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Adjunct
- Unmalted grain, such as rice, corn, maize, wheat used in
addition to malted barley to make a beer. They tend to stabilize
and lighten the flavor of a beer.
Ale - A top-fermented brew, which is typically
more acidic and fruity than its bottom fermented counterparts.
May range in color from pale golden to reddish brown.
Barley Wine - A Scottish traditional ale, quite strong
and dark in color, often called "wee heavy" in pubs. Very high in
alcohol.
Bitter - An English Pale Ale, sold by
pints in pubs. So called because ales were originally
made without hops, and the addition of hops to the brew
then created bitter ales.
Bock - Means male goat, its symbol. Dark beers
traditionally brewed to last throughout the summer, before
the days of refrigeration. Though associated with
May, bocks are now brewed year round. The taste may
be lively and well-hoped.
Body - The particular feel of a beer is
described as full-bodied, medium-bodied, or light-bodied,
depending on the sense of "thickness" or "thinness" in your
mouth.
Bottom Fermented - Brews whose yeast ferments on the
bottom, such as lagers, pilsners and bocks. These are often
served cooler than top fermented beers. Most common
style of brewing in the world, and typified in Germany,
Czechoslovakia, and the U.S.A.
Export - A light colored bottom fermented
brew. Often heavier than a pilsner, a typified by those
of Denmark & Switzerland.
Fining - A process of producing a "bright"
beer by clearing the beer of unwanted haze through the addition
of ingredients such as isinglass or Irish moss, which take
particles out of the solution.
High Gravity Brewing - A process taking
concentrated wort and diluting it with water. It's
an economical way to make more beer with less equipment.
Hops - An important ingredient in brewing
which contributes both bitterness and aroma, and is a natural
preservative. Hops are the dried female flower of a
climbing vine in the nettle family.
Keg - A vessel for serving beer in large quantities varying
from five to 10 gallons
Lager - means aged. They are produced
by bottom fermenting yeast and have a longer and cooler fermentation
than ales. Generally lagers are lighter and sweeter
than Pilsners.
Malt - barley which has been moistened,
allowed to germinate (sprout), then is kiln-dried.
Malt is an essential ingredient in brewing, and contributes
sugar taste, body and character. In some countries
corn, rice and other cereals may be used which are a compromise
in quality.
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Malt Liquor - a
term forced on us by state legal requirements, which indicates
beer is over 4% alcohol by weight. U.S. malt liquors
are often the same strength as beer.
Mashing - The preparation of the wort
or liquid base of beer, mashing converts starches to sugars
by heating malted barley with water.
Microbrewery - Defined as a brewery producing
less than 15,000 barrels a year (105,000 cases).
Munchner - recognized style originating
in Munich, Germany, for dark brown bottom fermented beers
with a distinct malt, and sometimes sweeter character.
Pilsner - A generic term named after
the town of Pilsner in Czechoslovakia. Like Pilsner
Urquell (the original), most Pilsners are bottom fermented
well hopped, dry, golden beers.
Porters - lighter in body and color than stouts, and
may have a decided chocolate taste contributed by the dark
roasted malted barley. The U.S. produces only two
true porters.
Primary fermentation - After pitching
the yeast (adding the yeast to the wort) and during the
first five days on average, fermentation converts the sugars to
alcohol and produces carbonation.
Priming - The process of adding sugar
to the brew at the beginning of the secondary fermentation
creating carbonation.
Reinheitsgbot - commonly known as the
"Bavarian Purity Law" which dates back to 1516. It states
that beer must be brewed from only malted barley, hops, water
and yeast. This is enforced today in Bavaria, and
for all beers consumed withing Germany, and in Norway, Switzerland,
Austria, and Finland and Luxembourg.
Secondary Fermentation - The final stage
of the fermentation that can last from three weeks to three
years depending on the beer style.
Shelf Life - The number of days, usually a maximum of
four months for commercially produced beers, that a beer
will retain its peak drinkability.
Stout - a bitter rich top-fermented dark
brew which is highly hopped. Notice the head's creamy color
which reflects good quality. Guiness typifies the bitter
stout style, some sweet (milk stout) is also produced.
Top-fermented - brews whose yeast works
on the top during fermentation, such as ales, porters and
stouts. It is a popular style in England, Ireland,
and Scotland.
It is often served at room temperature.
Wort - The sweet liquid derived from heating
the malted barley with water and hops. Wort is the
beginning of all beers. |
 
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