Beer Terminology Flashcards
Acetaldehyde
Green apple aroma, a byproduct of fermentation.
Additive
Enzymes, preservatives and antioxidants which are added to simplify the brewing process or prolong shelf life.
Adjunct
Fermentable material used as a substitute for traditional grains, to make beer lighter-bodied or cheaper.
Aerobic
An organism, such as top fermenting ale yeast, that needs oxygen to metabolize.
Alcohol
Ethyl alcohol or ethanol. An intoxicating by-product of fermentation, which is caused by yeast acting on sugars in the malt. Alcohol content is expressed as a percentage of volume or weight.
Alcohol by weight
Amount of alcohol in beer measured in terms of the percentage weight of alcohol per volume of beer, i.e., 3.2% alcohol by weights equals 3.2 grams of alcohol per 100 centiliters of beer. (It is approximately 20% less than alcohol by volume.)
Alcohol by volume
Amount of alcohol in beer in terms of percentage volume of alcohol per volume of beer.
Alcoholic
Warming taste of ethanol and higher alcohols.
Ale
Beers distinguished by use of top fermenting yeast strains, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The top fermenting yeast perform at warmer temperatures than do yeast’s used to brew lager beer, and their byproducts are more evident in taste and aroma. Fruitiness and esters are often part of an ale’s character.
All-malt
A relatively new term in America. “All malt” refers to a beer made exclusively with barley malt and without adjuncts.
Amber
Any top or bottom fermented beer having an amber color, that is, between pale and dark.
Anaerobic
An organism, such as a bottom-fermenting lager yeast, that is able to metabolize without oxygen present.
Aroma Hops
Varieties of hop chosen to impart bouquet. (See Hops)
Astringen
t A drying, puckering taste; tannic; can be derived from boiling the grains, long mashes, over sparging or sparging with hard water.
Attenuation
Extent to which yeast consumes fermentable sugars (converting them into alcohol and carbon dioxide).
Bacterial
A general term covering off-flavors such as moldy, musty, woody, lactic acid, vinegar, or microbiological spoilage.
Balling Degrees
Scale indicating density of sugars in wort. Devised by C J N Balling.
Barley
A cereal grain that is malted for use in the grist that becomes the mash in the brewing of beer.
Barrel
A unit of measurement used by brewers in some countries. In Britain, a barrel holds 36 imperial gallons (1 imperial gallon = 4.5 liters), or 1.63 hectoliters. In the United States, a barrel holds 31.5 US gallons (1 US gallon = 3.8 liters), or 1.17 hectoliters.
Beer
Name given alcohol-containing beverages produced by fermenting grain, specifically malt, and flavored with hops.
Bitter
Bitterness of hops or malt husks; sensation on back of tongue.
Bitterness
The perception of a bitter flavor, in beer from iso-alpha-acid in solution (derived from hops). It is measured in International Bitterness Units (IBU).
Black malt
Partially malted barley roasted at high temperatures. Black malt gives a dark color and roasted flavor to beer.
Body
Thickness and mouth-filling property of a beer described as “full or thin bodied”.
Bottle-conditioning
Secondary fermentation and maturation in the bottle, creating complex aromas and flavors.
Bottom-fermenting yeast
One of the two types of yeast used in brewing. Bottom-fermenting yeast works well at low temperatures and ferments more sugars leaving a crisp, clean taste and then settles to the bottom of the tank. Also referred to as “lager yeast”. Saccharomyces uvarum and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis (pastorianus)
Brewhouse
The collective equipment used to make beer.
Brew Kettle
The vessel in which wort from the mash is boiled with hops. Also called a copper.
Brewpub
Pub that makes its own beer and sells at least 50% of it on premises. Also known in Britain as a home-brew house and in Germany as a house brewery.
Bung
The stopper in the hole in a keg or cask through which the keg or cask is filled and emptied. The hole may also be referred to as a bung or bunghole. Real beer must use a wooden bung.
Cabbagelike
Aroma and taste of cooked vegetables; often a result of wort spoilage bacteria killed by alcohol in fermentation.
CAMRA
The CAMpaign for Real Ale. An organization in England that was founded in 1971 to preserve the production of cask-conditioned beers and ales.
Carbonation
Sparkle caused by carbon dioxide, either created during fermentation or injected later.
Caramel
A cooked sugar that is used to add color and alcohol content to beer. It is often used in place of more expensive malted barley.
Caramel malt
A sweet, coppery-colored malt. Caramel or crystal malt imparts both color and flavor to beer. Caramel malt has a high concentration of unfermentable sugars that sweeten the beer and, contribute to head retention.
Cask
A closed, barrel-shaped container for beer. They come in various sizes and are now usually made of metal. The bung in a cask of “Real” beer or ale must be made of wood to allow the pressure to be relived, as the fermentation of the beer, in the cask, continues.
Cask-conditioning
Secondary fermentation and maturation in the cask at the point of sale. Creates light carbonation.
Chlorophenolic
A plasticlike aroma; caused by chemical combination of chlorine and organic compounds.
Chill haze
Cloudiness caused by precipitation of protein-tannin compound at low temperatures, does not affect flavor.
Chill proof
Beer treated to allow it to withstand cold temperatures without clouding.
Clovelike
Spicy character reminiscent of cloves; characteristic of some wheat beers, or if excessive, may derive from wild yeast.
Conditioning
Period of maturation intended to impart “condition” (natural carbonation). Warm conditioning further develops the complex of flavors. Cold conditioning imparts a clean, round taste.
Conditioning Tank
A vessel in which beer is placed after primary fermentation where the beer matures, clarifies and, is naturally carbonated through secondary fermentation. Also called bright beer tank, serving tank and, secondary tank.
Contract Beer
Beer made by one brewery and then marketed by a company calling itself a brewery. The latter uses the brewing facilities of the former.
Decoction
Exhaustive system of mashing in which portions of the wort are removed, heated, then returned to the original vessel.
Dextrin
The unfermentable carbohydrate produced by the enzymes in barley. It gives the beer flavor, body, and mouthfeel. Lower temperatures produce more dextrin and less sugar. While higher temperatures produce more sugars and less dextrin.
Diacetyl
A volatile compound in beer that contributes to a butterscotch flavor, measured in parts per million.
DMS
Taste and aroma of sweet corn; results from malt, as a result of the short or weak boil of the wort, slow wort chilling, or bacterial infection. – Dimethyl sulfide, a sulfur compound.
Dosage
The addition of yeast and/or sugar to the cask or bottle to aid secondary fermentation.