- alcohol - an intoxicant created through the fermentation process. Alcohol content is expressed as a percentage of the volume or weight of the beer.
- ale - a top-fermented beer that originated in England as early as the seventh century. The addition of hops became a standard of ale production after the sixteenth century. An ale is fermented at temperatures ranging between 55 F and 70 F, warmer than those used to ferment lager.
- barley - a cereal grain used in making beer.
- barrel - a container for beer made solely of stainless steel. Also a unit of measuring beer which equals 31 gallons.
- beer - a fermented beverage made from malted cereal grain.
- body - the thickness of beer as perceived by its mouthfeel. The density and level of carbonation can affect this mouthfeel.
- brewhouse - the location where beer is made.
- brewkettle - the vessel in which wort from the mash is boiled with hops. Also called a copper.
- brewpub - an establishment which brews beer and sells it for consumption on-premise.
- bright beer tank (also called a conditioning tank) - a vessel in which beer is placed after primary fermentation where the beer matures, clarifies and is naturally carbonated through secondary fermentation.
- bung - the stopper in the hole in a keg of beer through which the keg is filled and emptied. The hole is also referred to as a bung or bunghole.
- carbon dioxide - a gas created from the fermentation process. Carbonation gives beer its effervescence.
- fermentation - the conversion of sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas, through the action of yeast.
- grist - malt which has been ground.
- hand pump (also known as a beer engine) - a device for dispensing draft beer using a pump operated by hand. The use of a hand pump allows cask-conditioned beer to be served without the use of pressurized carbon dioxide to force it uphill.
- heat exchanger - a device in which the wort is forced to cool rapidly. Also known as a cooler or wort chiller.
- hops - the dried blossom of the female hop plant, which is a climbing herb (Humulus lupulus). Only the seed cones from the female vine are used in making beer. Belonging to the mulberry family, the hop’s leaves and flowers are characterized by a bitter taste and aroma. It is the principle flavoring and seasoning agent in brewing. Historically it has been prized for its medicinal properties. In addition to its aromatic resins, the hop also contains tannin which helps to clarify beer.
Different strains of hops have different properties, and much of the brewmaster’s art is in knowing how to use these properties. For example, one strain may be particularly bitter to the taste without being very aromatic, while another strain might be just the opposite. The brewmaster will blend the two in various combinations just as a chef will experiment with various seasonings before settling on just the right combination for a particular recipe. Hops also serve as a natural preservative.
- keg - a closed, metal, barrel-shaped container for beer with a capacity of 15.5 gallons (1/2 barrel). A half keg (7.75 gallons) is referred to as a “pony keg.”
- krausen - the foam which appears on top of fermenting beer.
- krausening - the process of instigating a secondary fermentation to produce additional carbon dioxide in a beer.
- lager - a pale, bottom-fermented beer of moderate strength that originated in Central Europe. Lager is fermented at much colder temperatures than top-fermented beers (between 32 and 50° F).
- lagering - the process of cold fermenting at temperatures close to freezing to produce lager beer.
- lautering - the process of straining in a lauter tun.
- lauter tun - the vessel (in our case, the mash tun) used to separate the barley husks from the clear liquid wort. The barley husks themselves help provide a natural filter bed through which the wort is strained.
- malt - barley which has been soaked in water, allowed to sprout and then dried.
- malting - the process by which barley kernels are moistened and germinated, producing a ‘green malt’ which is then dried. This renders the starches present in the kernel soluble. If pale beers are to be produced, the malt is simply dried. If dark beers are to be produced, the malt is roasted until it is dark brown.
- maltose - a water-soluble, fermentable sugar contained in malt.
- mash - the substance that is produced by mashing.
- mashing - the process by which barley malt is mixed with water and cooked to turn soluble starch into fermentable sugar. Other cereal grains such as wheat may also be added. After mashing the mash is filtered through the lauter tun, whereupon it becomes known as wort.
- mash tun - a tank where grist is soaked in water and heated in order to convert the starch to sugar and extract the sugar and other solubles from the grist.
- microbrewery - there was a time when microbreweries could conveniently be described as breweries producing no more than 15,000 barrels of beer per year. Some breweries that fit this specification a few years ago now produce well in excess of 20,000 barrels a year. Does this mean that they can no longer qualify as microbreweries? We prefer to think that this makes them successful microbreweries. In common-sense terms, a microbrewery is a small craft brewery which seeks the support of informed beer consumers.
- original gravity - see specific gravity.
- pitch - to add yeast to wort.
- pub - an establishment serving beer and sometimes other alcoholic beverages for consumption on premise. A pub usually serves food as well. The term originated in England and is the shortened-form for “public house.”
- publican - the owner or manager of a pub (not to be confused, of course, with a republican.)
- sparge - to spray grist with hot water in order to remove soluble sugars (maltose.) This takes place at the end of the mash.
- specific gravity - a measure of beer’s density in relation to the density of water, which is given a value of 1 at 39.2° F. When fermentation begins the wort’s density is measured Ð this is called original gravity (o.g.) The o.g. is always higher than 1 because of the solubles, such as maltose which are suspended in it. As the yeast converts the maltose into alcohol the gravity drops, since alcohol is lighter than water. When the brewer is ready to serve the beer, he takes a final gravity reading, known as the terminal gravity (t.g.)
- terminal gravity - see specific gravity.
- wort - the sweet liquid which is created from the mashing and boiling process. When wort is cooled and fermented it is called beer.
- yeast - a micro-organism of the fungus family. During fermentation of beer, the yeast consume maltose and in the process create alcohol and carbon dioxide.
- zymurgy - the science or study of fermentation.
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