re: Lagers and ales

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Lagers began as a refreshing beverage. Meant to be light to drink in the hotter months. Beer was consumed in dark ages I believe instead of water because water supplies were always contaminated. Beer was safer due to the alcohol. There it began. Ales came about as a way to ship beer to India I believe. Hence IPA India Pale Ale... They were bitter so unable to take over the place of Lager beer.

I am and always will be more into Belgians and wheats. Ales are just too damn bitter for me. Just a preference thing. I cannot appreciate the complexity people speak of because the IBU's are usually too high. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the one that I can usually tolerate.

Need a beer snob to confirm my half-assed history lesson.

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Ales are the original beer style. There are only two types of beer- ales and lagers. Everything else is a subset of those two. Lagers started to be developed when brewers could ferment at a consistent low temp, something that for most of history was not available.

IPA's were developed for the trip from Britain to India, more hops and higher alcohol kept the traditional pale ale fresh.

So the Belgians and wheats that you like are ales just different styles than American or India Pale Ales.
The difference between lagers and ales comes from the type of yeast that is used. Lager yeast needs to ferment closer to 50 F and leaves residue at the bottom of the fermenter whereas ale yeast ferments closer to 65-75 F and leaves residue at the top. hence you hear Top-fermenting and bottom fermenting yeast.