Acetaldehyde

A by-product of fermentation resulting in a green-apple-like aroma.

Acidic

Having a dry, or sour, taste, especially characteristic of fruity beers.

Additives

Enzymes, preservatives and/or antioxidants that are added to clarify or preserve beer, or to improve head retention.

Adjunct

Fermentable substance used instead of traditional grains to make beer lighter-bodied or cheaper.

Aerobic

Characterizing the type of organism that needs oxygen to thrive. Top-fermenting yeast is an aerobic organism.

Alcohol

Ethyl alcohol or ethanol, which is a by-product of fermentation.

Alcohol by volume

Amount of alcohol in beer expressed as a percentage of total beer volume.

Alcohol by weight

Amount of alcohol in beer expressed as a percentage of beer weight. Due to the specific gravity of beer, this value is typically 20% less than alcohol by volume.

Alcoholic

Warming taste of ethanol and higher alcohol’s.

Ale

A type of beer brewed using top-fermenting yeast, which is usually stronger and more bitter than beer. The color can vary from light to dark amber.

All-malt

A beer brewed exclusively with barley malt (i.e., no adjuncts).

Amber

Beer characterized by a reddish-brown color, ranging from pale to dark.

Anaerobic

Characterizing the type of organism that thrives without oxygen. Bottom-fermenting yeast is an anaerobic organism.

Aroma

Another term for bouquet, defined below.

Aroma hops

Varieties of hops chosen to enhance a beer’s bouquet; also known as “aristocrat” hops.

Astringent

Having tannic, sour notes, often due to boiling the grains, overly long mashes, or sparging with hard water.

Attenuation

The degree to which the yeast ferments the wort during the brewing process.

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Bacterial

Having moldy, musty, or woody tastes due to microbiological spoilage.

Balance

An important tasting concept describing the gestalt of elements in the bouquet and palate of a beer.

Balling Degrees

Scale of the density of sugars in wort, developed by C J N Balling

Barley

An ancient cereal grain, of which some varieties are used to brew beer. It is first malted, mashed, and then the sugary liquid formed during the mash, called wort, is fermented.

Barrel

A unit of measurement used by brewers in some countries. In Britain, a barrel holds 36 imperial gallons (One imperial gallon equals 4.5 liters), or 1.63 hectoliters. In the United States, a barrel holds 31.5 US gallons (One US gallon = 3.8 liters), or 1.17 hectoliters.

Beer

An alcoholic beverage brewed from barley malt mixed with cultured yeast for fermentation, and seasoned with hops. Popular beer varieties include Ale, Stout, Porter and Lager

Bitter

Having a sharp taste, associated with some hops, known as “workaday” hops. Bitterness is measured in International Bitterness Units (IBU), defined below.

Black malt

Barley that is partially malted and then dried in a kiln at high temperatures to impart a dark color and strong flavor to the beer.

Bock

A strong lager served to warm the drinker during the coldest months of the year; traditionally dark, but color may vary.

Body

A tasting term describing the viscosity of a beer. See also Mouthfeel.

Bottle conditioning

Secondary fermentation and maturation in the bottle, to improve beer complexity.

Bottom-fermenting yeast

One of the two types of yeast (Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) used in brewing, also referred to as “lager” yeast; works well at low temperatures and ferments more sugars for a distinct, clean taste.

Bouquet

A tasting term describing the characteristics of a beer when nosed; may be flowery, fruity, malty, or spicy. Most central to pilsners, but important to all styles.

Brew kettle

The vessel in which the wort from the mash is boiled with hops. Also called a copper.

Brewhouse

The collective equipment used to make beer.

Brewpub

Small brewery attached to a pub or restaurant, typically selling at least fifty percent of its beers on the premises. Also known in Britain as a home-brew house, and in Germany as a house brewery.

Bright

Tasting term describing a beer’s color or clarity.

Bright beer tank

See conditioning tank.

Brown Ale

Ranges from dry to sweet in maltiness, often with nutty accents.

Bung

The stopper for the hole of a keg or cask. One measure a beer’s authenticity is the use of a wooden bung, which relieves the pressure in the cask during the fermentation process.

Butterscotch

See diacetyl.

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Cabbage-like

Having the aroma and taste of cooked vegetables; often due to spoiled wort.

CAMRA

The CAMpaign for Real Ale. An organization in England founded in 1971 to support the industry of cask-conditioned beers and ales.

Caramel

A cooked sugar that is used as a beer additive instead of the more expensive malted barley.

Caramel malt

A sweet, reddish-brown malt. The high concentration of unfermentable sugars in caramel malt sweeten the beer and improve head retention.

Carbon Dioxide

A natural by-product of fermentation that gives beer its sparkle, or carbonation. May also be injected artificially into beer.

Cask

A closed, barrel-shaped container for beer. Available in various sizes and usually made of metal.

Cask conditioning

Secondary fermentation and maturation in the cask at the point of sale to create additional carbonation.

Chill haze

Cloudiness caused by precipitation of a protein-tannin compound at low temperatures.

Chill proof

Beer treated to prevent clouding at cold temperatures.

Chlorophenolic

A term used to describe a plastic-like aroma due to the chemical reaction of chlorine with phenol compounds.

Clove-like

A tasting term used to describe the spiciness, especially associated with some wheat beers; in excess it may be due to wild yeast.

Conditioning

Period of maturation that increases a beer’s natural carbonation. Warm conditioning enhances the complexity of the flavor; cold conditioning elicits a clear, clean taste.

Conditioning tank

A vessel for conditioning beer, also known as a bright beer tank, serving tank, or secondary tank.

Contract beer

Beer that is marketed by an independent company that represents itself as the brewery.

Copper

See Brew kettle.

Creamy

A tasting term describing the sensation, or mouthfeel, of beer that has good natural carbonation.

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Dank

Having a moldy smell.

Decoction

System of mashing to increase conversion of starches to sugars during which portions of the mash are removed, heated, and then returned to the mash tun.

Dextrin

An unfermentable carbohydrate present in malted barley to varying degree; dextrin content is associated with a beer’s palate and mouthfeel. Lower kiln temperatures during malting produce more dextrin and less sugar, while higher temperatures produce less dextrin and more sugars.

Diacetyl

A volatile compound that gives beer a butterscotch flavor, measured in parts per million.

Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS)

A sulfur compound resulting from poor wort processing that imparts a taste and aroma of sweet corn.

Dosage

A measure of yeast and/or sugar added to the cask or bottle to facilitate secondary fermentation

Draft (Draught)

The process of dispensing beer from a bright tank, cask, or keg. May also be used to describe the carbon dioxide injected into the beer container prior to sealing.

Dry

A tasting term describing a sharp, not sweet palate.

Dryhopping

The addition of dry hops to fermenting or aging beer to increase its hop character or aroma.

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Enzymes

Naturally-occurring grain proteins that convert the malted barley starches to sugars (maltose) when the mash is heated.

Ester

Volatile compound formed during fermentation that gives a beer a fruity, flowery or spicy taste.

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Fermentation

Conversion of sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide, through the action of yeast.

Filtration

The removal of impuritiesin the wort or beer. Yeast in suspension is a typical target.

Final specific gravity

See specific gravity.

Fining

A substance to facilitate beer clarification.

Finish

The lingering taste sensation that accompanies swallowing.

Fruity

Tasting term describing the flavor and aroma of bananas, strawberries, apples, and/or citrus notes resulting from high temperature fermentation and top-fermenting yeast strains.

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Grainy

Having a taste like cereal or raw grain.

Gravity

See specific gravity.

Grist

Brewers’ term for the mix of milled grains to be used in a beer. Also sometimes applied to hops.

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Hand Pump

A device for serving draft beer without the use of pressurized carbon dioxide.

Hang

Tasting term used to describe lingering bitterness or harshness.

Hard cider

A fermented beverage made from apples.

Heat Exchanger

A mechanical device for quickly reducing the temperature of the wort.

Hefe

A German word meaning “with” used mostly in conjunction with wheat (weiss) beers to denote that the beer is bottled or kegged with the yeast in suspension (hefe-weiss). These beers are cloudy, frothy, and very refreshing.

Hogshead

Cask holding 54 imperial gallons ( 243 liters ).

Hop back

Sieve-like vessel used to strain out the petals of the hop flowers. Known as a hop jack in the United States.

Hoppy

Having the aroma of hops, but not the bitterness.

Hops

Herbs added to boiling wort or fermenting beer as a seasoning.

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IBU

International bitterness units. A system for measuring hop bitterness in finished beer.

Infusion

Simplest method of making mash, in which the malt is soaked in water, typically at a single temperature.

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Keg

One-half barrel, or 15.5 U. S. gallons. A half keg or, 7.75 U. S. gallons, is called a pony keg.

Krusening

The addition of a small amount of partly fermented wort to a brew during lagering for secondary and carbonation.

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Lager

Beers produced with bottom-fermenting yeast strains, at colder fermentation temperatures than ales, to produce a cleaner, crisper tasting beer.

Lagering

From the German word for storage. The process of maturation for a set period of time at cold temperatures (close to 0¦C /32¦F) to settle residual yeast and create carbonation.

Lauter

From the German word to clarify. To run the wort from the mash tun using a system of sharp rakes to extract the malt sugars.

Lauter tun

See Mash tun.

Length

The amount of wort produced each time the brew house is in operation.

Light-struck

Having a skunk-like smell due to exposure to light.

Liquor

The brewer’s word for the water used in the brewing process during malting, mashing and sparging.

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Malt extract

The condensed wort from a mash, consisting of maltose, dextrins, and other dissolved solids in the form of powdered suger or syrup. It can be reconstituted with water for fermentation.

Malt liquor

A type of beer of relatively high alcohol content (7%-8% by volume), as defined in the United States.

Malting

The process of converting the starches of barley grain to sugars (maltose) in preparation for fermentation. The barley is first soaked in water, germinated, and then kilned.

Maltose

The water-soluble, fermentable malt sugar.

Mash

The malted barley-water mixture whereby the sugars are released, or as a verb, the process of creating this mixture.

Mash tun

A tank for preparing the mash.

Mead

Meads are produced by the fermentation of honey, water, yeast and optional seasonings such as fruit, herbs, and/or spices. They are classified by their final specific gravity as dry, medium, or sweet.

Medicinal

Having a chemical or phenolic taste resulting from wild yeast, contact with plastic, or sanitizer residue.

Metallic

Term associated with over-aged beer.

Microbrewery

Small brewery generally producing less than 15,000 barrels per year. Sales primarily off-premises.

Mouthfeel

A sensation derived from the body or viscosity of a beer, ranging from thin to full.

Musty

Having a moldy, mildewy flavor and aroma, due to cork or brew spoilage.

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Nose

The bouquet, or as a verb, the act of smelling the bouquet of a beer.

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Original gravity

See specific gravity.

Oxidized

Characterized by a stale or rotten flavor due to exposure to oxygen or high temperatures during aging.

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Palate

The complex taste of a beer, imparted by the respective degrees of hop, malt, and fruit.

Pasteurization

Heating of beer to 60-79(¦C/140-174¦F to stabilize it microbiologically. Flash-pasteurization is applied very briefly, for 15-60 seconds by heating the beer as it passes through the pipe, or after bottling, on a conveyor belt through an oven.

Phenolic

Having the flavor and aroma of medicine, plastic, smoke, or cloves, due to wild yeast or bacteria, or sanitizer residue.

Pitch

To add yeast to wort.

Plato, degrees

A refinement of the Balling scale that expresses the specific gravity as the weight of extract in a 100 gram solution at 64¦F (17.5¦C).

Priming

The addition of sugar at the maturation stage to promote a secondary fermentation.

Pub

Short for a public house, a place that serves beer and sometimes other alcoholic beverages for consumption on the premises.

Publican

The owner or manager of a pub.

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Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

See Bottom-fermenting yeast.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae

See Top-fermenting yeast.

Saccharomyces uvarum

See Bottom-fermenting yeast.

Salty

Having a flavor like table salt; experienced on the sides of the tongue.

Secondary fermentation

Fermentation process in a closed cask for additional maturation or carbonation.

Shelf life

The period of time a beer will retain its drinkability. The shelf-life for commercially-produced beers is usually around four months.

Skunky

Having a skunk-like smell, a defect caused by exposure to light; primarily a defect found in beers in clear or green bottles.

Solvent-like

Having characteristics of acetone due to by high fermentation temperatures.

Sour

A term describing an unpleasant vinegar-like or lemon-like taste caused by spoilage.

Sparge

To spray grist with hot water, removing soluble sugars (maltose) at the end of the mash.

Specific gravity

A measure of the density of a liquid or solid compared to that of water ((1.000 at 39¦F (4¦C)). The original specific gravity of a beer is measured before fermentation, and the final specific gravity is measured after fermentation is completed.

Squares

Brewers’ term for a square fermenting vessel.

Sulfurlike

Term describing an unpleasant taste or aroma of rotten eggs due to a sulfur compound produced by some yeast strains.

Sweet

Having a sugary taste; experienced on the front of the tongue.

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Tangy

Having a strong or sharp taste.

Tart

Taste sensation cause by acidic flavors.

Terminal gravity

Synonym for final specific gravity.

Top-fermenting yeast

One of the two types of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) used in brewing, also referred to as “ale” yeast; works well at warmer temperatures, able to tolerate higher alcohol concentrations, and ferments fewer sugars for a fruitier, sweeter taste.

Tun

Any large vessel used in brewing. In America, the term “tub” is more commonly used.

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Vinous

Having wine-like characteristics.

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Winy

Sherry-like flavor; can be caused by warm fermentation or oxidation in very old beer.

Wort

The solution of grain sugars strained from the mash tun. At this stage, regarded as “sweet wort”, later as brewed wort, fermenting wort and finally beer

Wort Chiller

See heat exchanger.

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Yeast

A micro-organism of the fungus family. Brewers’ yeast is of the genus Saccharomyces.

Yeasty

Having a yeast-like flavor resulting from yeast in suspension, or beer sitting too long on sediment.