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Mikes Big Brewing Glossary - Beer terms Category: Food and Drink > Homebrewing beer Date & country: 08/09/2014, USA Words: 368

priming
The addition of a controlled quantity of fermentable sugars at the time the beer is bottled or kegged. Residual yeast in the beer ferments the sugar, carbonating the beer.

Pre-Pro Pils
See Classic American Pilsener.

primary fermentation
When a two-stage fermentation is used, the first stage is referred to as the primary fermentation.

primary fermenter
The vessel in which the initial, most active fermentation takes place.

potential alcohol
A hydrometer scale which can be used to directly calculate the alcohol content of the beer. Subtracting the ending (after fermentation) potential alcohol reading from the starting (before fermentation) potential alcohol reading will yield the approximate alcohol content.

polysaccharides
Complex sugars, consisting of multiple linked simple sugar (monosaccharide) molecules. Larger sugar molecules are not fermentable by brewers yeast, and will remain in the finished beer, giving it a sweet flavor.

poppet
A small, spring-loaded valve located inside a soda keg fitting. The poppet is what seals the fitting when the hose fitting is removed. Poppets are the most likely source of leaks on older soda kegs; replacements are available from various on-line vendors.

Porter
A very dark ale, characterized by the sharp, roasted flavor of Black Patent malt. Many beer historians consider Porter to be the style which eventually evolved into Stout.

Polyclar
A beer clarifying agent, added after fermentation is complete. Polyclar is essentially a form of powdered plastic (nylon); it works by attracting haze-forming compounds, and causing them to precipitate (settle) out of solution.

Plato
System of measuring the sugar content of a solution (e.g. beer wort), where the sugar content is expressed as a percentage by weight. E.g., a 10

points
The fractional part of a specific gravity reading (to three decimal places). Examples: A SG reading of 1.056 is equivalent to 56 points; a SG reading of 1.105 is equivalent to 105 points.

pin lock
A type of soda keg fitting where the quick-disconnect mechanism locks together by means of pins that protrude from the fittings on the keg. The pins on the keg fittings fit into grooves machined into the gas and beer hose fittings; the mechanism is locked by twisting the hose fitting.

pitching
The act of adding yeast to the wort.

plate mill
A grain mill which crushes the grain between textured metal plates (one fixed, and one rotating). Plate mills are less desirable for brewing than roller mills, because the shearing action created by the rotating plates tends to shred the grain husks. The Corona mill is the most commonly available plate mill.

Pilsner malt
A very light colored base malt, with a neutral flavor and high enzyme content. Typically has enough amylase enzyme to convert a significant percentage of unmalted adjuncts.

Pilsner
A pale colored lager beer of moderate strength. Continental (European) versions are well-balanced, with noticeable malt character, hop bitterness, and the flavor/aroma of noble hops. Pilsner Urquell (brewed in Czechoslovakia) is the original Pilsner beer. The American Light Lager style is an adaptation (some would say bastardization) of the Pilsner style.

phosphoric acid
An inorganic acid, commonly used in the soft drink industry. Though harder to find than lactic acid at the homebrew level, it is slightly better as an acidifying agent for mashing/sparging, since it is more stable.

pils malt
See Pilsner malt.

Pilsener
Alternate spelling of Pilsner.

phenols
Large class of orgainic compounds which occur naturally in wort and beer. Tannins, which can be leached out of the grain husks during the sparge, are one type of phenols; they have a bitter, astringent taste. Phenols also contribute to chill haze, and (when combined with chlorine from tap water or bleach sanitizer) can also result in objectionable plastic-like, medicinal flavors.

Philmill
A roller mill designed for home brewing use, manufactured by Listermann Manufacturing. Like the other mills available to homebrewers, the Philmill appears to have a loyal following. Distinguishing features include true parallel roller adjustability, an overload spring (which prevents damage from pebbles or other foreign matter in the malt), and lower cost than its competitors. (See mill wars.)

PET bottle
Another name for plastic soda bottles. I don't remember what the letters in the acronym P-E-T stand for (but they definitely stand for something).

pH
A measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. Neutral pH is 7.0; values below 7.0 are acidic, while values above 7.0 are alkaline. The scale is logarithmic -- so a pH of 5.0 is not twice as acidic as a pH of 6.0, it is 10 times as acidic.

pH meter
An electronic device designed to measure the pH of a solution.

phenolic
Term most commonly used to describe the spicy, clove-like aroma and flavor which can be produced as a fermentation by-product, by certain strains of yeast. In most styles of beer, phenolic flavors are undesirable; however, in certain styles (e.g. German Weizen, some Belgian ales) it is an expected part of the character of the beer. There are other phenolic flavors which may be produced by yeast as well (vanilla-like, smoky), but these are less common.

peated malt
Malt which has been dried (kilned) using a peat fire. May be used in Scottish ales, to impart a peat smoked character, similar to the smoky character that is characteristic of Scotch whiskey.

pasteurization
Process in which a substance is heated, to kill most of the wild yeast and bacteria it may contain.

parti-gyle
The practice of using the first runnings from the mash to brew a high-gravity (strong) beer, and the second runnings to brew a lower gravity beer. See also no-sparge brewing.

partial mash
A method of brewing in which a small mash supplies some of the fermentable sugars, with the balance of fermentable sugars contributed by malt extracts.

pale malt
A base malt which has been kilned at somewhat higher temperatures than Pilsner malt. The higher kilning temperatures result in a slightly darker color, and a richer flavor.

pale ale malt
See pale malt.

oxygen
A gas which comprises about 21% of normal air. Yeast require oxygen for healthy reproduction; this is why the wort should be aerated at pitching time. At any other stage of the brewing or fermentation process, oxygen is not desirable, because it can oxidize compoinds in the wort or beer, resulting in stale flavors.

Pale Ale
A golden to copper colored ale of medium strength. English examples tend to be maltier than American exmples. American Pale Ales tend to be slanted more towards hops, with a citrusy character (from American finishing hop varieties such as Cascades) being quite common.

oxidation
A chemical reaction, in which oxygen reacts (binds with) with other chemical compounds in the wort or beer. Oxidation is usually undesirable, as it can result in stale, cardboard-like flavors. In very high gravity beers (e.g. Old Ales and Barleywines), some oxidation is to be expected, due to the extended aging that these beers typically undergo. Low levels of oxidation may even be desirable in these styles -- in proper balance, it can lend a sherry-like character which some people find pleasing.

Ordinary Bitter
A gold to copper colored, low alcohol, low carbonation English-style ale.

original gravity
A measure of the amount of sugars present prior to fermentation. In most homebrew recipes and texts, original gravity is measured using the specific gravity scale, though the Plato or potential alcohol scales may also be used on occasion.

Oatmeal Stout
A variation of Sweet Stout, in which unmalted oats are used for a portion of the grain bill.

OG
See original gravity.

Oktoberfest
A gold to amber colored, malty, German-style lager beer, with moderate hop bitterness.

Old Ale
A malty, very strong English-style ale. Generally not as strong as a Barleywine.

open fermentation
The practice of carrying out the initial fermentation in an open vessel. Some traditional English and Belgian breweries, and even a small number of contemporary US microbreweries, use open fermentation. With the exception of Belgian Lambics, open fermentation requires the use of large quantities of healthy yeast, in order to overpower any undesirable microbes which may fall into the wort.

NHC
National Homebrew Competition. An annual homebrew competition sponsored by the American Homebrewers Association. Brewers submit entries to a first round judging in their geographic area; winners from the first round judging advance to a second round (national) judging.

no-sparge brewing
The practice of omitting the sparge step in an all-grain batch. The liquid is simply drained from the mash tun, and the kettle is topped up with plain water. No-sparge brewing results in reduced extraction efficiency (so more grain must be used for a given OG), but simplifies and shortens the brewing process. Some respected authors (e.g. George Fix) claim that it also results in a more flavorful beer. See also parti-gyle.

molasses
A by-product of the production of white table sugar from sugar cane. Molasses will impart a rum-like flavor if added to beer.

monosaccharide
A sugar consisting of a single ring-shaped molecule. Glucose and fructose are examples of monosaccharides. Multiple monosaccharide molecules can be linked together in chains, to form disaccharides, trisaccharides, and polysaccharides.

Melomel
A mead made with fruit juice.

Metheglin
A mead made with added spices or herbs.

Milk Stout
See Sweet Stout.

modifcation
A measure of how far germination (sprouting) of the grain was allowed to progress during malting. A malt with low degree of modification (referred to as undermodified malt) has been allowed a lesser degree of germination than a fully modified malt. Undermodified malt typically requires at least a protein rest, and will benefit from a decoction mash. Nearly all contemporary malts are fully modified.

mash-out
The final stage of mashing, where the temperature of the mash is raised to approximately 165

Mead
An alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of honey. For a traditional mead, the honey is mixed with water. In a fruit mead, the honey is mixed with fruit juice. Mead is really more of a wine than a beer, since it does not contain any grain sugars. Mead can be broadly classified based on whether it is sparkling or still, and whether it is dry or sweet.

melanoidins
A generic term for a broad range of compounds which are produced when malt (or wort) is heated. Melanoidins are largely responsible for the flavors of highly kilned and dark roasted malts.

mash tun
The vessel in which mashing occurs. Pots, food-grade plastic buckets, and picnic coolers can all be used as mash tuns for homebrewing, with decent results.

mashing
Mashing is the process of mixing crushed malts (and possibly grain adjuncts as well) with water, and holding the mixture at specific temperatures for specific periods of time. During mashing, enzymes which are naturally present in the malt convert the grain starches into sugars, which are in turn fermentable by brewers yeast.

mash
A mixture of crushed malt, (possibly) other adjunct grains, and water. The mash undergoes one or more temperature rests, which activate various enzymes present in the malt. These enzymes break down proteins and starches in the malt, into simpler compounds (amino acids and sugars).

Marzen
See Oktoberfest.

malt extract
Wort which has been concentrated into syrup (liquid malt extract) or powder (dried malt extract) form.

maltose
A sugar molecule consisting of two linked glucose molecules. Maltose is the most common type of sugar in beer wort, typically comprising about 50% of the sugars present. See also disaccharide.

maltotriose
A sugar molecule consisting of three linked glucose molecules. While normal brewers yeast can ferment maltotriose, a common yeast mutation can result in yeast which is unable to ferment this sugar, resulting in unusually high ending gravities, and overly sweet beer. See also trisaccharide.

malt
Grain which has been allowed to sprout, then dried. The most common types of malt used in brewing are barley malt, and wheat malt.

Maibock
Essentially the same thing as a Helles Bock.

maize
Another name for corn.

liquid malt extract
Malt extract which has been concentrated to a syrup form. Typically contains about 20% water.

LME
See liquid malt extract.

Lovibond
A scale used to specify the color of malt; the higher the number, the darker the malt. Most base malts have a Lovibond rating below 10 (dark Munich malts may be slightly higher). Crystal/caramel and toasted malts generally have a Lovibond rating of between 10 and 100. Roasted malts are typically above 400.

low alpha hops
Hops having a low alpha-acid content. Many of the preferred varieties of finishing hops are low alpha (though there are exceptions).

lautering
The process of separating the wort from the solid part of the mash.

Lintner
A scale used to specify the diastatic power (amount of viable enzymes) present in malt. The higher the number, the more enzymes are present. If you will be mashing unmalted adjuncts with your malt, look for a base malt with a diastatic power above 100. Malts with a diastatic power below around 40 should not be counted on to have enough enzymes to convert themselves, let alone additional adjuncts.

lager
Any beer which has been fermented at cool temperatures using a cold-tolerant (lager) yeast, then stored cold for anywhere from several weeks to several months, to smooth out the flavor.

lager malt
See pilsner malt.

lager yeast
Brewers yeast which typically works at temperatures below 60

lauter tun
A vessel, typically fitted with a false bottom or manifold, used to separate the wort from the solid part of the mash. In some systems, the lauter tun and mash tun are combined; in other systems, they are different vessels.

kettle finings
Clarifying agents which are added during the boil; sometimes referred to as copper finings. The most commonly used kettle fining is Irish moss.

kilning
The heating of malt to reduce the moisture content, and impart color and flavor. The temperature at which kilning is carried out, and the length of the kilning, determines how dark the malt will be.

Kriek
A Lambic fermented with cherries.

lactic acid
An organic acid, which gives spoiled milk its sourness. Small amounts of pure lactic acid are commonly used as a brewing water additive, to reduce pH. Certain types of bacterial infections may produce large quantities of lactic acid during fermentation, imparting a distinct sour flavor to the finished beer. In certain styles of beer (e.g. Lambic, Berliner Weisse, Oud Bruin) some lactic sourness is a desirable characteristic.

isomyl acetate
An organic compound which is produced by certain strains of yeast during fermentation. Has a banana-like aroma and flavor.

isomerization
A process in which the chemical structure (but not the composition) of a compound is rearranged. In brewing, the most common isomerization reaction is that of hop alpha acids, in the boil.

IPA
See India Pale Ale.

Irish moss
A form of dried seaweed, used to help clarify beer. Irish moss is added to the kettle during the boil; it causes more of the dissolved proteins to precipitate out, in the form of hot break. This means there are less proteins left in the finished beer, resulting in less chill haze.

isinglass
A beer clarifier made from the swim bladders of certain fish. Like gelatin, it causes yeast to settle out more rapidly. Isinglass is the traditional clarifier for British cask ales, and is added at the end of fermentation.

iso-alpha acid
Hop alpha acids which have undergone isomerization in the boil, making them more soluble. (Alpha acids which have not been isomerized are not very soluble in wort/beer.)

infusion mash
A mashing technique in which a controlled amount of hot water is added to the grain, to achieve the desired mash temperature.

iodine test
A method for determining whether all of the starches in a mash have been converted to sugars. A small sample of the mash liquid is placed on a white plastic or ceramic plate, and a drop of red tincture of iodine is added. If the iodine does not change color, then starch conversion is complete. If the iodine darkens, then the degree of color change gives a rough indication of the amount of starch still present.

Imperial Stout
see Russian Imperial Stout

India Pale Ale
A strong, hoppy Pale ale. The style originated in Britain in the 19th century, and had a high alcohol content and hopping rate, allowing it to survive the long sea voyage to India.

infection
In brewing, an infection refers to significant levels of any microbes in the beer wort other than the desired yeast. Potential infecting microbes include wild yeasts (and other fungi), as well as various bacteria. Symptoms of an infection can vary widely depending on the specific infecting microbe(s), and can include (but are not limited to): mold growing in the fermenter, strange odors and/or flavors, overcarbonated bottles, rings of scum in the bottles, and clumps or strands of gelatinous material.

immersion chiller
A device used to chill wort quickly from boiling temperatures, to temperatures suitable for pitching the yeast (60s for ales, 50s for lagers). Consists of a copper coil which is placed in the brew pot; cold water is run through the coil, which cools the wort.

hydrometer
A device for measuring the sugar content of beer wort, by determining its density. There are several different hydrometer scales which are used; the most common one used by homebrewers is specific gravity; other commonly used scales are Plato, and potential alcohol.

hypochlorite
The active ingredient in household bleach.

IBU
see International Bittering Units

hot liquor
Hot water used in mashing and sparging.

hot liquor tank
Tank for heating and/or storing hot water for use in the brewing process.

HSA
see hot side aeration

hydro test
A pressure test which must be performed on CO2 tanks every 5 years. You cannot get a tank refilled if its pressure test is out-of-date.

hydrogen sulfide
A foul-smelling gas, chemical formula H2S, which has a distinct odor of rotten eggs. While hydrogen sulfide can be a sign of a bacterial infection, it is also produced as a normal fermentation by-product by certain yeast strains (especially lager strains). When produced as a part of normal fermentation activity, the odor eventually dissipates.

hot break
Material which precipitates out of the wort during the boil, consisting primarily of proteins and tannins. One of the components of trub. Hot break is generally removed prior to fermentation.

hop-back
Device in which hot wort (after the boil, but prior to cooling) is run through a bed of whole hops. This serves two purposes -- it imparts hop aroma to the beer, and the hops also help filter out the hot break, clarifying the wort.

hops
Hops are the flower of a climbing vine (Humulus Lupulus). Hops contain bitter alpha acids, which are what give beer its bitterness. They also contain various other volatile organic compounds, which can impart other flavors and aromas to beer, depending on the hop variety. Hops which are boiled for more than 30 minutes will impart mainly bitterness; hops which are boiled for a moderate length of time (10-30 minutes) will impart mainly hop flavors. And hops which are boiled only briefly (or not at all) will impart hop aromas.

hop pellets
Hops which have been ground, then extruded into pellet form. The most widely available form of hops. Pellets are easy to store, and yield slightly more bitterness than whole or plug hops, since the pelletizing process breaks down the structure of the hops, making the alpha acids easier to extract. Many brewers prefer plug or whole hops to pellets for finishing however, citing better flavor and/or aroma.