Beer brewing

Reinheitsgebot

"Purity Law" originating in Bavaria in 1516 and now applied to all German brewers making beer for consumption in their own country. It requires that only malted grains, hops, yeast and water may be used in the brewing.

EXPORT

(Lager) See Dortmunder.

HELLES

(Lager) See Munchner.

MARZENBIER

(Lager) See Oktoberfest.

CALIFORNIA COMMON BEER

(Lager) See Steam Beer

GRAINS

(Such as rice, corn, maize, or wheat) used in addition to malted barley to make a beer. They tend to lighten the flavor of a beer and produce alcohol.

Mash

(Verb) To release malt sugars by soaking the grains in water. (Noun) The resultant mixture.

Bottling Bucket

A 6-gallon food-grade plastic pail with attached spigot and fill-tube. Racking into the bottling bucket allows clearer beer with less sediment in the bottle allowing greater control of the fill level and no hassles with a siphon during bottling.

Hefe

A German word meaning "yeast". Used mostly in conjunction with wheat (weiss) beers to denote that the beer is bottled or kegged with the yeast in suspension (hefe-weiss). These beers are cloudy, frothy and, very refreshing.

WEISSE

A beer made with approximately one-quarter wheat malts and usually served cold with either woodruff or raspberry.

WEIZENBIER

A beer made with approximately one-third wheat malts and usually served cold with lemon.

BOTTLE OF BEER

A bottle of beer equals twelve ounces.

MUENCHENER

A bottom fermented style of beer produced in the mid 19th century in the Bavarian city of Munich. The original Muenchener was dark. In 1928, the Paulaner Brewery introduced a paler version, called Helles that has almost entirely overtaken the darker brew.

Regional specialty brewery

A brewery that produces more than 15,000 barrels of beer annually, with its largest selling product a specialty beer.

Barley

A cereal grain that is malted for use in the grist that becomes the mash in the brewing of beer.

Cask

A closed, barrel-shaped container for beer. They come in various sizes and are now usually made of metal. The bung in a cask of "Real" beer or ale must be made of wood to allow the pressure to be relived, as the fermentation of the beer, in the cask, continues.

Caramel

A cooked sugar that is used to add color and alcohol content to beer. It is often used in place of more expensive malted barley.

WORT RECEIVER

A cooling vessel into which the wort is poured after straining the hops.

Hand Pump

A device for dispensing draft beer using a pump operated by hand. The use of a hand pump allows the cask-conditioned beer to be served without the use of pressurized carbon dioxide.

Astringent

A drying, puckering taste; tannic; can be derived from boiling the grains, long mashes, over sparging or sparging with hard water.

HARD CIDER

A fermented beverage made from apples.

Hard Cider

A fermented beverage made from apples.

CARBON DIOXIDE (CO2)

A gas consisting of one part carbon and two parts oxygen released during fermentation.

PILSENER

A general name for pale, golden hued, highly hopped, bottom fermented beers. The original Pilsener was first brewed at the Bürgerlisches Brauhaus in the Bohemian town of Plzen (meaning green meadow) in 1842.

Bacterial

A general term covering off-flavors such as moldy, musty, woody, lactic acid, vinegar, or microbiological spoilage.

AMBER ALE

A general term used to describe copper colored ales or lagers, which are more full bodied than golden lagers, often with a medium maltiness and strong hoppy bitterness. (See Vienna)

Malt Liquor

A legal term used in the U.S. to designate a fermented beverage of relatively high alcohol content (7%-8% by volume).

Specific gravity

A measure of the density of a liquid or solid compared to that of water ((1.000 at 39�F (4�C)).

Original gravity

A measurement of the density of fermentable sugars in a mixture of malt and water with which a brewer begins a given batch.

Heat Exchanger

A mechanical device used to rapidly reduce the temperature of the wort.

Yeast

A micro-organism of the fungus family. Genus Saccharomyces.

Chlorophenolic

A plasticlike aroma; caused by chemical combination of chlorine and organic compounds.

All-malt

A relatively new term in America. "All malt" refers to a beer made exclusively with barley malt and without adjuncts.

KRAEUSENING

A secondary fermentation whereby young fermenting wort (approx. 15 18 percent) is added to a fully fermented lager to accomplish a natural infusion of carbon dioxide.

Mouthfeel

A sensation derived from the consistency or viscosity of a beer, described, for example as thin or full.

KRAUSEN WORT

A small quantity of sweet unfermented wort added to finished beer. This wort ferments to produce natural carbonation.

GRANT

A small vessel between the straining tank (tun) and the brew kettle from which the runoff of the wort is controlled and sampled.

Hippocras

A spiced pyment Honey wine made with any herbs and grapes

TOP FERMENTING YEAST (ALE YEAST)

A style of yeast that works at cellar or warm temperatures and floats to the top of the beer. Ale yeasts are responsible for the creation of most beers other than lagers. However, this style of brewing is practiced mostly in England.

Caramel malt

A sweet, coppery-colored malt. Caramel or crystal malt imparts both color and flavor to beer. Caramel malt has a high concentration of unfermentable sugars that sweeten the beer and, contribute to head retention.

YARD GLASS

A tall glass (traditionally 3 feet) that was originally produced in England back in the days when travel by horse drawn coach was common.

Mash Tun

A tank where grist is soaked in water and heated in order to convert the starch to sugar and extract the sugars and other solubles from the grist.

HYDROMETER

A thermometer like device used to measure the specific gravity to determine the proportion of potential alcohol in the beer.

Barrel

A unit of measurement used by brewers in some countries. In Britain, a barrel holds 36 imperial gallons (1 imperial gallon = 4.5 liters), or 1.63 hectoliters. In the United States, a barrel holds 31.5 US gallons (1 US gallon = 3.8 liters), or 1.17 hectoliters.

TWO ROW BARLEY

A variety of barley on which only the central spikelet is fertile, forming two rows of grains each. It is the variety most appreciated for brewing because its kernels are better developed, and the husk is thinner; however, it is generally lower in enzyme.

Conditioning Tank

A vessel in which beer is placed after primary fermentation where the beer matures, clarifies and, is naturally carbonated through secondary fermentation. Also called bright beer tank, serving tank and, secondary tank.

Diacetyl

A volatile compound in beer that contributes to a butterscotch flavor, measured in parts per million.

MALTOSE

A water soluble, fermentable sugar contained in malt.

Maltose

A water soluble, fermentable sugar contained in malt.

BALLING

Actual degrees of Balling (°B). Degrees Balling may be determined by a hydrometer or "Balling spindle," which floats in the liquid to a level corresponding to sugar content, or by a refract meter, where a beam of light is deflected in direct proportion

PITCHING

Adding yeast to the wort in the fermentation tank.

Airlock

Airlocks prevent airborne contamination during fermentation.

ABW

Alcohol by weight

Alcohol by weight

Alcohol by weight, given in percentages.

SPECIALTY ALE

Ale brewed by fermenting beer with unusual ingredients such as pumpkin, chiles, various herbs and spices, etc.

A.A.U

Alpha Acid Units. The measurement, in percentage of alpha acid, of the potential bitterness in hops.

Fining

An aid to clarification: a substance that attracts particles that would otherwise remain suspended in the brew.

Pub

An establishment that serves beer and sometimes other alcoholic beverages for consumption on premise. The term originated in England and is the shortened form of "public house".

Anaerobic

An organism, such as a bottom-fermenting lager yeast, that is able to metabolize without oxygen present.

Aerobic

An organism, such as top fermenting ale yeast, that needs oxygen to metabolize.

Tun

Any large vessels used in brewing. In America, "tub" is often preferred.

Amber

Any top or bottom fermented beer having an amber color, that is, between pale and dark.

Cabbagelike

Aroma and taste of cooked vegetables; often a result of wort spoilage bacteria killed by alcohol in fermentation.

Hoppy

Aroma of hops, does not include hop bitterness.

Estery

Aroma or flavor reminiscent of flowers or fruits.

Siphon/Hose

Available in several configurations, consisting of clear plastic tubing with optional Racking Cane and Bottle Filler.

MALT

Barley that has been steeped in water to produce sprouting, then kiln dried.

SEASONAL

Beer brewed and sold only at a particular time of year

LIGHT BEER

Beer brewed to have fewer calories and a lighter body. Alcohol, with 7.1 calories per gram, is the major calorie contributor in beer, so brewers add water to reduce alcohol content or use a special enzyme to change the unfermentable dextrins into ferment

Contract Beer

Beer made by one brewery and then marketed by a company calling itself a brewery. The latter uses the brewing facilities of the former.

Chill proof

Beer treated to allow it to withstand cold temperatures without clouding.

Ale

Beers distinguished by use of top fermenting yeast strains, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The top fermenting yeast perform at warmer temperatures than do yeast's used to brew lager beer, and their byproducts are more evident in taste and aroma. Fruitiness and esters are often part of an ale's character.

Lager

Beers produced with bottom fermenting yeast strains, Saccharomyces uvarum (or carlsbergensis) at colder fermentation temperatures than ales. This cooler environment inhibits the natural production of esters and other byproducts, creating a crisper tasting product.

Bitter

Bitterness of hops or malt husks; sensation on back of tongue.

Bottle Caps

Both standard caps and oxygen-absorbing caps are available.

Squares

Brewers' term for a square fermenting vessel.

Grist

Brewers' term for milled grains, or the combination of milled grains to be used in a particular brew. Derives from the verb to grind. Also sometimes applied to hops.

PALE ALE

Brisk, subtly spicy, hoppy, refreshing ale.

Hogshead

Cask holding 54 imperial gallons ( 243 liters ).

Enzymes

Catalysts that are found naturally in the grain. When heated in mash, they convert the starches of the malted barley into maltose, a sugar used in solution and fermented to make beer.

Medicinal

Chemical or phenolic character; can be the result of wild yeast, contact with plastic, or sanitizer residue.

AMERICAN LAGER

Clean, light, mild tasting lager.

Chill haze

Cloudiness caused by precipitation of protein-tannin compound at low temperatures, does not affect flavor.

BOCK

Complex lager (either light or dark); strong, malty and a little sweet some people taste caramel or chocolate undertones. Originated in Einbeck, Germany, where "bock" means "goat", perhaps referring to the beer's kick.

PORTER

Complex, dark, strongly flavored ale, which takes its name from the dockhands it, was originally brewed for. Similar to stout but without the bitterness.

Fermentation

Conversion of sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide, through the action of yeast.

SWEET STOUT

Dark, thick, soft, sweet ale with hints of chocolate and coffee.

Shelf life

Describes the number of days a beer will retain it's peak drinkability. The shelf life for commercially produced beers is usually a maximum of four months.

FRAMBOISE

Dry, almost carbonated ale with raspberry taste and aroma. (See Lambic)

LAMBIC

Dry, tart ale made with unmalted wheat and malted barley; usually has a sweet fruit flavoring such as cranberry, cherry (kriek) or raspberry (framboise). Traditionally fermented with wild airbourne yeast in Belgium's Senne Valley.

Additive

ENZYMES, PRESERVATIVES AND ANTI OXIDENTS WHICH ARE ADDED TO SIMPLIFY BREWING OR EXTEND SHELF LIFE

Bottle Capper

Either Hand Capper or Bench Capper.

EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER (ESB)

English style ale well-balanced hoppiness and sweet maltiness.

AMYLASE

Enzymes that liquefy starches and convert them to maltose (sugar) and dextrins.

ESTERS

Esters are organic compounds that result from the interaction of acids and alcohol. The presence of esters can cause the fruity flavors and aromas, such as banana, blueberry, and pear that intentionally or unintentionally occur in some beers.

Alcohol

Ethyl alcohol or ethanol. An intoxicating by-product of fermentation, which is caused by yeast acting on sugars in the malt. Alcohol content is expressed as a percentage of volume or weight.

EBC

European Brewing Convention. An EBC scale is used to indicate colors in malts and beers.

Decoction

Exhaustive system of mashing in which portions of the wort are removed, heated, then returned to the original vessel.

Plato, degrees

Expresses the specific gravity as the weight of extract in a 100 gram solution at 64�F (17.5�C). Refinement of the Balling scale.

Attenuation

Extent to which yeast consumes fermentable sugars (converting them into alcohol and carbon dioxide).

Fahrenheit (degrees)

F = ((Cx9)/( 5) + 32.

Fruity/Estery

Flavor and aroma of bananas, strawberries, apples, or other fruit; from high temperature fermentation and certain yeast strains.

Phenolic

Flavor and aroma of medicine, plastic, Band-Aids, smoke, or cloves; caused by wild yeast or bacteria, or sanitizer residue.

Salty

Flavor like table salt; experienced on the side of the tongue.

HEAD

Foam that forms on top of the beer when it is poured. Head tends to indicate the degree of carbonation, hops, and malt in the beer.

Stirring Paddle

Food grade plastic paddle (spoon) for stirring the wort during boiling.

KOLSCH

French (from Cologne) ale, similar to altbier, but pale and slightly fruitier.

Lagering

From the German word for storage. Refers to maturation for several weeks or months at cold temperatures (close to 0�C /32�F) to settle residual yeast, impart carbonation and make for clean round flavors.

TEMPORARY HARDNESS

Hardness in water that can be removed by boiling.

PASTEURIZATION

Heating of beer to 60 79(°C/140 174°F to stabilize it microbiologically. Flash pasteurization is applied very briefly, for 15 60 seconds by heating the beer as it passes through the pipe.

Pasteurization

Heating of beer to 60-79(�C/140-174�F to stabilize it microbiologically. Flash-pasteurization is applied very briefly, for 15-60 seconds by heating the beer as it passes through the pipe. Alternately, the bottled beer can be passed on a conveyor belt through a heated tunnel. This more gradual process takes at least 20 minutes and sometimes much longer.

IMPERIAL STOUT

Heavy, complex ale; slightly sweet with hints of coffee and chocolate. Its bitterness comes from roasted barley.

Hops

Herb added to boiling wort or fermenting beer to impart a bitter aroma and flavor.

STEAM BEER

Highly hopped, foamy lager popularized during the California Gold Rush. The name comes, depending on whom you ask, either from the hissing pressure wooden casks of the stuff made when tapped or from the steam power used in the early breweries.

Traditional

Honey water yeast

Bracket

Honey wine and ale combined

Rhodomel

Honey wine and attar (distilled rose petals)

Braggot

Honey wine made with Malt

Metheglin

Honey wine made with any herbs or spices

Melomel or Mulsum

Honey wine made with any vegetable or fruit excluding apples or grapes

Cyser

Honey wine made with apples or apple juice

Pyment

Honey wine made with grapes

Oxymel

Honey wine vinegar combined

Capsicumel

Honey wine with Chile pepper

Morat

Honey wine with mulberries

Omphacomel

Honey wine with verjuice (juice from unripe grapes)

MILLING

In brewing, the malt is ground into grist (or meal) to facilitate the extraction of sugars and other soluble substances during the mashing process. The endosperm must be crushed to medium sized grits rather than to flour consistency.

IBU

International Bitterness units. A system of indicating the hop bitterness in finished beer.

DRY BEER

Invented by the Japanese, dry beer has less aftertaste due to more complete fermentation.

ICE BEER

It sounds like a stereotype, but the Canadians really invented ice beer. Ice beer is frozen slightly during the brewing process and the ice crystals removed, in hopes that the flavor and alcohol content will be more concentrated.

THE DOUBLE

Jacketed, stainless steel vessel in which mashing occurs.

MUNCHNER

Lager also known as "helles", or "pale" lager. Malty, sweet and dark, despite its name. Originated in Munich, Germany.

RAUCHBIER

Lager brewed with malt, which has been smoked over a beechwood fire ("rauch" means "smoke" in German), giving it a strong smoky aroma and flavor. Similar to oktoberfest, but smoother and heavier.

MAIBOCK

Lager traditionally brewed to celebrate the month of May. (See Bock)

DOUBLE BOCK (DOPPELBOCK)

Lager with twice the alcohol of regular bocks and an intense, malty sweetness and dry finish. Doppelbock was originally brewed by monks for Lent and, like regular bock, is still served to celebrate spring's arrival.

CREAM ALE

Light colored, mild ale, lagered at cold temps or combined w/lager.

WHEAT BEER

Light, bubbly, spicy ale brewed with malted wheat rather than barley for a fruity flavor. Also known as weisse (white) or weizen

Hang

Lingering bitterness or harshness.

CONTRACT BREWING

Making beer for smaller companies that either do not have a brewery of their own or lack the capacity to meet demand.

MALT LIQUOR

Malt liquors are technically lagers, but the beer is fermented more thoroughly to convert more of the extract to alcohol, producing a strong, smooth, pale beer.

ISINGLASS

Material made from fish bladders used to clarify beer.

Mead

Meads are produced by the fermentation of honey, water, yeast and optional ingredients such as fruit, herbs, and/or spices. According to final gravity, they are categorized as: dry (0.996 to 1009); medium (1010 to 1019); or sweet (1020 or higher). Wine, champagne, sherry, mead, ale or lager yeasts may be used.

STANDARD REFERENCE METHOD (SRM)

Measure of the color of beer

DEGREES LOVIBOND (°L)

Measure of the color of the malt.

Musty

Moldy, mildewy character; can be the result of cork or bacterial infection.

Boiling Pot

Must be able to comfortably hold a minimum of 3 gallons; bigger is better. Use Stainless Steel or Ceramic- coated (enameled) Steel.

Beer

Name given alcohol-containing beverages produced by fermenting grain, specifically malt, and flavored with hops.

Bottle Brush

Necessary for initial thorough cleaning of used beer bottles.

PROTEINS

Nitrogen containing compounds, an excess of which cause a haze in beer.

Varietal

No adjunct ingredients made with a varietal honey

PRIMARY FERMENTATION

Occurring after pitching the yeast and during the first three days on the average, fermentation converts sugars to alcohol and carbonation.

HOPS

One of the four principal ingredients of beer, hops are flower cones added to beer as a bittering agent, a preservative, and an aromatic.

BOTTOM FERMENTATION

One of the two basic methods of fermentation for beer, characterized by the fact that dormant yeast cells sink to the bottom during fermentation. Beers brewed in this fashion are commonly called lagers or bottom fermented beers.

Bottom-fermenting yeast

One of the two types of yeast used in brewing. Bottom-fermenting yeast works well at low temperatures and ferments more sugars leaving a crisp, clean taste and then settles to the bottom of the tank. Also referred to as "lager yeast".

Top-fermenting yeast

One of the two types of yeast used in brewing. Top-fermenting yeast works better at warmer temperatures and are able to tolerate higher alcohol concentrations than bottom-fermenting yeast. It is unable to ferment some sugars, and results in a fruitier, sweeter beer. Also known as "ale yeast".

Keg

One-half barrel, or 15.5 U. S. gallons. A half keg or, 7.75 U. S. gallons, is referred to as a pony-keg.

DORTMUNDER

Pale lager originally from Dortmund, Germany. More body and less hoppiness than a pilsner, with slightly fruity, lightly carbonated edge. Also known as Export beer.

BLACK PATENT MALT

Partially malted barley roasted at high temperatures. Black malt gives a dark color and roasted flavor to beer.

Black malt

Partially malted barley roasted at high temperatures. Black malt gives a dark color and roasted flavor to beer.

Conditioning

Period of maturation intended to impart "condition" (natural carbonation). Warm conditioning further develops the complex of flavors. Cold conditioning imparts a clean, round taste.

TRUB

Proteins in barley filtered during the wort boil.

Brewpub

Pub that makes its own beer and sells at least 50% of it on premises. Also known in Britain as a home-brew house and in Germany as a house brewery.

VIENNA

Reddish, somewhat fruity lager introduced in the 1800s as Vienna's answer to pilsner. Grandfather of amber ale.

Solventlike

Reminiscent of acetone or lacquer thinner; caused by high fermentation temperatures.

Sulfurlike

Reminiscent of rotten eggs or burnt matches; a by-product of some yeast's.

Vinous

Reminiscent of wine.

SCOTCH ALE

Rich, malty ale, full bodied (almost chewy) and faintly sweet.

Bottle Filler

Rigid plastic (or metal).

Racking Cane

Rigid plastic tube.

SPARGING

Rinsing the mashed grains to ensure complete extraction of the sugars from the mash.

Bochet

Sack mead that has been burnt or charred

Balling Degrees

Scale indicating density of sugars in wort. Devised by C J N Balling.

IRISH MOSS

Seaweed that is added to boiling wort to filter proteins.

Bottle-conditioning

Secondary fermentation and maturation in the bottle, creating complex aromas and flavors.

Cask-conditioning

Secondary fermentation and maturation in the cask at the point of sale. Creates light carbonation.

Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

See Bottom-fermenting yeast.

Saccharomyces uvarum

See Bottom-fermenting yeast.

Units of bitterness

See IBU.

GERMAN PURITY LAW

See Reinheitsgebot.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

See Top-fermenting yeast.

Copper

See brew kettle.

Bright Beer Tank

See conditioning tank.

Butterscotch

See diacetyl.

Wort Chiller

See heat exchanger.

Lauter Tun

See mash tun.

Gravity

See specific gravity.

HOPS CONE

Shaped flowers that grow on climbing vines, used to flavor beer. Hops added early in the brewing process impart a dry, bitter flavor to the beer; added later, they add an herbal spiciness. There are dozens of varieties of hops.

Winy

Sherrylike flavor; can be caused by warm fermentation or oxidation in very old beer.

Hop back

Sieve-like vessel used to strain out the petals of the hop flowers. Known as a hop jack in the United States.

BROWN ALE

Similar to pale ale, but (surprise) darker and sweeter, with a malty flavor and a "pleasing nuttiness"

Infusion

Simplest form of mash, in which grains are soaked in water. May be at a single temperature, or with upward or (occasionally) downward changes.

Light-Struck

Skunklike smell; from exposure to light.

Microbrewery

Small brewery generally producing less than 15,000 barrels per year. Sales primarily off premises.

WHITE BEER (WITBIER)

Smooth, cloudy Belgian ale brewed with unmalted wheat. Some people taste spicy/fruity overtones like orange and coriander.

OKTOBERFEST

Smooth, drinkable lager with slight malty sweetness. Before the days of refrigeration, oktoberfests were brewed with high alcohol content so they could be preserved in caves from March (hence its other name, Marzenbier) till fall.

Carbonation

Sparkle caused by carbon dioxide, either created during fermentation or injected later.

Final specific gravity

Specific gravity of a beer when fermentation is complete (that is, all fermentable sugars have been fermented).

Clovelike

Spicy character reminiscent of cloves; characteristic of some wheat beers, or if excessive, may derive from wild yeast.

INDIA PALE ALE (IPA)

Spicy, highly hopped beer brewed for export from England to the British colonies in India in the 1700s; its high alcohol content helped it survive the long sea voyage from England to Calcutta, and no doubt helped keep British soldiers happy in the heat.

Secondary fermentation

Stage of fermentation occurring in a closed container from several weeks to several months.

Oxidized

Stale flavor of wet cardboard, paper, rotten pineapple, or sherry, as a result of oxygen as the beer ages or is exposed to high temperatures.

TRAPPIST ALE

Strong, fruity, yeasty ale brewed by Trappist monks since the Middle Ages. Only beer brewed at a Trappist monastery can bill itself as "Trappist Ale".

BELGIAN ALE

Strong, lighter colored but potent ale. Some people claim they detect "pear notes".

BARLEY WINE

Strong, malty, slightly spicy ale reminiscent of brandy or strong wine. Like wine (and unlike other beers), barley wine improves

HOLIDAY ALE

Strong, often spicy seasonal ale produced by brewers for the winter holidays. Character and ingredients often vary from year to year and definitely from brewery to brewery.

PRIMING SUGAR

Sugar added to the bottle or keg that ferments and provides CO2.

Terminal gravity

Synonym for final specific gravity.

DMS

Taste and aroma of sweet corn; results from malt, as a result of the short or weak boil of the wort, slow wort chilling, or bacterial infection. -- Dimethyl sulfide, a sulfur compound.

SWEET

Taste like sugar; experienced on the front of the tongue.

Sweet

Taste like sugar; experienced on the front of the tongue.

Tart

Taste sensation cause by acidic flavors.

PALATE

Taste. Influenced by the grains, hops, water, yeast, and adjuncts used in production.

Grainy

Tastes like cereal or raw grain.

Metallic

Tastes tinny, bloodlike or coinlike; may come from bottle caps.

REGIONAL BREWERY

Technically, a brewer, which produces more than 25,000 barrels per year but not as much as the "macro" breweries.

BOUQUET

That portion of the odor caused by fermentation.

Fermenter(s)

The 6-gallon food-grade plastic pail or Glass carboys are also available, in 5, 6, and 7.5-gallon sizes.

CAMRA

The CAMpaign for Real Ale. An organization in England that was founded in 1971 to preserve the production of cask-conditioned beers and ales.

KRÄUSENING

The addition of a small proportion of partly fermented wort to a brew during lagering. Stimulates secondary fermentation and imparts a crisp, spritzy character.

Kr�usening

The addition of a small proportion of partly fermented wort to a brew during lagering. Stimulates secondary fermentation and imparts a crisp, spritzy character.

Dry-hopping

The addition of dry hops to fermenting or aging beer to increase its hop character or aroma.

Priming

The addition of sugar at the maturation stage to promote a secondary fermentation.

Dosage

The addition of yeast and/or sugar to the cask or bottle to aid secondary fermentation.

HOPPING RATE

The amount of hops added to a specified volume of wort. Often referred to in BUs (bittering units).

Length

The amount of wort brewed each time the brew house is in operation.

TOP FERMENTATION

The ancient method of brewing, where yeast ferments at room temperature and floats to the top of the beer. Top fermenting produces ales, which tend to be malty, complex, and sometimes a little fruity. (See also Bottom Fermentation)

Liquor

The brewer's word for water used in the brewing process, as included in the mash or, used to sparge the grains after mashing.

Brewhouse

The collective equipment used to make beer.

HIGH (HEAVY) GRAVITY

The common practice of brewing and fermenting a concentrated brew house wort and adjusting this beer to its final "gravity" or composition at the end of the process. High gravity brewing permits better utilization of equipment and can increase the capacity.

MALT EXTRACT

The condensed wort from a mash, consisting of maltose, dextrin's and, other dissolved solids. Either as a syrup or powdered sugar, brewers, in solutions of water and extract, to reconstitute wort for fermentation, use it.

Malt Extract

The condensed wort from a mash, consisting of maltose, dextrins and, other dissolved solids. Either as a syrup or powdered sugar, it is used by brewers, in solutions of water and extract, to reconstitute wort for fermentation.

BALANCE

The feature of a beer concerned with the balance of various flavors and sensations.

FIRST WORT

The first running of wort to be filtered in the straining vessel. It is richer in extract than subsequent running

BATCH FERMENTATION

The most common, traditional method of fermentation used to produce alcohol beverages, where each batch is fermented

SANITIZATION

The never ending process of cleaning brewing equipment

Publican

The owner or manager of a pub.

AROMA

The particular combination of smells from malt, hops, yeast, and any unusual or distinctive disturbances in the beer

FILTRATION

The passage of a liquid through a permeable or porous substance to remove solid matter in suspension.

Bitterness

The perception of a bitter flavor, in beer from iso-alpha-acid in solution (derived from hops). It is measured in International Bitterness Units (IBU).

Malt (ing)

The process by which barley is steeped in water, germinated ,then kilned to convert insoluble starch to soluble substances and sugar. The foundation ingredient of beer.

MALT (ING)

The process by which barley is steeped in water, germinated, and then kilned to convert insoluble starch to soluble substances and sugar. The foundation ingredient of beer.

Draft (Draught)

The process of dispensing beer from a bright tank, cask or, keg, by hand pump, pressure from an air pump or, injected carbon dioxide inserted into the beer container prior to sealing.

FILTERING

The process of passing beer through a porous substance to clarify it. This process occurs after fermentation.

RACKING

The process of separating the fermented beer from the yeast cells at the bottom of the fermenting vessel. Also the transfer of finished beer to kegs. Broadly, moving beer from one vessel to another.

Filter

The removal of designated impurities by passing the wort through a medium, sometimes made of diatomaceous earth ( made up of the microscopic skeletal remains of marine animals). Yeast in suspension is often targeted for removal.

ZYMURGY

The science / art of yeast fermentation. Also, the last word in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.

Wort

The solution of grain sugars strained from the mash tun. At this stage, regarded as "sweet wort", later as brewed wort, fermenting wort and finally beer.

Bung

The stopper in the hole in a keg or cask through which the keg or cask is filled and emptied. The hole may also be referred to as a bung or bunghole. Real beer must use a wooden bung.

TRIPEL

The strongest of Trappist Ales. (See above)

BEER STYLES

The three major beer styles are lagers, ales, and specialty beers. Specialty beers are brewed with various non-standard ingredients.

Dextrin

The unfermentable carbohydrate produced by the enzymes in barley. It gives the beer flavor, body, and mouthfeel. Lower temperatures produce more dextrin and less sugar. While higher temperatures produce more sugars and less dextrin.

Brew Kettle

The vessel in which wort from the mash is boiled with hops. Also called a copper.

Body

Thickness and mouth-filling property of a beer described as "full or thin bodied".

OATMEAL STOUT

This ale is a variation of sweet stout, with oatmeal added for a smooth texture and warm flavor.

STOUT

This ale is just what its name sounds like dark, sturdy, and strong. See also dry stout, oatmeal stout and sweet stout.

KRIEK

This ale wins points for being fun to ask for in a bar. Made with cherries (kreik) and unmalted wheat for a tart, fresh, fruity flavor.

Pitch

To add yeast to wort.

Lauter

To run the wort from the mash tun. From the German word to clarify. A lauter tun is a separate vessel to do this job. It uses a system of sharp rakes to achieve a very intensive extraction of malt sugars.

Sparge

To spray grist with hot water in order to remove soluble sugars (maltose). This takes place at the end of the mash.

PASTEURIZE

To subject packaged beer to a temperature of 142° 145° Fahrenheit for a specified time to destroy enzymes, yeast, and other bacteria.

HEFEWEIZEN

Traditional German ale; in German, "hefe" means "yeast" and "weizen" means "wheat". (See Wheat Beer)

Thermometer

Use a thermometer that can be safely immersed in the wort and has a range of at least 40F to 190F.

Aroma Hops

Varieties of hop chosen to impart bouquet.

Sack

Very sweet honey wine

Sour/Acidic

Vinegarlike or lemonlike; can be caused by bacterial infection.

Ester

Volatile flavor compound naturally created in fermentation. Often fruity, flowery or spicy.

Alcoholic

Warming taste of ethanol and higher alcohol's.

Hydromel

Watered down or made weaker French origin

DRY STOUT

With its malty flavor and dry, bitter finish, this ale is similar to porter, but creamier, darker and bitterer.

SEDIMENT

Yeast material at the bottom of the bottle formed as a result of conditioning the beer in the bottle. Not a sign of bad beer.

BREWER'S YEAST

Yeast specifically prepared for brewing beer. Two main types of yeast are used for making beer one ferments at the top of the brew (top fermenting yeast), and the other ferments at the bottom (bottom fermenting yeast).

Yeasty

Yeastlike flavor; a result of yeast in suspension or beer sitting too long on sediment.

Bottles

You will need 48 re-cappable 12 oz bottles. Twist-offs do not re-cap well and can oxidize you brew.

adjunct

fermentable material used as a substitute for traditional grains, to make beer lighter bodied or cheaper

Acetaldehyde

green apple aroma, a byproduct of fermentation

to convert ABW to ABV

multiply ABW by 1,25

Alcohol by volume

volume of alcohol in beer in terms of percentage by volume