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| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| A.A.U- Alpha acid Units |
A system of measuring bitterness in hops. Measured in percentage. |
| Adjunct |
fermentable additive to beer, other than barley. |
| Alcohol By Volume |
(SBV) Standard measurement of alcohol in beer. |
| Ale- Style of beer |
Usually referring to top fermenting at warmer temperature
brewed beer. |
| Ale Yeast |
A yeast strain that ferments at the top of beer and is best
around 55-70 degrees F. |
| Alpha Acid |
Bittering acid in hop flowers. |
| Alpha amylase |
One of two main enzymes used in starch to sugar creation
in malted grain mashing. |
| AltBier |
German for “ale” top fermenting German beer
that’s gold in color. |
| Aroma |
The smell of beer created by a combination of yeast, malt
and hop characters. Often an entry in a Beer Journal |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| Barm |
1. To add yeast. (See also Pitch)
2. Foam associated with beer. In fermenting see also Kraesen.
In drinking see also Head. |
| Beer |
An alcoholic beverage made with four primary ingredients:
Water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. |
| Beer Journal |
A written log of previous beers including recipe, starting
gravity, finishing gravity, time to ferment, time to age,
and beer description (i.e. head, body, aroma). |
| Beta-Acid |
acid in hops flowers. Insoluble, does not contribute to
beer bittering. |
| Beta-Amylase |
Second of two primary enzymes in grain mashing. Converts
starches and dextrin sugars to fermentable sugars, mainly
maltose. |
| Bitter |
English Style of ale characteristically high in hops. |
| Body |
Characteristic of beer. Usually described as being between
“thin” to “chewy”. Sometimes called
“mouth-feel”. Is often a beer journal entry. |
| Bock |
German for “sheep”. Also references a tawny
to dark lager beer originating from Germany. |
| Boil-over |
Foam from boiling wort flows over the top of the brew kettle.
They happen to everyone. Keep a glass of clod water by your
pot, and splash it when foam gets out of hand. |
| Bottle conditioning |
the process of adding fermentable sugars (often corn sugar)
to individual bottles in order to acquire carbonation. Usually,
a tablespoon for each bottle. (most consider this the “old
way”) Also called bottle priming. Used in single stage
brewing. |
| Bottling |
Process by which a brewer puts beer into bottles for finishing
its aging and carbonization. If 12 oz. Bottles are used you’ll
need around 48-52. If 16 oz. Bottles are used, you’ll
need 36. Use amber or brown colored bottles that lids DO NOT
screw on to. Plastic bottles work fine with screw on lids. |
| Brew |
Another word for beer |
| Brew Kettle |
Typically a 4-6 gallon stockpot. Stainless steel is most
commonly used, however some like the nostalgia of copper.
Aluminum should be avoided so should cast iron and porcelain. |
| Bung |
Keg sealing cork or stopper. Usually made of rubber. |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| Carboy |
Large container, usually made of glass and used in the fermenting
of beer and wine. |
| Cold break |
A period of time in the cooling of beer wort wherein protein
particles settle out |
| Conditioning |
The process of adding a fermentable sugar to beer in order
to achieve a desired level of carbonation. Also called priming.
See also bottle conditioning and bulk conditioning. |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| Dextrin |
Four or more glucose molecules bonded together. An unfermentable
sugar created by Alpha enzymes in the brewing process. Contributes
to the “body” of beer. Also an additive. |
| Diastase |
to enzymes in the process of starch conversion to sugar
(dextrin). |
| Diacetyl |
A “butterscotch” flavor in beer. Sometimes deliberate,
however often considered a flaw or “off” flavor. |
| Dopplebock |
Means literally “double bock” |
| Dunkel |
German for “dark” |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| Ester |
Term used to describe a fruity aroma of beer. Often an addition
in a beer journal. Described with a fruit (i.e. an apple ester) |
| Export |
in beer terms usually means a premium version of a beer. |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| Fermentation |
A process wherein yeast cells consume types of sugars and
produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. |
| Fermentation lock |
A device designed to allow carbon dioxide to escape the
fermenter, but not allow any air in. Usually one of three
options; a S-shaped, three piece, or blow-off tube. |
| Festbier |
German for “ festival Beer” A beer made for
a festival. No real set style, but usually stronger than average. |
| Fining |
A process by-which on adds a gelatinous ingredient to the
beer in order to further
clarify.
|
| finishing gravity |
(F.G.) Hydrometer measurement of beer prior to priming addition.
Measurement gives an idea of fermentation completion. When
two days measurements are the same, fermentation is complete. |
| Finishing hops |
Last addition to the wort prior to going into the fermenter.
Hops are added to the boiling wort in the last 5-2 minutes
to add hop aroma. See also dry hopping. |
| Flocculation |
Usually refers to the sedimentation of yeast |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| Grist |
Ground milled malted barley and any adjuncts for the propose
of beer making |
| Head |
The top of your body above your neck. Also referenced in
the foam formed by beer carbonation. A beer journal entry
described in density and longevity. |
| Hefe |
German for “yeast” |
| Hefeweizen |
German wheat beer with bottle sediment. |
| Helles |
German for “light”. Describes a light German
lager beer often brewed in the winter for spring consumption. |
| Hydrometer |
Device that measures the specific gravity of liquid in comparison
to water at 60 degrees F. |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| India Pale Ale- (IPA) |
a British ale made strong and with high hop character designed
for transport to troops in India. |
| International Bittering Unit (IBU) |
Accepted standard for measuring the bitterness of a finished
beer. 1 IBU= 1 milligram of iso-alpha acid (acid produced
by hops) in 1 liter of beer. |
| Kraesen |
Very nasty looking foam that forms on top of beer in the
first few days of fermentation. Sometimes called “barm”. |
| Kraesening |
A process in which finished beer is primed for carbonation
with wort instead of sugar. Has nothing to do with nasty looking
foam that grows in fermentation. |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| Lager |
German word for “wait” or “store”.
Also a bottom fermenting beer that requires cooler temperatures
(40-55 degrees F) for fermenting, and in then stored for a
long period at very cold temperature (usually around 35-45)
in order to properly age. |
| Lager yeast |
A bottom fermenting yeast that requires cool temperatures
(around 40-55 degrees F) for fermentation. |
| Lambic |
Belgian beer that is deliberately contaminated for the sour
taste. |
| Lauter-tun |
Device used in brewing all grain beer. For practical purposes,
it’s a strainer used to separate the grains from the
sugary wort. |
| Lautering |
the process of removing spent grains from wort. |
| Light |
In America it has to do with caloric intake, in England
and Australia it has to do with lower alcohol. |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| Maibock |
German for “May Bock” or spring beer. A celebratory
beer for Maifest usually brewed in winter for readiness in
late March or early April. Often pale in color. |
| Malt |
See malted barley. |
| Malt Extract |
A syrup-like liquid, can also in powder form, made of dehydrated
mashed malted barley. |
| Malted Barely |
Barley grain that has been allowed to germinate slightly
and then dried for purposes of creating sugars, starches,
and enzymes used in beer making. The heart of beer. |
| Mashing |
The process by which starches are converted to sugars from
malted grain in temperature controlled ( 140-150 degree F)
water. |
| Oktoberfest |
German celebration of the fall harvest. Beer style is Medium
strong, red to dark red in color and medium bodied. Also called
Marzen. |
| Old Ale |
In England it means a medium strong ale. In Australia it
means dark ale. |
| Original gravity |
See specific gravity |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| Pale |
Usually means bronze or copper in color. In England it means
premium ale |
| Pilsener |
(Other spellings are pilsner and pils) a golden colored,
dry lager of conventional strength. It can be used to mean
“super-premium”. Originally brewed in the town
of Pilsen Czech and is characterized by its Saaz hops use. |
| Pitching |
adding of yeast to cooled wort (around 70 degrees F), in
order to make beer. |
| Porter |
A English style lager that almost died out, but has had
a resurgence in the last 20 years in micro-breweries (e.g.
Sierra Nevada). It is characteristically a lighter-bodied
stout counter-part around 5% ABV. |
| Primary Fermentation |
Initial fermentation process taking place between 5-7 days
and takes up around 80% of fermenting process. Takes place
in the primary fermenter. |
| Primary Fermenter |
Sometimes called “the primary” a vessel, more
often than not a fermentation bucket or carboy, where in primary
fermentation takes place. |
| Priming |
the addition of fermentable sugars in one form or another
to finished beer in order to carbonate. |
| Proofing |
term for starting a yeast culture to an active state in
order to lessen lag time. |
| Proteolytic enzymes |
Enzymes in malt that degrade protein. |
| Racking |
or unfinished beer from a primary to secondary fermenter. |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| Sanitize |
To cleanse as much of wild yeast and bacteria from equipment
as possible in order to avoid contamination. |
| Scotch Ale |
Most often used to describe a very strong, very dark, smoked
malt accented beer from Scotland. |
| Secondary fermentation |
Fermentation which occurs in a secondary fermenter. Usually
allowing 1-4 weeks time and around 20% of fermentation. |
| Single-stage brewing |
Term used to describe a brewing system that has only a brew
kettle and a fermenting container, wherein you bottle straight
from the frementer. Not recommended with lagers. Time in the
fermenter should never exceed two weeks. |
| Sparge |
To add a second part of hot water (170 degrees F) to a mashed
and drained grain in order to rinse the remaining sugars from
the grain. |
| Specific gravity |
liquid measurement of density in relation to water. Requires
the use of a hydrometer. Above 1.000 (or water) is denser
than water. |
| Starting gravity- (O.G.) |
Sometimes called original gravity. Hydrometer measurement
of wort prior to yeast addition. Measurement gives an idea
of alcohol content post fermentation. The larger the number,
the more likely the higher the alcohol level of finished beer. |
| Steam Beer |
A trademark of Anchor Steam brewery. Also a lager beer brewed
at ale temperatures and is said to be the last truly American
style beer still in production. |
| Stout |
An extra-dark usually black ale made with dark roasted barely.
Usually comes in three varieties: English Stout or sweet stout
made with lactose for sweetness but low in alcohol, and Irish
stout or dry stout (i.e. Guinness) and Russian Imperial stout
which is heavy, full and extremely high in alcohol. |
| Word or Phrase |
Meaning |
| Tripel |
for a ale of particular strength. It is often pale in color
and often spiced. |
| Trub |
(pronounced TR-OOB) Protein that has coagulated and precipitated
out of wort. Honestly, its not that big of a deal… protein
makes your beer cloudy when cold. |
| Two-stage brewing |
Brewing method by which unfinished beer is moved to a secondary
for further clarity and longer fermenting times and aging.
Necessary for lagering. Beer can stand in secondary fermenter
for up to a month. |
| Vienna |
An amber-red lager originally produced in Vienna |
| Wort |
(pronounced WERT) Malt extract, hops and water combined.
Beer prior to fermenting or the addition of yeast is called
wort. |
| Wort chiller |
Device used in cooling wort. Typically two types: immersion,
which is put into the wort and cold water run through it,
and counter-flow wherein hot wort goes through a thin copper
line that is inside of a larger hose that cold water is flowing
in the opposite direction. |
| Yeast |
The magic stuff. Single celled organism, a fungus, that
converts sugars into carbon dioxide and alcohol. Comes in
two varieties and is hotly debated as to which is better.
Dry and liquid. |
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