzerland, any sourcing from Pilsen is even prohibited.
On the Title Card there is a Glass inscribed Gaffel Kölsch. Its content is a dubious liquid, possibly Altbier. How does this connect to the video‘s theme?
I remember chugging down miller lite after highschool and reading "a fine pilsner beer" on the bottle and knowing then that was a lie. Most US macros are just corn & rice trash brews.
The word "Lager" is indeed German, but it does not mean "to store", because Lager is a noun, not a verb (indicated by the capital letter). Lager means "storage" (also camp in another context, such as "base camp") and "to store" means "lagern" in German.
I don't think nigerians can count I remember getting a lunchtime beer with nigerian and well it wasn't just 1 beer. It was like a right before uni class. He was still sober, it was insane. He called a 8% beer weak. I was wrecked in Scotland. Good fun. Lovely guy. I always love meeting cultures like us. Many eastern Europeans are the same. And males west coast Africa seem to be similar. Proud they joined our empire. It brings a brotherhood to the shared commonwealth culture we share.
The problem I have with this abomination of a video jokingly calling itself information. Pilsner is a type of beer, and lager is the way a beer is fermented. Lager and Ale are the only types of fermenting. A pilsner could be fermented either way.
Best beer I've ever tasted is Heineken, second best, DAB. Worst beer I've ever tasted is Bud Light. Even though they add flavors to kill the taste it's undrinkable .
I suspect that a drink similar to lager was being produced in what is now Austria or Germany before either country was created. So the question may not have a real answer.
What would you describe as a "lager"? If you mean a Southern German Helles, they can, if stored correctly be enjoyed for quite some time. The same applies to Pils, both are best if they are Brauerei Abfülling, that is bottled or canned at the brewery, The usual bottle or canned beer will stay fresh for at least 18 months to 2 years. The lesser shelf life and quality occurs when the beer is shipped and then bottled or canned elsewhere.
I wanted to understand the difference between lagers and pilsners. I initially googled "what's the difference between a lager and pilsner" and read three different articles on it. I then searched UA-cam for "lager vs pilsner" and this is the third video I've seen on the subject. Out of all of them, articles and vidoes, this was *by* *far* the best explanation. Well done.
Thank you for taking the time to actually commenting on this! I dont think you realize, that you made my day. You deserve a beer tonight.. Thank you !
@@HomeBrewAdvice I am coincidentally drinking not just a beer right now but a pilsner (Pilsner Urquell). You're very welcome, have a good one.
Pilsner urquell served on tap in praque is one of my favorite beers .. cheers
In the spirit of Thanksgiving I'll sample several of both today. I feel it's my duty.
I had Pilsner Urquell on tap in the old town square in Pilsen. Best beer I've ever tasted.
Ditto to that!
Tank Pilsner is the best...
I had a fosters while gazing across the bay at Sydneys beautiful opera house. The beer was shit, but it was still an absolutely amazing experience lol
@@ds6872 The mood controls taste buds a lot. I seldom have really bad food or drinks while traveling.
I don't even need to watch this because I was brewer for many years. Pilsner is a style of lager. It originated in the Czech Republic.
Lagers and Ales are determined by the style (strain) of yeast that is used for fermentation. Lagers (to lay down) are fermented at cooler
temperatures and ales are fermented at warmer temperatures. Beyond the two different yeast types - a thousand variations can be brewed.
100%
Some extra info in regards to American beers. Brands like Bud, Miller, and Coors, call their beers pilsners, because they are pale lagers. Problem is that they skimp so much on the hops, that those watered down buckets of piss, are anything but a pilsner !
American 'beer' is basically if Mio made beer flavored drops, and you put a few in a bottle of water...
@@stevemcgowen Not all American beer is Bud Light, though.
@@hxhdfjifzirstc894 then coors lt lol
America produces several excellent craft beers too nowadays. 😊
I love bud and miller lol if I'm drinking a beer with dinner or it's a hot day there's nothing more refreshing. If I want to get drunk I'm not drinking beer unless it's vooodoo ranger lol
I have tried many beers with my cigars and the only beer that truly compliments a cigar is Pilsner Urquell.
From my understanding there are 2 types of beer; ales and lagers. Each has sub varieties, Pilsners are a type of lager.
For me, a lager is a lager. Pilsners use slightly lighter base malt (pils malt) which makes lighter and crispier beer, but it's still a lager that got its name from the city of Pilsen. If you ask me, the name Pilsner/Pils should receive a PDO status.
Thats correct
What about wheat beer?
Ales are top fermented at higher temperatures and Lagers are bottom fermented at cooler temperatures.
@@Sycokay wheat its a kind of ale.
Until some years ago, pilsen, pilseners and so on were all on the category of lagers. The industry started changing the terms to keep up with the craft business (at least in marketing)
Great video- short and to the point.
Pilsener is also the most popular beer variant in northern Germany today, while in the south Helles (pale lager) is much more common.
originally were 2 big families of beers:
Top fermented - All ale and wheat styles
Botton fermented - Lager family, it includes the Pilsen that is a specific type of lager
Due to the competition with the craft beer movement, big companies started transforming beers that they previously sold withoud a name as "lager" or "pilsen". Thats why some of them are incredibly similar.
Originally, in order to be a pilsner or pilsen, it needed to be a lager, a particular kind of lager
(E.g: There are cars and trucks, a ferrari is a sports car, but it is still a car, not a truck or plane)
Thank you, the most explanatory of explanations given, including the video.
@@richardcarter5314 lol i tend to Be a little verbose sometimes 😂
As a German, I have always wondered what exactly these "lagers" are abroad. I had actually suspected the German word for "storage" is behind it. But again, in Germany hardly any beer is called lager but they are usually called Pilsner or have a regional brewer's name. One is never stop learning...
I'll drink to that! 🍻
I've been drunk off my arse in München more times than I'd like to mention. Oh, God. Prost!!
I don't know how much of the language I retained when drinking almost every day for three weeks, but I made a point to learn "dunkel," and I learned it pretty well. I also continued to drink schnapps for years. Cask strength double-oaked Kentucky bourbon or single malt Scotch is the personal preference, but a good Schwartzbier is an easy go-to.
Here’s a word I see now on labels frequently - sessionable. It means you can drink a few in a session without feeling bloated or falling over. Sometimes you feel thirsty and want to have a few laughs with friends. Lagers and pilsners - perfect!
@@brucekuehn4031& quite TASTY also. Winner, Winner; Liquid Dinner!!!!! Chug-A-Lug, my friend.
In the video, lager beers are shown dark. But there are also pale lager beers that look very similar to Pilsener. Most famous example: The Oktoberfest beer (1 liter mugs) is a lager beer, slightly more alcohol than Pilsener. Pilsener is very popular in Germany, but not in Bavaria, where people drink pale lager beer in the Bavarian brewing style with the same alcohol content as Pilsener (there are - mainly seasonal - exceptions such as the Oktoberfest), i.e. less hoppy and less bitter, more malt aromas and sweetness instead Bitterness and fruit aromas of the hops, but almost identical in color and foam to the Pilsener. But the bavarian pale lager story is not complete yet: as a Bavarian I can say: beers from Spain and South America are not dissimilar to the Bavarian pale lager in appearance and taste. I was never dissatisfied with beers with spanish labels on it.
Is the famous mexican corona a lager, comparable to Bavarian lager?
@@DutchmanAmsterdam I think so. But not very malty though. More similar in this regard to pilseners from northern Germany or the Netherlands which are lagers, too.
@@santaclaus0815 Ah right, thanks. I much prefer ales myself, way richer taste, but don't drink anymore because I don't actually enjoy the effect of alcohol at all anymore. Also beer tends to make people fat, so what's the use really. I prefer good water and for mind expansion some homegrown psychedelic mushrooms, takes away all longing for drugs in my experience, except for coffee, and cures depression and makes you more authentic, takes you out of the mind, and into life. Alcohol just makes people dull, stupid and unconscious, weed much the same.
Just my experience and opinion.
@@DutchmanAmsterdam It's actually the same with me. I almost quit consuming alcohol completely. But once in a while a good beer is still a nice thing to have. I think Beer will become the new wine. Just drink very little and only the best.
I'm very fond of German & Belgian wheat beers.
There are two broad categories of yeast used in brewing beers and ales. Aerobic, and anaerobic. Aerobic, or top fermenting, yeasts are used for ales, and anaerobic, or bottom fermenting, yeats are used for lagers. Anaerobic yeasts prefer cooler temperatures, and longer fermenting times.
Actually saccharomyces pastorianus, formerly S. Carlbergensis, or lager yeast, is a hybrid of saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is baker's, wine and ale yeast, and saccharomyces eubayanus. They are all capable of working or feeding in both an aerobic and anaerobic environments. Usually for brewing, start in an aerobic then to an anaerobic environment. Ale or saccharomyces cerevisiae is top ferment, saccharomyces pastorianus is bottom ferment.
Just a small quibble. It isn't really "top" vs "bottom" fermenting. It is aerobic yeast vs anaerobic yeast. Lagers use an anaerobic years, which lends itself to the lagering process, the long fermentation in cool temperatures. Every brewer has their own strain of yeast, and they are guarded like the crown jewels. In the old days, before beer was pasteurized, one could take the dregs from a bottle and use it to start their own batch of beer or ale. Often didn't have that great a result, but it was cheap. Lagers are quite difficult to make, in they have a longer fermentation period, and with the low alcohol content and low level of acidity they are subject to infection by various bacteria and oxidization.
Most lagers I drink are more amber and do not reply upon hops for taste. But of late, in the US, with the increasing number of small brew houses, there has been a blending of the idea of pilsners and traditional lagers to the point that they have all become light in colour and taste the same... too hoppy or too citrusy.
I'm not sure if it is more hops, but the type of hops. Pilsners in CR use Saaz hops, which has a distinct flavor compared to other hops...
Fantastic review
Nothing like a glass of Bitburger pils in Bitburg. I recommend at Louie Millers.
I find that I can deliver much louder and more powerful and sustained belches after drinking pilsner.
good summary! it would have been good to mention pure cultivation of yeast as used and to have explained bottom fermentation.
Being a new subscriber to this exciting channel all my questions are only a search Ed video away. Thanks from Simcoe Ontario Canada.
What is the IBU difference between a Pils and a lager?
Really interesting! Well done.
What is apparently amazing for Americans, there was neither Germany nor the Czech Republic in the time in which the Pilsner was created. At that time, Bohemia was part of the Holy Roman Empire and therefore the German names Pilsener and Urquell have survived until today.
By the way, because in the EU a place name may only appear in a brand if it is actually produced there, there is the Pilsener only from Pilsen aka Plzeň. In the rest of the EU it is sold as "as brewed in Pilsen" or in Germany briefly as "Pils". In Switzerland, any sourcing from Pilsen is even prohibited.
Best lager I have ever had was Tusker in Nairobi. Owned a place in Prague and drunk lots of Czech beer - lovely stuff some at 8% alcohol.
higher alcohol doesn't mean better beer. same with wine and spirits.
Good Video cheers. Fantastic review.
Thank u and cheers
I have experienced this dark one some years ago, still I am remembering the name, it was " GUINNESS " Beer.
Guinness is an Irish Dry Stout, not a dark lager. Stouts are in relation to pale ales as dark lagers are in relation to lagers.
Thank you
On the Title Card there is a Glass inscribed Gaffel Kölsch. Its content is a dubious liquid, possibly Altbier. How does this connect to the video‘s theme?
Good Video cheers
Maybe quite wrong but aren't they both lagers as opposed to a beer/ale like from UK/Belgium
Why does your cover page show a Gaffel Kolsch when it's a discussion about Pilsner/Lager?
Came here just to say this. The Kolsch is an ale that is cold conditioned like a lager, but it's not a lager.
Odd thumbnail choice for the topic: a Kölsch, which is a light, blonde summer ale.
Interesting.
Pilsner is as much (or more) about the malt as it is about the hops.
Pilsner Urquell is light on malt, though as that's what is considered the reference pilsner beer..
I Like to Do a 50 / 50 Mix of Pilsner & Lager Beers. Mmmm.
A pilsner IS a lager
Is anyone also wondering why the Thumbnail shows a Kölsch and no Lager or Pilsner?
The thumbnail of the video is a Kölsch which is not a lager but from a completely different family of beer
Who was Josef Groll?
that's right- Miller Lite is a Pilsner. and bud light is for cross-dressers
Those that actually drink any lite beer are mentally ill...
😆
I remember chugging down miller lite after highschool and reading "a fine pilsner beer" on the bottle and knowing then that was a lie. Most US macros are just corn & rice trash brews.
Don’t dis top-fermented ales. They’re great and more complex then lagers for when taste in beer matures
Dark lagers are darker? Learn something new every day!
The word "Lager" is indeed German, but it does not mean "to store", because Lager is a noun, not a verb (indicated by the capital letter). Lager means "storage" (also camp in another context, such as "base camp") and "to store" means "lagern" in German.
Sadly a lot of lagers and pilsners today don't get aged and the cheapest ones don't even go through a normal fermentation.
Sounds like a commercial for those types of beers?🤔
You missed to mention why some lagers are dark.
I don't think nigerians can count I remember getting a lunchtime beer with nigerian and well it wasn't just 1 beer. It was like a right before uni class. He was still sober, it was insane. He called a 8% beer weak. I was wrecked in Scotland. Good fun. Lovely guy. I always love meeting cultures like us. Many eastern Europeans are the same. And males west coast Africa seem to be similar. Proud they joined our empire. It brings a brotherhood to the shared commonwealth culture we share.
Same as beer and ale is always confusing.
The problem I have with this abomination of a video jokingly calling itself information. Pilsner is a type of beer, and lager is the way a beer is fermented. Lager and Ale are the only types of fermenting. A pilsner could be fermented either way.
They both raise cancer and dementia risk
Excellent video. Pozdrav
I've never wondered if bartenders do homework. Maybe if they want to own one later.
Pilsners are summertime lagers, amber to dark lagers are usually drank more in the colder weather.
When it’s 100F+, who cares? You’ll drink either…lol
All pilsners are lagers. Not all lagers are pilsners. It’s that simple.
One tastes & looks like fermented spud water & the other doesn’t .
And thumbnail shows Gaffel koelsch which is not lager :)
All Pilsners are Lagers but not all Lagers are Pilsners.
Best beer I've ever tasted is Heineken, second best, DAB. Worst beer I've ever tasted is Bud Light. Even though they add flavors to kill the taste it's undrinkable .
all pilsners are lagers and not all lagers are pilsners, if you don't like lagers you should try ales.
There is no “difference.” A Pilsner IS a Lager.
Lager is beer, pilsner is piss.
Pilsners ARE lagers!!!
The spelling. Duh
Pilsner originated in the town of Pilsen in the Checz Republic. Lager is an inferior German product.
Lager is not german, it’s Viennese!
I suspect that a drink similar to lager was being produced in what is now Austria or Germany before either country was created. So the question may not have a real answer.
So then tell me what makes a beer a weissen? I hate pilsners and I suspect Laegers are the origins of Weisen beer...
Weissens use some wheat in the process.
Pilsner tastes like pee, Lager like watered down pee.
In USA
Both light and gay
The difference is in the bullshit.
Both are virtually tasteless, try beers and ales for real taste.
Pilsners do NOT age well and lagers are generally best drunk fresh.
What would you describe as a "lager"? If you mean a Southern German Helles, they can, if stored correctly be enjoyed for quite some time. The same applies to Pils, both are best if they are Brauerei Abfülling, that is bottled or canned at the brewery, The usual bottle or canned beer will stay fresh for at least 18 months to 2 years. The lesser shelf life and quality occurs when the beer is shipped and then bottled or canned elsewhere.