BEER 101 Q: What is the difference between ale and lager? A: All beers can be categorized as either ale or lager. The distinction is based on the type of yeast that is used for fermentation. Ale yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) ferments at warmer temperatures, more quickly, and often produces a beer with more flavor byproducts (often fruity) from the yeast. Ale yeast is also referred to as “top fermenting,” because it rises to the top and produces a frothy head during fermentation. Lager (Saccharomyces uvarum), or “bottom fermenting” yeast ferments colder, slower, and cleaner. Lager yeast can also ferment more sugars than ale yeast, producing a crisper, drier beer with fewer yeast flavor byproducts. Pilsner, Bock, and Märzen are types of lager. Stout, IPA, and Hefe Weizen are types of ale. Q: Is it OK to re-chill beer that has warmed up? A: Of course! Warm temperatures accelerate the aging process, so storing beer cold helps to keep it fresh longer. Commercial brewery laboratories often force age beer samples under hot conditions to simulate months of aging in just a few days. For the freshest possible taste, keep both temperature and the amount of storage time prior to drinking as low as possible. Q: What makes beer "skunk?" A: 3-Methyl-2-Butene-1-Thiol of Mercaptane (AKA: "skunk") is produced by UV light from iso-alpha-acids. In English, skunky beer comes from sunlight. The UV light attacks the hop products responsible for bitterness. This is why beer is traditionally packaged in brown bottles. The dark glass helps to protect the beer from UV light. Don't believe us, put a bottle in the sunlight for an hour and then compare it to a fresh one out of the box. Q: Why is fresh beer better? A: Beer is food. You wouldn't buy a fresh piece of fish and then leave it in the back seat of your car for a week. What tastes better: Fresh sweet corn on the cob from the farmers market or canned corn from the supermarket? Sunlight, heat, oxygen, and time are some of beer's worst enemies. Q: What do the line and numbers on the back of my glass mean? A: This “pour line” indicates the volume of beer (usually in tenths of Litres) at the line. The space above the line is for foam, which should fill the rest of the glass. Blacksburger Pils is served in a half-litre “0,5L” glass. Q: Hair of the dog? A: Most everyone has heard the expression "hair of the dog that bit you," but in the event that it's new to you, it means treating a hangover by drinking more of what got you the hangover in the first place. We don't think we know of anyone who's ever actually done this intentionally, and it definitely never happened to us or anyone we know during either the 2006 or 2007 VT football season. Anyway, the science behind HOTD makes for a rather compelling argument:
When you drink, enzymes in your body (ie: dehydrogenase) break down the alcohol. The enzymes will first break down ethanol (if it is available) because it is easier. Then they go after the more complicated higher (aka "fusel") alcohols. The byproducts that result from the breakdown of these higher alcohols are quite toxic. These toxins are responsible for your hangover. This is why expensive liquor (has been distilled more times and therefore has a greater percentage of pure ethanol) generally has more mercy on your body than the stuff that we drank in college.
So, if your body has broken down all of the ethanol and has moved on to the higher alcohols, you can add more ethanol to your system and the enzymes will switch back to breaking down ethanol instead. If you can keep the enzymes busy with ethanol, more of the fusel alcohols escape metabolism and are excreted unchanged in the breath, sweat and urine. This is also why a woman who drank anti-freeze was prescribed whiskey. So the moral of the story is never drink anti-freeze or cheap liquor, and always drink in moderation (unless of course you just accidentally drank anti-freeze). Got more questions? Fire away. | 
