Beer glossary

Alcohol by volume

Alcohol by weight

The beginning of the shoot in a germinating plant seed.

Any fermentable not derived from malted barley. These include, wheat, rice, corn, sugar cane, flaked barley, oats etc.

This is the amount of alcohol in a given liquid. It is measured as ABV or ABW. The formula is:

ABW to ABV multiply ABW by 1.25

ABV to ABW multiply ABV by .8

Beer produced with a top fermenting yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Generally they ferment quicker and usually have fruity esters and a more “complex” character than a lager.

A resin from hop plants that are responsible for bitterness in beer.

The spores on yeast that form the parts for sexual creation as opposed to splitting.

These are malts that need to be mashed and aren’t toasted. They also provide almost all of the sugar. Examples include, Pilsner Malt, Pale Malt, Munich and Vienna.

Typically an ale, but Belgian beers have significant taste profiles, as well as different brewing processes to warrant a separate style. Generally, the yeast is a major contributor to this style, and some styles such as Lambic actually use bacteria as well.

Naturally carbonated beers that cause a second fermentation in the bottle. Adding bottling sugar usually does this. In Germany, due to the Reinheitsgebot, brewers actually use partly fermented wort to add more sugar for the yeast to eat.

A vessel in which beer is stored prior to dispensing. This is used to condition and clarify the beer. Also called a conditioning tank.

The stopper in a cask or keg that allows for filling and emptying beer. Real beer must use a wooden bung.

An organization formed in England in 1971 to promote the production and preservation of cask conditioned ales.

Also called Crystal, these malts are stewed as well as kilned. They provide a “caramel” flavor hence the name. They also have high amounts of unfermentable sugars adding mouthfeel, body and head retention.

Secondary fermentation in a cask. This is the traditional way beer was served. Cask conditioned beers are generally light in carbonation.

Cloudiness in beer when it is cold. This goes away when the beer warms up, and does not affect flavor. It is common in homebrew and unfiltered beers due to small amounts of protein being present in the beer.

A vessel in which beer is stored prior to dispensing. This is used to condition and clarify the beer. Also called a bright tank.

Also called Caramel, these malts are stewed as well as kilned. They provide a “caramel” flavor hence the name. They also have high amounts of unfermentable sugars adding mouthfeel, body and head retention.

Unfermentable carbohydrates (sugars) that are created by enzymatic actions in the malting and mashing process.

Fermentation by-product normally absorbed by yeast. Creates butterscotch flavor and slickness on roof of mouth. This is a flaw in many beer styles, but not all.

Sweet corn aroma and flavor. Usually caused by a weak boil or bacterial infection. It is present in all beers, but more pronounced, and even desired, in many lagers.

The addition of hops added to beer during or after fermentation. Used to increase the hop aroma.

The anaerobic conversion of sugar to carbon dioxide and alcohol by yeast.

Final Gravity or Ending Specific Gravity, when the yeast have done all the sugar conversion they are able to do.

The process in which yeast clump together, eventually falling out of suspension.

A sugar found in fruit juices and honey.

The flavor and aroma of bananas, plums, apples etc. Caused by certain yeast types or high fermentation temperatures.

The part of the malting process where the Acrospire grows.

The amount of sugar in a solution. Also measured in Brix.

Everything that comes out of a mill. In other words the ground up barley and other grains that are going to be mashed.

A twining vine (Humulus lupulus) used for bitterness, flavor, and preservative power.

An instrument used to measure the amount of sugar in wort. It does this by measuring the specific gravity of the wort. Can also be used to determine final gravity and hence, alcohol percentage and attenuation.

International Bittering Units; parts per million of isomerized hop resins in beer, related to the amount of alpha acid of the hops.

Crushed grains are mixed with water at a temperature desired for the beer style. This is generally from 140 to the mid 160’s. They also added a mash out step to stop enzyme production (175°F). Originated in Scotland.

A type seaweed that is used to remove proteins in the mash boil. This leads to a clearer beer and helps eliminate chill haze.

Isinglass is a product of fish bladders and is mostly collagen. Some beers use isinglass for filtration to clarify beers by causing the yeast to fall out of suspension.

Originally it was from sturgeon, but is now extracted from cod fish. 

It’s main use is in British cask conditioned ales, but other brewers may use it. Most commercial breweries use filters and homebrewers tend to use an algae called Irish Moss.

No one knows when isinglass started to be used, although there are several theories.

Isinglass is also used in China for fish maw soup. It is also said that the best source of isinglass originates in the South China Sea.

For measurement purposes, 15.5 U.S. gallons.

The foamy “head” that forms at the height of yeast activity when fermenting.

The period of rapid aerobic growth when yeast is pitched into wort. This usually lasts for 2 –12 hours and increases the cell count of yeast and allows adaptation to the sugar environment.

Beer produced with a bottom fermenting yeast, Saccharomyces  carlsbergensisor the old Saccharomyces uvarum. These beers are known for their clean and mellow flavor profiles.

Literally cold conditioning.

Belgian style beers that use several wild bacteria as well as a special yeast of the Brettanomyces genus.

This makes a sour beer, but different than other sour styles such as Berliner Weiss, by the use of bacteria.

Washing of sugars away from grain. Done in a lauter tun.

See Skunky

One of the scales used by brewers to measure color of malt and beers. The other is EBC (European Brewing Convention) and is used by European brewers.

Steeping, germination and kilning of grains.

A water soluble sugar found in malt. The least common disaccharide in nature.

People who take raw barley and convert it into a product usable for fermenting.

The process of converting starch to sugar.

A beverage made from honey, water and yeast. Many consider it to be the first alcoholic beverage.

Created through the Maillard reaction (a chemical reaction that browns sugars), melanoidins are common in Vienna and Munich malts. They are formed when sugar combines with amino acids in a high temperature, low water environment (Imagine a toaster toasting bread). In fact, melanoidins remind most people of toasted bread. They are present in many lightly malted grains, but as they get darker, the grains lose the melanoidin component and become more coffee or chocolate like.

Original Gravity or Starting Specific Gravity, refers to the amount of sugar in a wort. A higher number is denser and has more potential alcohol.

Traditional mash used in England before invention of infusion mash. basically was mixing the crushed grains and water in a container and allowing water to drain after a specified time.

Potential Hydrogen. The measure of acid or alkaline.

7.0 is neutral, below 7.0 is acid, above 7.0 is alkaline.

Band-aid, medicine or plastic aroma caused by bacterial infection. Also used to describe clove and smoke, in which case it may be desirable.

A pale lager with strong flavor of hops; first brewed in the Bohemian town of Plzen (Pilsen).

Also spelled Pilsner.

Adding yeast to wort.

A half a keg or 7.75 US Gallons.

This refers to ABV and is double the ABV (i.e. 10% ABV = 20 proof).

The degradation of proteins by proteolytic enzymes e.g. protease and peptidase.

The careful moving of beer off the trub. Usually this is done after the krausen drops.

Beer made from smoked base malt. A specialty of Bamberg, Germany. It is usually a Märzen or Oktoberfest.

This process clarifies the runoff or wort. Liquid is drawn off the bottom of the the grain bed and poured slowly back on top to help set the bed which acts as a filter allowing only liquid to collected in the boil kettle.

The German purity law. Enacted in 1516, it is considered the first consumer protection law.

It limits beer to barley, hops, water and (added after it’s discovery) yeast.

This is when the grist is left at some temperature for a certain length of time. This allows enzymes active at that temperature to act on the grist.

Common rests convert protein (122°F) and sugar (148-160°F).

Technically malting and roasting are the same, but in normal usage, roasted malts are dark malts such as Chocolate and Black Patent.

These are dried to 5% moisture and then kilned at high temperatures until the desired degree of “roast” is achieved.

Technically malting and roasting are the same, but in normal usage, roasted malts are dark malts such as Chocolate and Black Patent. These are dried to 5% moisture and then kilned at high temperatures until the desired degree of “roast” is achieved.

Ah, that Heineken smell. This is actually a fairly significant flaw. It is caused by the interaction between ultraviolet light and hops. Specifically, when ultraviolet light cleaves an isohumulone molecule. This forms a free radical that combines with a sulfur compound.

Almost all beer in green or clear glass bottles are subject to this, although darker beers seem less affected. Also note that Miller Brewing uses a form of stable hop essences and the beer they bottle in clear bottles is not affected either.

Often described as vinegar or lemon like. Usually caused by a bacterial infection.

The process of rinsing the sugars from the grains. Hot water is slowly poured over the grain bed while the runoff is collected very slowly from the bottom.

This process may take upwards of an hour.

This is any malt that isn’t a base malt, but many people refer to the caramel or crystal malts as specialty.

The measure of density of a liquid compared to water (1.000 at 39°F)

This is a standard for measuring beer color in the USA. In Europe, EBC is used.

In both cases the lighter the color the lower the number.

Belgian modification of the infusion mash. Multiple “steps” or temperature stops were added. This was required due to undermodified barley in use in Continental Europe.

The aroma of burnt matches or rotten eggs. Usually a yeast by-product and in green lagers it is very prevalent.

A taste sensation caused by acidic flavors.

From http://www.trappist.be/en/pages/trappist-beers

Trappist beers are one of the most well-known products which Trappist monasteries produce and sell commercially.

A Trappist beer is not the same as an Abbey beer

Of all the beers in the world, only twelve may carry the name “Trappist”:  the beers of Achel, Chimay, La Trappe, Orval, Mont des Cats, Rochefort, Westvleteren, Westmalle, Mont des Cats  Stift Engelszell, Zundert (NL), Spencer (USA) and Tre Fontane (IT). 

The  “Authentic Trappist Product”  label

Eleven Trappist beers carry the ATP-label : the beers of Achel, Chimay, La Trappe, Orval, Rochefort, Westvleteren, Westmalle, and the beers of Stift Engelszell (Gregorius and Benno), Zundert (NL), Spencer (USA) and Tre Fontane (IT).

A “Trappist” has to satisfy a number of strict criteria proper to this logo before it may bear this name: 

1. The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, either by the monks themselves or under their supervision.
2. The brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery and it should witness to the business practices proper to a monastic way of life
3. The brewery is not intended to be a profit-making venture.  The income covers the living expenses of the monks and the maintenance of the buildings and grounds.  Whatever remains is donated to charity for social work and to help persons in need.

Trappist breweries strictly comply with all health and safety standards as well as consumer information standards.  Their advertising and communication is marked by honesty, soberness and a modesty proper to the religious setting in which the beer is brewed.

The procedure to receive the ATP-label

Only members of the International Trappist Association are able to submit an application for the right to use the “AUTHENTIC TRAPPIST PRODUCT” logo for a product (for example, a liqueur) or for a category of products (the whole line of liqueurs) produced by the monastery in question.

After the application has been received, the chairman and the members of the Board of Directors of the International Trappist Association will begin an evaluation procedure.

This can take several months.  The procedure includes assembling an extensive dossier, an on-site visit to check the production regulations and the quality demands as set by the ITA, and of course a tasting of the products concerned.

At the end of the procedure, the Board of Directors of the ITA will decide whether or not to grant the right to use the “AUTHENTIC TRAPPIST PRODUCT” logo for the products concerned.

This ATP license is valid for five years.

The monastery thus favored commits itself to compliance with all the conditions expressed in the Regulation of Internal Order of the ITA.

The proteins and hop residue that precipitates out of wort during boiling and chilling. It leaves a layer of sludge on the bottom of the fermenting vessel.

A large vessel used in brewing. Also called a tub. It generally holds the grist and is used to mash and lauter (sparge).

Pronounced “ton”

The Belgian version of a Parti-gyle. Used in making Lambics.

The liquid that is produced after the brewer does his magic with the barley. This is beer before the yeast does its thing, but since there is no alcohol, it is not technically beer yet.

Pronounced “wurt”

Any of various unicellular fungi of the genus Saccharomyces, especially S. cerevisiae, reproducing by budding and from ascospores and capable of fermenting carbohydrates.

A bready or yeast like flavor. Usually caused by yeast in suspension or beer sitting to long on sediment.