We understand that as beer lovers, choosing the best beer can be tough. The two of the best types of beers currently are stout and lager.
Each beer offers different taste and color. But that doesn’t stop it from being confusing to many.
So the question is which one is more suitable for you between stout vs lager?
When it comes to color, Stout has a darker tint compared to Lager. Moreover, the alcoholic content in stout is greater in stout in contrast to Lager. Lager, however, contains more calories than stout and takes less temperature to ferment. Stout, unlike Lager, can’t be stored in colder temperature.
Choosing the right beer can still be perplexing. However, we went through everything to assist you in this case!
So, let’s dig in!
Quick Overview: Stout vs Lager
Stout and lager are two of the most popular types of beer. Each of the beers adds different elements to the taste..
So, let’s see some basic differences between these two beers
| Differentiating Factors | Stout | Lager |
| Availability | Amazon or nearby pubs | Amazon or nearby pubs |
| Main Ingredients | Malted barley, water, hops and yeast | Water, grain, hops and yeast |
| Color | Classic Black or near black | Extremely pale or dark brown |
| Alcohol Content | 9% | 4-6% |
| Fermentation Temperature | 65º F to 70 °F | 48º F to 55º F |
| Hops Used | Noble Hops | Bittering hops |
| Price | Cheaper | Expensive compared to Stout |
These are the basic factors to compare stout and lager. However, you may want to learn more. So, let’s move on to an in-depth comparison.
In-Depth Comparison: Stout vs Lager
Despite being composed of similar ingredients, Stout and lager have quite a number of factors distinguishing them. They are also fermented in completely different ways.
So how much different are stout and lager? Let’s see how the two beer types fares in a head-to-head comparison.
Ingredients Used
As the most important thing in the making of beer, ingredients should never be overlooked. In fact, it’s the very thing that can make or break the taste of your beer.
Ingredients for stouts
Besides water, stout beers use malted barley to bring out its distinctive taste and charisma. The rich coffee hue of the stouts are mostly due to the use of malter barley.
There is a minimum amount of hops used in the making of Stout beer as well. And for yeast, Stout required dry yeast fermented at high temperature.
Ingredients for lager
People use grain, barley, or malt depending on the type of lager they want to brew. Similarly, the hops are also chosen based on the lager type.
Lager yeast is normally a fairly clean fermenting yeast. As a result, contaminants in the water are more evident than in stout. So usage of clean water is a must.
During brewing, be careful from too much yeast. Excess yeast in beer can cause negative effects on final products.
Dry yeast dictates the taste of the beer. So if you’re looking to homebrew fine beers, you should also look out for quality yeasts. Take a look at some top-brand dry yeast we recommend:
| Image | Product Name | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | Fleischmann’s Instant Dry Yeast | Get it from Amazon |
  | Red Star Active Dry Yeast | Get it from Amazon |
  | Red Star Dady 9804 Distiller Active Dry Yeast | Get it from Amazon |
They make the finest beers. Try them out!
Taste and Color
The most important aspect of this comparison is the difference in stout vs lager taste. Stout in terms of color is black or near-black.
The velvety aromas of stout are balanced by the hops’ bitter qualities as seen in American stouts. As a result, you get a kind of chocolatey sweet taste.
Color difference between stout and lager
In terms of lager, it has several colors. Those are extremely pale, dark brown, and black. Lagers have a simple and elegant flavor and are lighter and milder beer.
Alcohol Content
Different human bodies can tolerate different levels of alcohol content. And ABV (Alcohol By Volume) is a way to determine it.
Usually, the ABV of stout is around 9%-12%. On the other hand, the ABV of lager is around 4%-6%. Some lager can even have an ABV of 10% or more!
Alcohol content in Stout vs Lager
Fermentation Temperature
Fermentation of yeast determines the quality of a beer.
The fermentation for stout is warmer than lager. For stout beers, depending on the yeast strain, most fermentations are between 65°F and 70°F.
Fermentation for Lager requires colder temperature compared to Stout. Depending on the strain, this mainly involves a temperature range between 48°F to 55°F.
Cold Storage
Who doesn’t like a chilly beer? It’s the best thing to have after a hard day’s work.
However, the temperature of cold storage directly affects the quality of the beer.
You might ask:
What’s the ideal temperature for storing Stout and Lager?
As it’s dark beer, stout cannot be stored in cold. It should be kept at around 45°F. Because of its lighter,more pale color, lager can withstand colder temperature than stout. Around 35°F.
Hops Content
Hops are the blooms (or cones) of the Humulus lupulus plant. They are used to keep beer fresh for a long time. Another use of hops pellet is to help the beer preserve its head of suds. It’s a crucial for fragrance and flavor.
Source:allagash.com
The hops content in a stout is noble hop. Noble hops are traditional European types and are responsible for bringing distinct taste to the beer.
Lager uses bittering hop. It is added during the hottest stage of producing lager.
Health Effect
Alcohol does affect our health. To determine stout vs lager health effects, we need to consider calories, ABV, and carbs.
Let’s start with stout vs lager calories. Unlike Lager, which has 210 calories per can, Stout has less calories. Right around 170 calories per can.
Carbs in stout vs lager are the last thing to consider. Stout contains 9.9 grams per 11.16oz bottle, whereas, lager contains 12.8 grams/11.16oz.
That completes our in-depth comparison between stout and lager. It’s time to give our final verdict.
Which Beer is Suitable for You?
So, between stout and lager which beer is suitable for you? Well, let’s see.
Is stout healthier than lager?
Both beers contain B12 and soluble fiber. This helps to mitigate the risk of heart disease and bad cholesterol. Stout, on the other hand, has fewer belly-busting calories than lager.
Don’t get us wrong! The amount of calories per pint of stout beer is still significant on its own. Nonetheless, Stout is slightly healthier than lager.
But, is stout better for you than lager?
For starters, if you have a high alcohol tolerance level, then it is. However, if you are new to consuming alcohol, then lager is the best option for you. The light malted beer will get you tipsy enough to enjoy wonderful times.
A fair bit of warning, by the way:
Consuming an unhealthy amount of alcohol will cause alcohol poisoning. Drink responsibly.
FAQs
Is a Stout Considered a Lager or an Ale?
Stout is considered as ale. The main reason behind it is the fermentation process and temperature. Each is produced differently and has different ingredients.
Between Porter and Stouts, Which One is The Darkest?
A stout is traditionally a stronger variant of a porter. Today’s stouts are thicker, heavier, and have more intense flavors. As a result, the darkest is stout compared with porter.
Why is Lager Less Bitter Than Other Beers?
The IBU (International Bitterness Units) of a beer is a measure of its bitterness. A lager with a low IBU will be less bitter than a beer with a high IBU.
Conclusion
That’s all about stout vs lager. We hope that as a beer lover, you’ll find the most suitable beer for yourself.
That’s all we have to say. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below!
Have a blast!