I have a question about ales & lagers:

What is the "sediment" I discovered on the bottom of the bottle?

The sediment evident in the bottom of a bottle of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and other naturally conditioned beers is the yeast we use for bottle conditioning. Typically, the yeast lies tight and flat to the bottom of the bottle. When the beer is agitated or stored sideways, the yeast will resettle in what looks like a drop of pancake batter or vanilla ice cream. As the beer is poured, the yeast will re-suspend and appearance is cloudy, or slightly particulate. The yeast will not adversely affect the flavor of the beer.

What is bottle conditioning?

Bottle conditioning is a time-honored method for naturally carbonating beer and traditional champagne. We dose back a small amount of fermentable sugar and yeast into the bottle. The fermentation creates the finished carbonation and flavors unique to our beer.

How can I find out the nutritional information on your ales and lagers?

Nutritional information about Sierra Nevada Beers can be found here:

• Nutrition.pdf

*Adobe Reader required to view PDF files

How can I find the date code and what does it tell me?

All Sierra Nevada fine ales and beer are dated when packaged. This code represents the production date and can be found on all our bottles, cartons and kegs.

More information about date codes

What is the shelf life of Sierra Nevada fine ales and beers?

Most beer is best consumed fresh. Optimal storage conditions are cool, dark and dry. Our beer is dated on the day it is packaged. Since our Pale Ale is full flavored, with lots of hops and malted barley, it should last up to 150 days when stored under optimal conditions- COOL DARK DRY. Styles like our Bigfoot Barleywine are sometimes cellared and aged like wine, the flavors will continue to evolve and change with time. Our Celebration Ale is considered fresh when <180 days. Celebration ale is brewed and dry hopped with freshly harvested hops that contribute exceptional aromatic qualities. These intense aromatics will start to diminish within the first few months after packaging. Although some people prefer it slightly aged, the hops mellow, bitterness subsides and the malt sweetness comes forward.

What are the ingredients used in Sierra Nevada beers?

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. uses the highest quality and most natural brewing ingredients while utilizing the very best brewing practices. This allows us to create ales and lagers with superior flavor, aroma, balance, and character.

We use wheat in our bottled and kegged Wheat Beer, Ruthless and Crystal Wheat, on tap at selected locations. In all of our other beers we use malted two-row barley, whole cone hops, yeast, and water.

Are any animal products used in the brewing process?

All our bottled beer is brewed, filtered, and packaged without the use of isinglass, bone char, or any other animal by-product.

What is "dry hopping?"

We add additional whole hops to some of our beers as they age in tanks. This increases the aroma and hop character of the finished beer without affecting its bitterness. Popular hops used for dry hopping are Cascade and Centennial.

Can I order Sierra Nevada ales and lagers directly from you?

Unfortunately, we are not permitted to ship beer directly to consumers. Use our Distribution page to find a distributor in your area, who should be able to direct you to local retailers.

What's the difference between an ale and a lager?

The difference between ales and lagers has nothing to do with strength, color, or bitterness. It’s the yeast and the fermentation temperature. Ale yeasts ferment best at warmer temperatures — up to about 75° F. Because a yeasty foam rises to the surface of the beer, these are known as “top-fermenting” yeasts.

Lager yeasts, on the other hand, prefer cooler temperatures. They are called “bottom-fermenting” yeasts because they sink to the bottom of the beer during the cold storage period traditional for lager beers. This process removes haze and gives lagers their characteristic clean, rounded tastes.

The descriptions of your ales and lagers mention “bitterness units.” What are those?

A standard measurement for beer bitterness imparted by hops — a higher number indicates higher bitterness, and therefore higher hop usage. Higher BUs do not always correspond to higher perceived bitterness — the malt character in the beer will affect perceived bitterness.