| Ale: |
Typically, a class of beer
made with a top-fermenting yeast strain that is fermented at warmer
temperatures. Ale fermentations are generally shorter than lager
fermentations, and the yeast fermentation by-products are more pronounced in
the flavor/aroma. |
| Alpha Acid: |
Resin in hops that contributes
to the bitterness of beer. The higher the alpha acid% in the hop, the more
potential bitterness can be extracted from it. |
| Aroma Hops: |
Hops usually added in the last
5 minutes of the boil to impart hop aroma. They do not contribute much
bitterness. |
| Attenuation: |
The decrease in original
gravity that occurs during fermentation. A highly attenuated beer will be
thinner in body than a beer with low attenuation. |
| Base Malt: |
Malt such as pale malt, that
serves as the "backbone" of the beer, as well as the main sugar source for
fermentation. |
| Bittering
Hops: |
Hops used early in the boil to
impart bitterness. They do not generally impart much flavor or aroma. |
| Bottle
Condition: |
Carbonating beer with an
additional fermentation in the bottle. |
| Cold Break: |
The coagulation of proteins
during wort cooling. |
| Diacetyl: |
Fermentation by-product that
may lend buttery or butterscotch notes to beer. This is considered an
off-flavor in excessive amounts in any beer, however it is considered an
off-flavor in most lagers in any amount. Can also be caused by
contamination. |
| DMS (Dimethyl
Sulfide): |
An off-flavor is excessive
amounts that resembles the aroma or flavor of canned corn/cooked vegetables. |
| Dry-Hopping: |
Adding hops to finished beer
which provides hop aroma and flavor but no bitterness. |
| Esters: |
The "fruity" flavor or aroma
most commonly found in ales. Created from the interaction between acids and
alcohol. |
| Fermentation: |
In simple terms, the process
of yeast breaking down sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. |
| Fermenter: |
The vessel in which
fermentation takes place, typically a glass carboy or food-grade plastic
bucket for homebrewing applications. |
| Final Gravity: |
The density of the wort after
fermentation occurs. |
| Fining(s): |
Use of irish moss or isinglass
(or others) to clarify beer. |
| Flavor Hops: |
Hops added to the boil within
the last 20 minutes of the boil, imparting flavor and some aroma to the
beer. |
| Flocculation: |
"Dropping out" of yeast cells
and/proteins that effects the clarity of the beer. Higher flocculation means
clearer beer. |
| Fusel Alcohol: |
Off-flavor/flaw in excessive
amounts that contributes to an alcoholic harshness or "hotness" in the beer. |
| Hops: |
One of the four main
ingredients in beer. The flower or cone of a perennial vine that contributes
to the bitterness, flavor, and aroma in beer. They are considered the
"spice" of beer, and there are many varieties of hops that each impart
different flavors, aromas, and bitterness levels. |
| Hot Break: |
The coagulation of proteins
during wort boiling. |
| Hydrometer: |
Instrument that measures the
density of liquid in comparison to the density of water. One can determine
the alcohol % of a finished beer by comparing the original gravity and final
gravity. |
| Infusion Mash: |
Simplest procedure for
conducting a mash in which crushed grain is mixed with hot water to arrive
at a pre-determined rest. |
| IBU: |
International Bitterness Unit.
A measure of the bitterness in beer. |
| Kit: |
Usually refers to a hopped
malt extract. |
| Krausen: |
Prounounced by some as "Kroy-zen",
and has two definitions. 1. A method to carbonate beer in which wort is
added to the fermented/finished beer to carbonate. 2. The foamy head that
develops during the initial stage of fermentation. |
| Lager: |
A class of beer made with a
bottom-fermenting yeast strain. Usually fermented at cooler temperatures
than ale and lagered (stored cold) after fermentation to drive off yeast
by-products, usually resulting in a "cleaner" character in the finished
beer. |
| Lovibond: |
Measurement with which malt
and beer color is compared against. The higher the lovibond, the darker the
color. |
| Malt: |
Usually refers to malted
barley. Any grain (rye,wheat,barley etc) that underwent the malting process. |
| Malt Extract: |
A condensed/concentrated wort
that is used by homebrewers. It is found in either a liquid or dry form. |
| Malting: |
The process which basically
consists of immersing or soaking grains in water until they germinate, then
drying and kilning them in a way which develops the needed enzymes in malt
for mashing later. |
| Mash: |
Step in all-grain or partial
mash brewing in which crushed grains/malt are mixed with hot water to rest
at a pre-determined temperature or temperatures(if step mashing etc). The
enzymes in the malt then convert the starches in the grain to fermentable
and unfermentable sugars which the yeast will then consume during
fermentation. |
| Original
Gravity: |
The density of the wort before
fermentation occurs. |
| Oxidation: |
Off-flavor in most beer styles
which is caused by the introduction of oxygen to fermented beer. It produces
a stale, cardboardy flavor and aroma. |
| Phenols/Phenolic: |
Off-flavor in most beer styles
(except weizens and some Belgian styles) which can manifest themselves as a
medicinal/clovey/band-aid type flavor or aroma. High levels of phenols may
be caused by contamination or tannins extracted from the grain husks. |
| Pitch: |
Adding yeast to the cooled
wort. |
| Priming: |
Addition of a fermentable
sugar to finished beer to carbonate the beer in the bottle. Corn sugar is a
common priming sugar. |
| Rack: |
Also referred to as
"transfer." To move beer from one vessel to another, usually through
siphoning. |
| Saccharomyces
Carlsbergensis: |
Scientic name for lager yeast.
Bottom fermenting yeast. |
| Saccharomyces
Cerevisiae: |
Scientific name for ale yeast.
Top fermenting yeast. |
| Sparging: |
Rinsing excess sugars from the
grain after mashing. |
| Specialty
Malts: |
Malts used in lesser
quantities in the mash that are usually used to impart flavor/color/aroma.
Most specialty grains do not need to be mashed and can be steeped. |
| Steeping
grains: |
Used in extract brewing
applications. It is the process of soaking grains (usually specialty grains)
in water to extract color/flavor/aroma/body. Steeping differs from mashing
in that there is no starch-to-sugar conversion. |
| Wort: |
Basically, unfermented beer.
You will have made wort after the mashing and sparging process. Liquid or
Dry malt extract can be described as a concentrated wort. Pronounced "wert." |
| Yeast: |
One of the four main
ingredients in beer. Yeast is a single-cell fungus which feeds on sugars
produceded by mashing/malt extract, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Yeast is considered by many to be the most important ingredient in beer
making. |
| Zymurgy: |
The chemistry of fermentation
with yeasts, especially the science involved in beer and wine making.
|
