Types of Beer

[legant]

From someone who's had beer only twice in her life: what's the difference between "stout" and "lager"? I have a halibut recipe that calls for (Guinness) stout; can I substitute a (Sam Adams) lager? Or should I wait for the next BYOB party to score the Guinness?

[Hannah]

From someone who's had beer only twice in her life: what's the difference between "stout" and "lager"? I have a halibut recipe that calls for (Guinness) stout; can I substitute a (Sam Adams) lager? Or should I wait for the next BYOB party to score the Guinness?

You'd be better off picking up a single can or bottle of Guinness (make sure you get the Pub Draught variety rather than the plain bottle) from someplace like Whole Foods. Guinness is much, much darker than Sam Adams lager, and it gets a kind of smoky flavor when it cooks down, so you really wouldn't get the same flavor from another type of beer. I've most often had it (at least in a cooking context) in beef stews or braises, but it could certainly be interesting with halibut. Out of curiosity, what else does the recipe call for?

[legant]

Out of curiosity, what else does the recipe call for?

The halibut is marinated in a glaze of Guinness, honey, lemon juice, hot sauce and salt.

[ManekiNeko]

From someone who's had beer only twice in her life: what's the difference between "stout" and "lager"?

Stout is a type of ale, generally characterized by using roasted, but not necessarily malted, barley. They are generally bittersweet like a good dark chocolate. Also a bit roasty like charred wood or burnt toast. Lager is, well, not necessarily a helpful descriptor in a recipe. Beer can basically be classified to two different "kingdoms." Ales and Lagers. The main difference between the two is the type of yeast used and the temperature that the beer is fermented at. Ales are fermented at a warmer temperature while lagers are fermented at a colder temperature and then "lagered" (German for "storing") for a bit. Ales and lagers both run the gamut of flavors one can find in beer.

Generally, when a recipe calls for "lager," you should probably just use some cheap-o macrobrew like MGD since that's probably what the author meant. It's akin to saying "add 1 c. of vegetable" in a recipe. I highly doubt they mean Samichlaus, a 14% abv dobbelbock (a type of lager). I'd shy away from using Sam Adams Lager in cooking since it's fairly hoppy/bitter. That bitterness is only going to get more concentrated as the liquid boils off.

More info on ales vs. lagers:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/

[ol_ironstomach]

Beer can basically be classified to two different "kingdoms." Ales and Lagers. The main difference between the two is the type of yeast used and the temperature that the beer is fermented at. Ales are fermented at a warmer temperature while lagers are fermented at a colder temperature and then "lagered" (German for "storing") for a bit. Ales and lagers both run the gamut of flavors one can find in beer.

More to the point, ale yeasts and lager yeasts generally produce rather different flavor profiles, with ale yeasts tending towards more complexity and fruitiness, even more so if left unfiltered, as yeast which has completed its lifecycle is prone to autolyze. Lager yeasts are characterized by their tendency to flocculate (clump together) and sink to the bottom of the fermenting vessel when their mission is accomplished, leaving a "clear", non-cloudy beer above. There are a very few crossover styles, most notably steam beer, in which a lager yeast is grown in warm climates through the use of very shallow fermenters, the result of German brewmasters attempting to work with their native yeasts in the heat of the California gold rush.

Recipes that call for stout are usually after its rich toasted flavor - think of it more as a bread you can drink. Substituting a Sam is a bit like using 2% milk instead of heavy cream...you'll end up with something, but probably nothing like what was intended.