Beer Glossary

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60/-	Scottish light ale (3 to 3.5%).
70/-	Medium bodied Scottish ale (3.5 to 4%).
80/-	Scottish Export ale (4 to 4.5%).
90/-	Wee heavy or Scotch ale.
Abbey Ale	A strong beer brewed traditionally by Belgian abbeys for the brothers to enjoy as liquid bread during their Lenten fasting.
Acetaldehyde	Formed by the oxidation of ethanol. Tastes like green apples of cider.
Acetic acid	See Acetaldehyde
Acrospire	The embryonic barley plant that grows inside the husk during germination of the barley grain
Adjuncts	Starches, other than malted barley and wheat, such as corn, rice, and sugar, which dilute the flavour and character of the malt and function as cheap fermentable sugars. Samuel Adams' beers contain no adjuncts.
Aftertaste	The taste, odor and tactile sensations that linger after the beer has been swallowed.
Aging - Cold Conditioning	A period of one to many weeks following or including fermentation in which the temperature of the beer is slowly reduced. This helps reduce the harsher secondary products of fermentation, while clarifying and mellowing the beer.
Alcohol	A synonym for ethyl alcohol or ethanol. The alcohol content of beer is directly related to the original gravity. 25 to 34% of the original extract is converted to alcohol. This means that the extract content is approximately 3 times as high as the resulting alcohol content. An entire beer with 11 to 14% original extract has an alcohol content of 4.5 to 5.5 percent. Pils normally has 4.5 to 4.9% and Export from 5.0 to 5.5%.
Alcohol by Volume	A measure of the amount of alcohol in beer; used as a primary measure in the UK. The measure of the amount of space the alcohol in a beer takes up as a percentage of total space.
Alcohol by Weight	A measure of the amount of alcohol in beer; used as a primary measure in the U.S. The measure of the amount of weight the alcohol in a beer has as a percentage of total weight.
Aldehydes	An organic compound that arises during the fermentation process. It is a precursor to alcohol and is also involved in the process of staling of beer.
Ale	A classification of beer styles. A style made with a top fermenting yeast, ales generally are hearty, robust, and fruity.
Ale Bock	Warm fermented beer designed to replicate the smooth, sweet, malty character of a German style bock. Originally a North American style.
Ale Conner	People appointed by local authorities to check the quality of ale.
Ale Yeast/Top Fermenting Yeast	The yeast strain used to make ales, a top fermenting yeast. This strain rises to the top of the tank during fermentation.
Aleurone layer	The layer covering the endosperm of a grain.
Alewife	Female brewer.
Alpha Acid	The main component of the bittering agent in the hop flower. The primary alpha acids are humulone, cohumulone and adhumulone. The largely insoluble alpha acids are converted during the wort boil to the more bitter and soluble iso-alpha-acids, the primary bittering compound in beer.
Altbier	A traditional style of beer brewed mainly in Dusseldorf. The German word alt means old and refers to the traditional method of top fermentation. Alt beers are dark, copper coloured, brewed from dark malts, well hopped. Originally, almost all beer was top-fermented. Bottom-fermenting yeast could first be used year-round after the invention of refrigeration equipment. Thereafter, the older type, top-fermented, was called Alt.
American Ale	An American version of traditional ale, brewed with North American hops. See: Ale.
American Malt Liquor	An alternative name given to beers in the U.S. that exceed the alcohol level defined by law for lager or beer.
Amylase	Enzymes which can convert starch to malt sugar. They are formed during the germination of the barley and contribute to the wort brewing in the brew-house.
Arginine	An amino acid crucial for brewing.
Aroma Hops	Hop varieties that are chosen for their aroma contribution to the beer. Noble hops are classified as aroma hops.
Attenuation	The extent to which brewing sugars are turned into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Auto-Bak	A pipe connecting the drip-tray of a beer engine to the pump inlet to save beer.
Autolysis	The feeding of yeast cells on each other by the excretion of enzymes. Caused by a lack of nutrients.
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Back	An old brewing term for a vessel; e.g. hopback.
Bacteria	Very small, primitive organisims. Often the cause of off beer.
Balance	The proportion of malt to hops in a beer. Brewers strive for a seamless balance of the two.
Balling	Measure of wort density due to the malt derived sugars.
Bamberg Beer	See Rauchbier
Barley	The grain used to produce the malt used in brewing.
Barley Wine	A top-fermented beer of unusually high, wine-like, alcohol content. Copper-coloured or dark brown, strongly flavoured, fruity, sometimes fermented with wine or champagne yeast.
Barm	The liquid yeast recovered after fermentation for re-use.
Barrel	A barrel of beer is equal to two kegs, or 36 gallons.
Beer	Generic name for alcoholic beverages produced by fermenting a cereal or a mixture of cereals, flavoured with hops.
Beer Engine	See: Hand Pump
Belgian Lace	The beautiful, white latticework of foam from the head of the beer that is left on the glass after a sip of beer has been taken.
Belgian Red Ale	Sour Belgium ale (4.5 to 5.5%) from western Flanders. Brewed with Vienna and other specialty malts for a deep red colour. Fermented with complex yeasts and aged in unlined wooden vessels.
Belly	The widest part of a cask.
Berliner Weisse	A regional beer of northern Germany. Top-fermented with 7-8% original extract which is fermented with a mixture of yeast and lactic acid bacteria. As the taste is somewhat sour, Berliner Weisse is normally drunk with a Schuss (shot) of raspberry or woodruff syrup.
Best Bitter	A British-style dry ale brewed to an original gravity of the mid- to upper 1040s.
Beta-Acids	The second major bittering substance in Hops. They are similar to alpha acids but make only a minor contribution to beer flavour.
Biere de Garde	French term (Trans: beer to keep) that applies to a strong, bottle-conditioned ale that is designed to be laid down when fermenting.
Bilge	Same as Belly � the widest part of the cask.
Bine	The stem of the hop plant
Bitter	One of the flavour characteristics of beer, contributed by the hops. In Britain, the draft equivalent of pale ale -- golden brown, top-fermented beer that's usually highly hopped, dry and lightly carbonated. Accounts for about 80% of draft beer sales in En
Bittering Hops	Hop varieties that are used to contribute bitterness to the beer.
Bitterness Units (IBU)	An international system of units for measuring and expressing the hop bitterness in beer.
Black and Tan	A mix of equal parts of dark and pale beers such as porter and pilsener, or stout and bitter.
Black Malt	Malted barley roasted at high temperatures. Used in stouts and dark beers to contribute dark colour and a burnt flavour.
Bock	A very strong lager traditionally brewed in winter to celebrate the coming spring. Full-bodied, malty, well-hopped. Bock is a top or bottom-fermented, high extract/gravity (over 16%) beer, available as pale or dark. The name is a corruption of the town name Einbeck where bock beer was first brewed.
Body - Mouthfeel	The density of a beer - the amount of mouth feel experienced by the drinker.
Boiling	Wort is boiled in the brew kettle, typically for 90 minutes. During this time, the wort is spiced with hops. Boiling stops all mash enzyme activity, it extracts bitter and aromatic substances from the hops and it boils off any harsh grainy odours.
Bottle-conditioned	Beer subject to secondary fermentation in the bottle. Adds condition to a beer or additional carbonation.
Bottom Fermentation	Fermentation with a yeast which tends to settle at the bottom of the fermenting vessel. Lager yeasts. Also known as cold fermentation.
Bottom-fermenting yeast	A yeast that sinks to the bottom of the copper during the process and remains there. When top-fermenting yeast has finished its work, it also then sinks to the bottom.
Bouquet - Aroma - Nose	The aroma or fragrance of the beer.
Braun beer	Braun (German for brown) beer is a very low extract/gravity (under 7%) top-fermented beer which gets its name from its colour. It is still brewed today in only a few German breweries.
Break	The visible particles of protein and other matter that form in the wort.
Brettanomyces Anomalus	This yeast is the single most important factor in producing British Stock Ale.
Brew Kettle	One of the vessels used in the brewing process, used to boil the wort.
Brewery conditioned beer	Beer which is conditioned at the brewery ready for filtering and pasteurising.
Brewing	The art of making beer.
Brewster	Female brewer or alewife
Bright Beer	Filtered beer.
Brown Ale	A British-style, top-fermented beer which is lightly hopped and flavoured with roasted and caramel malt.
Brune	French for Brown. Above average strength (6 to 6.5%) dark lagers.
Bulk heading or bunging	The precisely controlled pressurizing of beer storage during the secondary fermentation in order to achieve the desired level of dissolved carbon dioxide.
Bung	The hole in the head of the cask which contains the keystone.
Burr	The female hop flower from which the cones develop
Burton	City in England that is famous for its brewing of Pale Ale. Local hard water is high in Gypsum (calcium sulphate) which enhances the style's crisp character.
Burtonization	Water treatment which replicates the characteristics of the Burton water.
Butyric acid	An organic acid produced by bacterial infection that has a rubbery taste.
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Calcium	The hardness of water is expressed in a scale of numbers, the German hardness scale (dH) which reflects the total calcium and magnesium salt content.
Cant	The short D-shaped planks in the head of the cask.
Capric acid	A fatty acid with a soapy taste. A product of yeast metabolism.
Caproic acid	A fatty acid with a goaty, sweaty taste. A product of yeast metabolism.
Caprylic acid	A fatty acid with a goaty, fatty taste. A product of yeast metabolism.
Caramel	Sugar which has been darkened by boiling. Used to darken beer and increase the original gravity.
Caramel Malt	A sweet, coppery malt which imparts both colour and flavour to beer. Gives a golden colour and a nutlike flavour to beer. Used frequently in darker ales. Also called crystal malt.
Carbohydrates	An organic compound of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. Also called starch.
Carbon Dioxide	The gas produced by yeast during fermentation and which gives beer its condition.
Carbonates	Calcium, sodium and magnesium salts compounded with carbonic acid. So-called hard water is rich in these compounds which negatively influence the brewing of pale beers.
Carbonation	Sparkle caused by carbon dioxide, either created during fermentation or injected later. Carbon dioxide is the gas produced during fermentation, under pressure it combines with water to form carbonic acid. This pressure is always existent in closed beer containers as the carbon dioxide tries to escape from the liquid. The pressure is important for beer freshness and keeping quality.
Carbonic acid	The acid that forms as the bubbles of carbon dioxide burst. Gives the tingling sensation on the tongue.
Caryophyllene	One of the major compounds of hop essential oil.
Cask	General term for the container for draught beer.
Cask Ale	Ale conditioned in the cask. Un-pasteurised draft ale which completes its maturation in the pub cellar as opposed to pasteurised, filtered and chilled kegged ale. Served at room temperature.
Cask Conditioned - Bottle Conditioned	Beer with the yeast left in the brew to complete the fermentation in the cask or bottle.
Cellar beer	German term for a dark, cloudy unfiltered beer.
Centres	The longest planks in the head of a cask.
Chill Haze	Particles that form and make beer hazy when chilled.
Chime	The rim that projects at each end of the casks where the staves overlap the head.
Chocolate Malt	Similar to black malt but roasted to a lesser, chocolate-brown colour.
Clip-lock bottles	Also known as swing stopper or lever closure bottles. This traditional German closure method has been re-introduced by many breweries for marketing reasons. At first glance these bottles also appear more environmentally friendly.
Cold Break	The precipitation of protein and tannin material to a fine coagulum during the cooling stage. Also: Haziness caused by protein matter which must be strained after the cooling process.
Colloidal stability	Haze causing colloids such as proteins and tannin must be removed from beer. Adsorption stabilization agents which are insoluble in beer are used to collect these colloids and then both are removed.
Conditioning Tank	An airtight tank in which a beer's secondary fermentation occurs.
Cone	The hop flower.
Conical-bottomed fermenter.	Cylindrical fermenting tank with a round, concave base for collecting yeast.
Conversion	The process in which natural malt enzymes change grain starch into sugar during the mash.
Cooling	The wort is cooled to the desired temperature for starting fermentation in a holding tank or whirlpool.
Cooper	Craftsman who makes wooden casks.
Copper	Vessel used to boil the wort with the hops. Also known as a brew kettle.
Craft Beers	Beers made by small, independent brewers with only traditional brewing ingredients such as malt, hops, yeast and water, and brewed with traditional brewing methods.
Cream Ale	An American style, blending pale golden, mild, light-bodied ale and lager.
Crystal Malt	Synonym for caramel malt.
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Dark Bock	A bock beer brewed with dark roasted malt. See: Bock.
Dark Mild	An English term for mildly hopped ales that are brewed with roasted malt. Most are dark brown in colour and full bodied, but have a relatively low alcohol content.
Dark/Pale Double Bock	Dark: A double bock brewed with dark roasted malt. Pale: A double bock brewed with malt that has been dried instead of roasted. See: Double Bock.
Decoction	A brewing process used for bottom-fermenting beers in which portions of the wort are removed, heated, then returned to the original vessel.
Dextrins	Un-fermentable sugars that yeast is unable to metabolise, that are left in the beer. Dextrins are responsible for the body in the finished beer.
Diacetyl	A compound produced by yeast as a normal product of fermentation. At proper levels, diacetyl is an essential flavour component of some beer styles. A clearly detectable level of diacetyl may indicate poor brewing practices. It is perceived as a buttery or
Diastase	The enzyme in malt which causes the starch to simple sugars.
Diastatic Power	Ability to convert starch to sugar. With reference to malt.
Diatomaceous Earth	The refined skeletons of ancient marine organisms, which are frequently used as a filtration medium.
Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS)	An aromatic compound with a cooked vegetable and corn aroma.
Dortmunder	Dortmunder (Dortmund style beer) is a pale, bottom-fermented, entire beer with less hops than Pils and therefore not so dry). Dortmunder is, however, drier than Munich beer.
Double Bock, or Dopplebock	A stronger bock beer, though not necessarily double the strength. The original of the style was brewed by the Italian monks of the order of St. Francis of Paula in Bavaria to help them though their Lenten fast
Draught Beer	Keg beer served on tap.
Dry Beer	A term for light-bodied brews with little aftertaste and more alcohol.
Dry Hopping	The process of adding extra hops to the beer during fermentation to enhance its aroma.
Dry Stout	The Irish version of stout, slightly more bitter and higher in alcohol than the English sweet stout.
Dubbel	Flemish for double. A dark Trapists style beer. (6 to 8%)
Dunkelweizen	A dark wheat beer.
Economiser	The pip that connects the drip-tray to the pump inlet on a beer engine.
Einbeck	The town of Einbeck is the birthplace of bock beer. In the Middle Ages, The dukes of Bavaria enjoyed Einbeck beer so much they hired away the best Einbeck brewmaster.
Eisbock	The strongest of the bock beers. Produced by lagering beer in very cold cellars to the freezing point of water, and removing some of the iced water, thereby increasing the alcoholic strength of the beer.
Endosperm	The part of the grain that contains the starch and protein required to feed the growing acrospire.
Entire	Early name for the dark ale - later called porter - that incorporated all the qualities of a popular blend of well matured stale brown ale and fresher brews. Developed in the early 18th century London.
Enzymes	The chemical agents which cause substances to change.
Esters	Fruity flavours, such as grapefruit, banana, and peach, produced by the yeast during fermentation. Ale yeasts are known for the production of esters.
Ethanol	See Ethyl Alcohol
Ethyl acetate	An ester with a fruity solvent taste.
Ethyl Alcohol	A colourless, combustible and potable liquid soluble in water, chloroform, and methyl alcohol. The intoxicating element in beer, wine, and spirits. Synonyms: alcohol, ethanol, grain alcohol.
Ethyl hexanoate	An ester with a apple taste.
Excise Duty	The tax on beer.
Farnesene	One of the major compounds of hop essential oil. A characteristic of certain varieties including Tettnanger, Fuggle, Willamette and Cascade.
Faro	A blend of equal parts of two types of lambic beer, sweetened with sugar and sometimes coloured and diluted with water. Practically extinct.
Fasting beer	An invention of clever monks during the Middle Ages. According to the definition of that time: Liquids do not break the fast.
Fermentation	The process of the yeast converting the simple sugars in the wort in a complex sequence of 13 discrete steps to alcohol and carbon dioxide. Fermentation can take up to seven days.
Fermentation heads (Kraeusen)	A foam layer which accumulates on the surface of beer during fermentation. It consists of bitter substances and protein.
Fermenter	A vessel used in the brewing of beer, the place where the yeast converts the simple sugars in the wort to alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Festbier	German term for a special brew.
Filtration	Beer is still slightly cloudy after lagering, and requires filtering to remove any remaining yeast and other insoluble materials to achieve a brilliant clarity.
Fining	Clarifying a beer by adding a substance that attracts particulate matter.
Firkin	A 9 gallon cask.
First wort	(soluble malt components dissolved in water) produced during the mashing phase is boiled and then simmered together with hops in the wort coppers until the desired original extract content is achieved. At this point, it is known as original wort.
Flemish Brown Ale	A sour style of old brown ale traditionally brewed in eastern Flanders.
Flocculation	The process by which yeast cells clump together to form large particles which fall out of suspension.
Forcing test	With this method, the probable non-biological shelf life of beer can be determined through artificial aging. During this test beer is subjected alternating temperatures of 40 or 60 and 0 degrees Celsius.
Foreign Stout	Rich, strong stout (7 to 9%) found in the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific.
Four Vessel Brewing	Traditional decoction brewing method requiring a mash cooker, a mash tun, a lauter tun, and a kettle. Mashing is carried out in the mash tun, and starts at a low temperature while portions of the mash are taken out and boiled in the cooker and later returned
Framboise	Raspberry beer including lambic.
Fuggles Hops	Noble English hops grown in East Kent, England, used to make Samuel Adams ales.
Fusel oil	An acrid oily liquid created during fermentation, consisting chiefly of amyl alcohol. Higher concentrations can negatively affect quality and digestibility.
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Gambrinus	Gambrinus has been regarded the patron saint of brewers for hundreds of years. His exact origin is not clear, some authors claim he was a Burgundian duke of the 13th century, by the name of Jan Primus (John I), others say he was the King of Flanders and Brabant during the 16th century. There is a painting to support the latter theory, which also correlates well with the first use of hops by Brabant monks of that time.
German Beer Purity Law - Reinheitsgebot	A law dating back to 1516, requiring beer to be totally pure with only water, yeast, malt, and hops allowed as ingredients. The German Beer Purity Law is the world's oldest still-valid pure food law. It was decreed by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria in 1516. The decree states that only barley, hops and water may be used in the brewing of beer.
Germination	The stage in the beer-making process in which the steeped barley grains are drained and allowed to sprout for seven to nine days.
Glucose	A sugar that sometimes is added to wort to increase the specific gravity.
Goldings Hops	Noble English hops grown in East Kent, England, used to make Samuel Adams ales. Named after the farmer who originally identified the hop type.
Green beer	After primary fermentation, beer is called green beer. It is then matured (aged) for 4-6 weeks.
Green malt	After being soaked in water, swelling and germinating, barley becomes green malt. It is then dried in kilns.
Grist	Term for grain that has been crushed in a mill prior to mixing with hot water to form the Mash. Grist charge: The amount of malt required for one brew.
Grist Case	The hopper above the mash tun which is used to hold the grist.
Gueuze	A Belgian beer style that blends a fresh lambic with an old lambic, creating a second fermentation.
Gypsum	A salt added to brewing water to ensure the correct mineral content.
Hallertau/Mittelfrueh Hops	Noble, Bavarian lager hops grown in Germany, used to make Samuel Adams Boston Lager. Bavaria's Hallertau region has only 400 acres of hop growing land with the perfect soil and climate for growing Mittelfrueh hops.
Hand Pump	Manually operated pump used to draw beer from the cask to fill a glass. Usually fixed to the bar.
Hansen	Emil Christian Hansen scientifically proved the existence of various varieties of yeast. He was the first to successfully propagate yeast in a pure culture.
Hard Spile	A spile made from dense wood or plastic. It maintains an air tight seal.
Haziness (or cloudiness)	Haziness or cloudiness in beer that should be crystal clear can be caused by brewing mistakes, contamination or improper handling. Wild yeast, bacteria, wort residue and proteins can be problematic. Storage temperatures that are too low, such as in the freezer, also cause haze.
Head	The foam at the top of a beer. The head is the protein which is pushed out of suspension by the bubbles. Also the flat ends of a cask.
Head Space	The space between the top of the liquid and the top of the container.
Hefeweizen	An unfiltered wheat beer.
Hell(es)	German for Pale. Usually a golden Lager style introduced by brewers in Munich.
Herbstoffe	Astringent compounds removed by excessive sparging. Undesirable.
Histidine	An amino acid crucial for brewing.
Hogshead	A 54 gallon cask.
Hoop	The iron or steel ring that keeps the staves of a cask in place.
Hop	Humulus Lupulus - The flower of a perennial vine, and one of the four ingredients of beer. Hops are the universal spice of beer. Hops, like grapes used in wine, are varietal. Some varieties contribute mainly bitterness, while others are prized for their fine aromas. The plant is distantly related to the cannabis plant; hemp. The plants are deciduous, (the males and females flower on separate plants).
Hop Extract	An oil extracted from hops for bittering beer.
Hop Garden	Kent name for a hop field
Hop Liquor Tank	Tank used to heat water prior to mashing.
Hop Pellets	Finely chopped hops pressed into pellets of varying sizes.
Hop Pocket	A sack, approx 6ft long, in which dried hops are pressed and stored.
Hop Powder	Finely chopped hops.
Hop Yard	West Midlands name for a hop field
Hopback	Brewing vessel used to separate the wort from the spent hops.
Hot Break	The flocculation of protein and polyphenol molecules during boiling.
Humulene	A major compound of hop essential oil.
Humulone	The major alpha acid congener.
IBU	International Bittering Units. The measure of hop oil content in beer.
Imperial Stout	See: Russian Stout
India Pale Ale	An ale brewed in England for British troops stationed in India in the 18th century. It was brewed very strong to survive a voyage that could take as long as six months. Highly hopped.
Infusion	Heating of grain in water to breakdown the starches in the grain to form sugar.
Irish Red Ale	An Irish ale, noted for its reddish colour, full body, and sweetish, sometimes buttery palate.
Isinglass	A substance obtained from the swim bladders or sturgeon. Used for fining beer.
Isoamyl acetate	An ester which gives a banana taste.
Isomerisation	The extraction of hop bitterness from hops.
Keg	A keg of beer is equal to 6.88 cases of beer or 1,984 ounces.
Kellerbier	German for cellar beer. A amber red lager from Franconia in northern Bavaria.
Keystone	The wooden or plastic closure that fits in the bung hole of a cask. The tap is hammers through the key stone.
Kieselguhr	A very fine powder, produced from the remains of prehistoric freshwater or saltwater algae, rich in silicic acid. Kieselguhr (or unconsolidated diatomite) has the ability to bind the sludge particles which produce turbidity. Kieselguhr is used to clarify beer primarily because Kieselguhr itself is not soluble in beer, it forms a filtering layer which only the perfectly clear beer can flow through.
Kilderkin	An 18 gallon cast.
Kilning	Kiln drying of germinated grain.
Koelsch Convention	A voluntary agreement among the Koelsch brewers of the Cologne Brewery Association dated March 1986, which limits the geographical are in which Koelsch may be brewed.
Kolsch	A specialty of the Cologne area. Koelsch is a pale, clear, highly attenuated (fermented), top-fermented beer, (4.5 to 5%), brewed according to the German Beer Purity law, with a hops accent and an original extract of a little over 11%. Koelsch may only be brewed in and around Cologne.
Krausening	A secondary fermentation. A small portion of young, still actively fermenting beer and yeast is added to a tank of beer at the end of primary fermentation. The new yeast has a limited food supply. It quickly exhausts the available sugars and is then force
Kriek	A Belgian beer style produced by steeping cherries in young lambic or gueuze to produce a second fermentation.
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Lactic acid	An organic acid. Contamination by lactic acid bacteria can occur at various points in the brewing of beer. The only effective weapons against this contamination are absolute cleanliness and low temperatures. In Berliner Weissen lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus delbruckii) is used on purpose to give the beer its refreshing slightly sour flavour.
Lager	A classification of beer styles made with a bottom fermenting yeast, lagers generally are smooth, elegant, crisp, and clean.
Lager Yeast - Bottom Fermenting Yeast	The yeast strain used to make lagers, a bottom fermenting yeast. This yeast strain settles to the bottom of the tank during fermentation.
Lagering	A period of one to many weeks following or including fermentation in which the temperature of the beer is slowly reduced. This helps reduce the harsher secondary products of fermentation, while clarifying and mellowing the beer.
Lambic	Wheat beer originally produced in the Bruxelloise region of Belgium with a strong acidic character from the spontaneous fermentation from wild yeast.
Lambic Doux	Young lambic
Lauter Tun	One of the vessels used in the brewing process, used to filter the liquid wort from the solid mash. Lauter Tuns usually have a false bottom which opens up to filter the mash.
Lautering - Mash Filtration	The separation of solids (the mash) from the liquid malt extract called wort. Upon completion of the mashing process, the wort (water with its dissolved extract) is separated from the spent grain (residue) in the lauter tun (lautering tank).
Lees (Sediment)	Cloudy yeast beers always have yeast lees which can be poured with the beer into the glass or the clear beer above the lees can be carefully poured off. Filtered, clear beer should never leave sediment in the glass.
Leucine	An amino acid crucial for brewing.
Light Ale	In England, an alternative term for bottled bitter. In Scotland, a dark ale of low gravity.
Light, influence of	Prolonged exposure of beer to strong natural or artificial light produces an unpleasant taste. Brown bottles provide good protection against light. Green or clear glass bottles should be kept in cartons.
Linde, Carl von	Carl von Linde was the inventor of mechanical refrigeration. Refrigeration equipment first made year round beer brewing possible.
Linoleic acid	An important fatty acid in brewing.
Lipids	Any of a class of organic compounds that are insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents, including fatty acids, oils, waxes, and steroids. Fatty acids are important for the brewing process.
Liquor	Water
Lovibond	An American measure for the colour of malt and wort.
Lupulin	Found in hops. The resinous sticky oily substance of very complicated chemistry found nowhere else in the plant kingdom. It includes volatile oils whose presence and correct balance are important to the flavour of beer.
Lysine	An amino acid crucial for brewing.
Maerzen	March beer (Maerzen) is a bottom-fermented entire beer, which before von Linde's time, could only be brewed in winter. The last brewing batches (in March) were more strongly fermented so that the higher alcohol content would extend the shelf life over the summer. After the warm summer months, March beer was, and still is today, served at beer festivals (e.g. Octoberfest). Maerzen is also referred to in the German Beer Purity Law.
Maibock	German for May Bock, a beer brewed to celebrate springtime. A strong ale (or malt liquor) served in late spring. Its original extract content (original gravity) is at least 16%.
Malt beer	A top-fermented, brown-black beer, in which the 7% original extract content is increased to 12-13% by the addition of sugar possibly caramelized). Malt beer is an extremely high calorie product with about 1% alcohol or less.
Malt Extract	Sugars extracted from malt and concentrated to form a syrup.
Malt grist (crushed malt)	Malt is crushed (coarsely ground or bruised) in a grist mill before it mixed with water in the mashing process.
Malt Liquor	A beer of higher alcohol content than regular beer. On average, it contains 4.5 to 6.0% alcohol by weight, and by law is deemed too alcoholic to be labelled lager or beer.
Malt Mill	Machine used to crush malt grains into grist.
Malt, Malted Barley	One of the four ingredients of beer. Malt is barley which has been moistened, allowed to germinate, and then dried. The variety of barley, the extent to which it is allowed to germinate, and the temperature at which it is dried all influence the character
Maltose	A sugar produced by the hydrolysis of starch under the action of the enzymes in malt, saliva, etc.
Marzenbier	In Germany, before the advent of refrigeration, beer was brewed in winter and the last batch, brewed in March, was made especially strong to survive the many months of maturation before it was drunk at the end of summer. Now commonly called Octoberfest.
Mash	A mixture of coarsely ground malt (grist) and water. Boiling dissolves the almost insoluble starches in the malt grist.
Mash Tun	The first vessel used in the brewing process, the mash tun is used to combine the ground malt with water and to heat the mash to the desired temperature.
Mashing	The process of combining the ground malt with water. Mashing is performed at either a constant temperature, or a series of rising temperatures, depending on the brewing equipment, the raw materials being used, and the type of beer being brewed. The mashing
Maturing (aging, storing)	The German verb lager means to store. After primary fermentation, beer is stored for several weeks in order to mature or age. During this period the secondary fermentation takes place.
Mild Ale	Lightly hopped, malt accented British ale style of low strength.
Milk Stout	Stout made with the addition of Lactose (milk sugar) which is unfermentable.
Milling	The first step in the brewing process. Barley malt is crushed, not ground, between pairs of rollers in a mill. This separates the husk from the meal body and also fractures the meal body, preparing the malt for mashing.
Mouth Feel	The feel of beer in the mouth and be thick or thin. Caused by the dextrins and proteins.
Munchener (or Munich)	A bottom-fermented beer produced in Munich since the mid-10th century. There are two versions: helles bier, a paler beer, and dunkel bier, closer to the original dark style. Both styles are distinctively malty. A dark, mild entire beer, well-suited to the hard water (high carbonate content) used in early times in Munich.
Munich Dark:	See: Munchener.
Munich Pale	See: Munchener.
Nitrates	Potable water normally contains some nitrates. If the concentration is too high, nitrates can poison yeast and must therefore be removed.
Noble Hops	Rare, unique hop varieties that are prized for their quality flavour and aroma characteristics. Grown only in four small areas in Europe; three in Germany, and one in Bohemia.
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Oast	A building used for drying and storing hops
Oatmeal Stout	A style of stout brewed with oatmeal. Oatmeal was used for its nutritive qualities as well as its ability to impart fullness of body and flavour.
Oktoberfest (or Octoberfest)	A bottom-fermented Vienna- or marzen-style beer, originally brewed for Germany's Oktoberfest celebration. Copper-coloured, malty, and sweet.
Old Ale	In Britain, a medium-strong dark ale most often consumed in winter.
Oleic acid	An important fatty acid in brewing.
Organic acids	Fatty acids which mainly arise from yeast metabolism and organic acids which are produced by bacteria. Most have an unpleasant taste and contribute to spoiled beer.
Original Gravity	The density of the wort prior to fermentation, expressed as a ratio as compared to the density of water. A measure of the amount of solids in the wort.
Oxidation	When a packaged beer is stored for a period of time, it stales, or oxidizes. Different beers stale at different rates and develop off flavours. The rate of oxidation goes up as the temperature goes up. Oxidation is familiar to drinkers as a papery or cardboard.
Oxidation	The intake of oxygen by beer during fermentation should be kept to a minimum because the reaction of oxygen with other beer components reduces shelf life.
Oyster Stout	A stout made with oysters. Popular in the mid 20th century.
Pale Ale	An amber or copper-coloured, top-fermented beer brewed with pale malts. Similar to bitter but drier, hoppier and lighter. See also: India pale ale.
Pale Bock	A bock beer brewed with malt that has been dried instead of roasted. See: Bock.
Pale Malt	A form of crystal malt used with pale beers.
Pale Mild	An English term for mildly hopped ales that are brewed with malt that has been dried instead of roasted. The resulting brew is lighter in colour and has a lighter, less hearty flavour.
Paraflow	A heat exchanger used to cool the wort prior to fermentation.
Pasteurization	Beer must either be pasteurised or sterile-filtered to protect it from the continued growth of any stray yeast or other beer loving micro-organisms.
Pediococcus	One of the bacteria involved in the brewing of Lambic beers
pH value	A scale describing the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. A pH value under 7 indicates acidity, if the value is over 7, the solution is alkaline.
Phenolic	From the tannins in the grain husks and soft hop resins. Any compound based on a ring of six carbon atoms joined by alternate single and double bonds.
Pilsen	A town in the Czech Republic where the most famous beer type in the world originated.
Pilsner	A general name for pale, golden-hued, highly hopped, bottom-fermented beers. The original was first brewed in the Bohemian town of Pilsen in 1842.
Pin	A 4.5 gallon cask.
Pitching - Yeast	Adding yeast to the wort.
Pitching, wooden barrels	The coating of wooden barrels with pitch to close holes and joints in order to prevent the escape of carbon dioxide and to provide a smooth inner surface to facilitate cleaning.
Plato	Scale for measuring the amount of fermentable material in wort (see also OG)
Poke	A sack of loosely woven material capable of holding 8-10 bushels of green hops.
Polyphenols	Complex compounds based on two or more phenolic rings joined together.
Porter	A very dark, top-fermented beer first brewed in London in 1722 by a man named Harwood as a substitute for a then popular mix of ale, beer, and two penny beer. Called Entire, the beer was advertised as being richer and more nourishing than ale, and was int
Premium beers	Well-advertised and therefore well-known national beer brands.
Priming	Encouraging secondary fermentation by adding sugar (and sometimes yeast) to beer.
Priming Sugar	The sugar solution added to a ask or bottle during conditioning.
Protein	Any complex organic compound containing nitrogen.
Pure culture yeast	A selected yeast strain which is ideal for the beer involved and absolutely free from accompanying organisms.
Pyruvic acid	An organic acid produced by bacterial infection which has a salty taste.
Racking	Filling casks with beer.
Rauchbier	A dark, bottom-fermented beer produced by a few breweries in Bavaria. Unique smoked flavour from the use of malts dried over an open fire. Rauchbier (smoky beer) owes its name to the fact that the malt used is dried over a wood fire giving the beer a distinct smoky flavour. A specialty of Bamberg.
Reinheitsgebot	1516 beer purity law of Bavaria.
Respiration	The process of oxidizing sugar to obtain energy.
Rhu	A period of one to many weeks following or including fermentation in which the temperature of the beer is slowly reduced. This helps reduce the harsher secondary products of fermentation, while clarifying and mellowing the beer.
Rice Beer	See Sake.
Roasted Malt	Some malts are roasted to varying degrees to produce a range of specialty malts called caramel, chocolate, and black malts. These malts affect the colour and the flavour of beer.
Russian Stout	In Britain, a very strong stout originally brewed from 1760 to World War 1. Present day Russian stout is non-pasteurised and matured in casks for two months, then bottle-aged for a full year. Also called Imperial Russian stout or Imperial stout.
Saaz Hops	Bohemian Noble hops from the Czech Republic used in several Samuel Adams styles.
Saccharification	The conversion of malt starches into sugar by enzymes formed or activated during germination. It takes place mainly during the mash phase at about 63-80 degrees C.
Saccharometer	A special type of hydrometer (or Oechsle meter) for measuring the density of a liquid. In our area of interest, the original extract/gravity (and thereby the roughly proportional sugar concentration) of wort.
Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis	The yeast strain used to make lagers, a bottom fermenting yeast. This yeast strain settles to the bottom of the tank during fermentation.
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae	The yeast strain used to make ales, a top fermenting yeast. This strain rises to the top of the tank during fermentation.
Saison	An amber or copper-coloured top fermented beer from Belgium and France, once brewed in summer but now available all year-round. Naturally conditioned in burgundy-shaped one litre bottles.
Sake	A traditional Japanese fermented drink made from rice.
Salrdin Tithe	The first beer tax introduced by Henry II in 1188 to raise funds for the Crusades.
Sanitize	The process of cleaning to remove micro-organisms.
Schwarzbire	Very dark German beer with a bittersweet taste.
Scotch Ale	A top-fermented beer of Scottish origin. Traditionally strong, very dark, thick and creamy.
Scuppet	Wooden shovel used for moving dried hops around the oast.
Seasonal Beers	Special beer styles brewed for a specific season, i.e. Octoberfest, Winter Lager.
Secondary fermentation	Green beer stored in pressurized tanks continues to ferment, matures and increases in carbon dioxide content.
Sett	Young hop plant propagated for transplanting into its permanent position.
Shive	The wooden bung in the top of a cask through which the cask is vented.
Six Row Barley	A type of barley used by most major brewers. Six row barley has less flavor than two row barley, the barley used in Samuel Adams.
Skimming	Removing yeast from the top of the fermenting beer.
Soft resins	The resins in hops that are soluble in hexane. These contain the alpha and beta acids which give the bitterness to hops.
Soft Spile	A spile made from porous wood that slowly releases the pressure in a cask.
Softening	Carbonates are not desirable in brewing water. Water with a high carbonate content is therefore softened using various methods and treatment plants.
Sparge	To wash out all soluble products from the mash prior to boiling.
Sparkle - Condition	An expression for the fresh, lively taste of beer. The carbon dioxide content and pH value play an important role in sparkle.
Sparkler	Nozzle on the end of a hand pump swan-neck with small holes which is used to froth the beer during serving.
Specific Gravity	A measure of the density of a liquid or solid, as compared with that of water. Brewers use gravity to measure the fermentation's progress -- the more fermentable sugars, the higher the gravity; the more alcohol, the lower the gravity.
Spent grain	The insoluble parts of the malt grains, mainly the husks, remain in the lauter tun after the wort has been removed. These parts are referred to as spent grain and used as nutritious animal feed.
Spiking	Not putting a shot of whisky in someone's beer, as you might first think, but heating a large spike red-hot and quenching it in your beer glass. First of all this warms the beer because, as any good German will tell you, Cold drinks are not good for the stomach. Secondly and somewhat more important, some of the sugar caramelizes giving the beer an extra special taste.
Spile	Peg driven through the shive. May be hard or soft.
Spray	Lateral or side branch of a hop plant.
Spruce Beer	A brew produced in North America and Northern Europe by fermenting molasses and other sugars with the exudates of spruce trees, sometimes with malt.
Starch	All cereal grains contain starch. Under the proper conditions these starches can be converted to fermentable sugar with the help of the appropriate enzymes.
Steam Beer	A beer produced by hybrid fermentation using bottom yeast fermented at top yeast temperatures. Fermentation is carried out in long shallow vessels called clarifiers, followed by warm conditioning and krausening. The style is indigenous to America and was
Steeping	Grain must first be steeped (soaked) in water to induce germination.
Stillage	Rack on to which casks are placed.
Stock	A single hop plant
Stock Ale	A strong ale brewed to be stored for a long time. Indigenous to America.
Stout	A very dark, heavy, top-fermented beer made from pale malt, roasted unmalted barley, and often caramel malt. Stout was first introduced by Guinness as an extra stout version of their porter. The new stout was darker, hoppier and richer than porter, which
Strig	Central stem of the hop cone
Strong Bitter	A British-style dry ale brewed to an original gravity in the 1050s, and having a higher alcohol content than a Best bitter.
Strong Scotch Ale	Scotch ale brewed to a higher original gravity and having a higher alcohol content than regularly brewed Scotch ale. See: Scotch Ale.
Sweet Stout	The English version of stout as opposed to the dry stout of Ireland. It has a slightly lactic flavour and is less alcoholic than dry stout.
Sweet wort	Wort before boiling and adding hops.
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Tannins	Organic compounds contained in certain cereal grains and other plants.
Terminal Gravity	Synonym for specific gravity.
Top Fermentation	Fermentation with a yeast which tends to rise to the top of the fermenting vessel. Ale yeasts. Also known as warm fermentation.
Top-fermenting yeast	Carries out its function in this process, it rises to the surface of the wort, where it stays till fermentation is completed.
Trappist Beer	Any beer brewed in one of the six remaining brewing abbeys, five of which are in Belgium, and one in the Netherlands. Top-fermented, dark amber, and fairly strong, they are bottle-conditioned. Origin dates back to the Middle Ages.
Trippel	A brewery's highest strength ale (8 to 10%).
Trub	Suspended particles comprised of proteins from the malt and tannins from the hops which help to clarify the wort.
Tunnage	The transfer of green beer from the fermentation tanks to the storage (maturing/aging) tanks by pumping through hoses or piping systems.
Tut	The disk at the centre of the shive through which the venting tool is punched.
Two Row Barley	The type of barley used to brew Samuel Adams. Two row barley is more expensive than six row barley, the type used by most major brewers, and it has more flavour.
Ullage	Beer returned to the brewer due to poor condition. The beer left in the cask after serving. Same as Lees
Underback	Vessel into which the wort from the mash tun is collected.
Venting	Initial opening of a cask by driving a hard or soft spile through the middle of the shive.
Vienna Type	A reddish-amber, sweetish, malt-accented lager, originally brewed in Vienna.
Vieux Lambic	Old Lambic. Aged in wood for three years.
Water	One of the four ingredients of beer. The only requirement for water used in brewing is that it be drinkable. Chemically speaking, brewing water should be non-alkaline and of a certain hardness, prerequisites easily attained with the proper treatment.
Weihenstephan	Site of the oldest still operational brewery in the world. In addition, it is the location of the School of Agriculture and Brewing Science of the Munich Technical University in Weihenstephan (Freising), also known as the Brewing Technology Research and Experimental Facility (Brautechnische Forschungs und Versuchsanstalt).
Weissbier - Weizenbier	In Germany, a generic name for wheat beers. Weisse means white, and such beers are usually very pale and cloudy, with a white foam. Weizen is the German word for wheat, but please don't try to order a wheat beer anywhere. The bartender will probably tell you all his beer is weak! Weizenbier is a top- fermented beer brewed with a mixture of barley and wheat malt.
Weizenbier	In Germany, a generic term for top-fermented wheat beers, especially those of the south.
Weizenbock	In Germany, a wheat beer of bock strength.
Wheat Beer	Any beer containing a high proportion of malted wheat. All wheat beers are top-fermented and many are bottle conditioned.
Whirlpool	A vessel used in the brewing process, used to remove the trub from the wort.
Wild Yeast	Any airborne yeast. Now available in cultured form.
Winter barley	Brewers don't use winter barley unless they have to. Winter barley has too much protein and the husk is too thick.
Witbier/White	A traditional wheat beer originally brewed in the Belgian towns of Hoegaarden and Louvain.
Wort	The liquid malt extract that is filtered from the mash during lautering. A sweet, amber coloured, clear liquid, wort is basically food for the yeast.
Wort cooling	After it has been boiled and simmered, wort must be cooled to the right temperature for fermentation. Suspended sludge particles are removed at the same time.
Yeast	One of the four ingredients of beer. Yeast is a single cell organism whose metabolism converts the sugars contained in the malt into alcohol and carbon dioxide. One species, Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used to make ale, and another, Saccharomyces carlsber Yeast is a budding fungus which induces fermentation in the wort.
Zentner	Unit of measure used to weigh hops. 1 zenter = 50 kilos.
Zymase	An yeast enzyme or enzyme complex that promotes fermentation in monosaccharides.
Zymurgy	The science of brewing beer.
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