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

Burton water salts
A mixture of minerals which may be added to brewing water, in an attempt to emulate the hard water of Burton-On-Trent, England. Consists primarily of calcium sulfate (gypsum), with other trace minerals.

bottom fermenting
See bottom cropping.

Braggot
A mead in which some of the fermentable sugars come from malt; or, a mixture of ale and mead.

brett
See brettanomyces.

Brew On Premises
A commercial establishment which allows you to use their equipment to brew your own beer, for a fee.

Brix
See Plato.

Brown Ale
As the name implies, an ale which is brown in color. Malty, sometimes with a nutty character from roasted malt. English versions are moderately hopped, American versions typically more heavily so.

bottom cropping
Yeast which tends to settle to the bottom of the fermenter as the end of fermentation approaches. Most lager yeasts are bottom cropping.

bottling bucket
See bottling tank.

bottling tank
Typically, a plastic bucket with a spigot mounted near the bottom. Finished beer is siphoned into the bottling tank, where it is mixed with the priming sugar. Bottles are filled from the spigot, then capped. (Use of a bottle filler is recommended, to minimize splashing and aeration during bottle filling.)

bottling wand
See bottle filler.

bottling yeast
An additional dose of yeast added at bottling time, to ensure quick and complete fermentation of the priming sugar. Unless the beer has been sitting for a very long time in the fermenter (months), the use of bottling yeast is typically not necessary, since there is still enough of the original yeast in suspension to carbonate the beer.

bottle filler
A device which allows beer bottles to be filled with minimal splashing, thereby reducing aeration/oxidation of the finished beer. A typical bottle filler consists of a rigid plastic tube (metal versions are also available) long enough to reach the bottom of the bottle, and a valve which is opened by pressing the tip of the filler against the bottom of the bottle. Can be attached directly to the end of a siphon hose, or to the spigot of a bottling bucket.

bottle priming
The practice of adding a small quantity of priming sugar directly to each bottle, at bottling time.

bottle conditioning
The practice of naturally carbonating beer in the bottle. At the homebrew level, this is most commonly accomplished by introducing a measured amount of additional sugar (corn sugar, cane sugar, or malt extract) at bottling time. The residual yeast in the fermented beer ferments this priming sugar in the bottle, producing a small additional amount of alcohol, and CO2 (which carbonates the beer).

BOP
See Brew On Premises.

bottle bombs
Bottles of beer which over-carbonate to the point of exploding. Bottle bombs are no laughing matter, and can potentially cause serious injury. Fortunately, as long as good brewing practices are observed, bottle bombs are extremely rare. I have only had one exploding bottle of beer in over 4-1/2 years of brewing; and I'm pretty sure that was actually due to a defective bottle (the rest of the bottles in that batch were fine).

Bock
A designation of strength, indicating that the OG of the beer was between 1.064 and 1.072. Most commonly, used to refer to a strong, German-style lager beer, with moderate hop bitterness and minimal hop flavor and aroma. The urban legend which claims that Bock beers are made from the sediment collected from the bottom of the fermentation tanks is exactly that -- an urban legend, with absolutely no basis in fact.

bleach
Common household bleach, a.k.a. sodium hypochlorite. A reasonably effective and very inexpensive cleaning and sanitizing agent for brewing equipment and beer bottles. Must be rinsed (or allowed to air dry for an extended period of time) to prevent off flavors from the chlorine reacting with compounds in the beer.

black malt
See black patent malt.

black patent malt
Malted barley which has been roasted until it is black (or nearly so) in color, using a special roasting device. May be used in small amounts to impart color to beer, or in larger amounts to impart a dark brown or black color, and a sharp, roasted character. Similar to roasted barley. May be mashed or steeped.

biscuit malt
A toasted malt, made by DeWolf Cosyns Malting (Belgium). Should be mashed with pale malt.

Bitter
A style of ale which originated in England. Typically pale to copper colored, with a pronounced hop character. Some people consider bitter to be synonymous with pale ale.

bittering hops
Hops which are added near the beginning of the boil. Bittering hops

BJCP
Beer Judge Certification Program. A non-profit organization which publishes beer style guidelines, sanctions homebrew competitions, and certifies beer judges.

bench capper
See bottle capper.

beta acid
A class of bitter compounds in hops, which contribute (slightly) to the bitterness that hops impart to beer. Beta acids are of minor importance, as most of the hop bitterness is actually imparted by alpha acids.

beta amylase
One of the enzymes present in malt, capable of converting starches into sugars. Beta amylase tends to produce simple sugars, resulting in a more fermentable wort (drier beer). A starch conversion rest towards the low end of the temperature range (150F) will tend to favor beta amylase activity. See also alpha amylase.

beet sugar
A refined sugar which is produced from the juice of the sugar beet plant. One of the two forms of common table sugar (the other one being cane sugar). May be used as a source of fermentable sugars in some English and Belgian beer styles, and for bottle priming.

Belgian Lambic
See Lambic.

Belgian Wit
See Witbier.

beer geek
Any homebrewer who has advanced beyond simple kit brewing, or any person who has taken (and passed) the BJCP Certification Exam. :-)

batch priming
The practice of adding all of the priming sugar for a batch of beer in bulk (using a bottling tank), prior to bottling.

beer
Any alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of sugars obtained from grain. Historically, beer implied the use of hops, as opposed to ale, which was unhopped. Nowadays, nearly all beer contains hops, and the word ale has a different meaning (see ale).

Barleywine
An exceptionally strong type of ale. Barelywines tend to be very alcoholic, with a lot of sweetness from residual unfermented sugars. Many are very hoppy as well, to balance the sweetness of the unfermented sugars. The name derives from the fact that the alcohol content is comparable to that of wine.

base malt
In all-grain brewing, the malt which provides the enzymes for starch conversion, and most of the fermentable sugars. Base malt is always fairly light in color, because the high kilning temperatures used to produce darker malts would kill off the enzymes.

ball lock
The most common type of keg fitting used on soda kegs, for the liquid and gas connections. The quick-disconnect locks onto a groove in the keg fitting using a spring-loaded collar, and small steel ball bearings.

Balling
See Plato.

barley
Cereal grain, from which most beer is made. To make beer, the barley must first be malted, then mashed, then fermented.

autolysis
After yeast finish fermenting, they typically fall to the bottom of the fermentation vessel. Eventually -- as they begin to starve -- they may start to feed on each other, releasing unpleasant aromas and flavors into the beer. For beers which will remain in the fermenter for an extended period of time (more than 2-3 weeks), the potential for autolysis can be reduced by using a secondary fermenter (i.e. two-stage fermentation), to reduce the amount of sediment present.

bacteria
Single-celled organisms which are generally undesirable in beer. Bacterial contamination can result in sour, musty, or vegetable-like flavors in beer, and can cause bottles to gush when opened, or (in extreme cases) even explode. Fortunately, most bacteria do not like hops, alcohol, or low pH -- all of which are present in finished beer. Certain unusual styles of beer (e.g. Lambic, Oud Bruin, Berlineer Weisse) actually rely on bacterial fermentation for their unique tart character.

autoclave
A device which sterilizes through the use of extreme heat.

attenuation
The degree to which the sugars in the wort have been converted to alcohol and CO2. See also: apparent attenuation, actual attenuation.

aroma hops
Hops that are added near the end of the boil, or to the fermenter (see also: dry hops). Since the essential oils are not driven off by prolonged boiling, hops added near the end of (or after) the boil tend to result in a pronounced hop aroma in the finished beer.

aromatic malt
A medium colored specialty malt which has been kilned at temperatures higher than for a pale (base) malt, but lower than for a roasted malt. Sort of like an extra-dark Munich malt. Color is typically around 20

amino acids
The building blocks from which proteins are made. Amino acids are essential nutrients, required by the yeast. All-malt worts will almost always contain enough amino acids, with no further assistance from the brewer.

amylase enzymes
Enzymes which convert starches to sugars. See also: alpha amylase, beta amylase.

apparent attenuation
A measure of how fully fermented a beer is, calculated from the drop in specific gravity (density). It is called apparent attenuation because alcohol is lighter than water, so the change in density does not give a direct measurement of the actual amount of sugar converted into alcohol. Apparent attenuation can be calculated as:

American Light Lager
A very light-bodied and light tasting, pale colored beer. The most common (and most popular) style of beer in North America... at least, among non-homebrewers!

amber malt
A lightly roasted (or heavily toasted?) British specialty malt. Imparts a mild roasted flavor, with hints of coffee. Color typically runs about 45

alpha amylase
One of the enzymes present in malt, capable of converting starches into sugars. Alpha amylase breaks down starch into complex sugars and dextrins. Complex sugars and dextrins are not fermentable by brewers yeast, and therefore will tend to increase the sweetness and body of a beer. Mashing at the high end of the temperature range (158

alpha acid units
A method used for specifying the quantity of bittering hops, commonly used in homebrew recipes; commonly abbreviated as AAU, and also referred to by some authors as Homebrew Bitterness Units, or HBUs. One AAU is equivalent to one ounce of hops with an alpha acid rating of 1%. Example: If a recipe calls for 10 AAUs of bittering hops, and your hops have a rating of 5%, you need two ounces. (AAUs are the same as HBUs.)

ale yeast
Brewers yeast which typically works at temperatures of 60

alpha acid
The primary compounds in hops that give beer its bitterness. The amount of alpha acid in hops

alcohol by volume
The percentage of alcohol contained in a fermented beverage, expressed as the percentage of the total volume. Usually abbreviated as ABV. The alcohol by volume is higher than the alcohol by weight, because alcohol is lighter than water. Approximate alcohol by volume may be computed by subtracting the final gravity from the original gravity, and multiplying the result by 130.

alcohol by weight
The percentage of alcohol contained in a fermented beverage, expressed as the percentage of the total weight. Usually abbreviated as ABW. The alcohol by weight is lower than the alcohol by volume, because alcohol is lighter than water. Approximate alcohol by weight may be computed by subtracting the final gravity from the original gravity, and multiplying the result by 105.

alcohol
A class of chemical compounds, all having the general formula R-OH, where R represents a hydrocarbon group (i.e., a group of hydrogen and carbon atoms). The most important alcohol in beer is ethanol, also known as grain alcohol. Other alcohols, known collectively as fusel alcohols, may be present in trace amounts; they can give beer a harsh taste, and contribute to hangovers.

airlock
A small device, designed to be affixed to the top of a fermenter. An airlock allows the CO2 produced during fermentation to escape, without allowing airborne bacteria to enter the fermenter. The most common type is called a three piece airlock, and consists of a small plastic chamber, a float which sits inside the chamber, and a dust cover. The chamber is partially filled with liquid

AHA
American Homebrewers Association. Non-profit organization which promotes the hobby of homebrewing, and sanctions homebrew competitions. Founded by Charlie Papazian, author of several books on homebrewing.

aeration
The process of introducing (dissolving) air into wort or beer. Aeration of chilled wort at yeast pitching time is desirable, because yeast need oxygen to reproduce. Aeration of wort or beer at any other time in the brewing or fermenting process is generally considered to be bad, since it can cause oxidation, which leads to stale flavors.

adjuncts
Most commonly used to refer to refined sugars and unmalted grains (e.g. corn and rice), but may be used to refer to any non-malt source of fermentable sugars. Refined sugars may be added directly to the boiling kettle; unmalted grains must be mashed with malted grain, to convert the starches into sugars.

activated charcoal
A substance commonly used to remove both organic and inorgainic contaminants from water. Most water filtration units use activated charcoal. Does not remove all microorganisms (i.e., activated charcoal cannot be used to make unsanitary water safe).

actual attenuation
The actual percentage of sugars in the wort which have been converted to alcohol and CO2 by the yeast. Since alcohol is lighter than water, actual attenuation is higher than apparent attenuation (which is what we measure with our hydrometers).

ABV
See alcohol by volume.

ABW
See alcohol by weight.

acid rest
A low-temperature rest (around 95F), which is done to lower the pH of a grain mash. Not commonly used by either commercial or home brewers. Quite frankly, I don't know any all-grain brewers who actually use one on a regular basis.

AAU
See alpha acid units.

Abbey Ale
Generally used to refer to any ale which has been brewed in the style of a Trappist Ale, but by a secular brewer. See Trappist Ale.