Beer Appreciation

Beer Terminology

Adjunct: An alternative source of sugar for brewing other than malt, such as corn or rice.

Alcohol-free beer: Beer with an alcohol content of no more than 0.5% volume is considered alcohol-free. The beer is produced by removing the alcohol or arresting the process before fermentation is complete.

Ale: Ales are brewed using the top fermentation process, where yeast cells rise to the top of the brewing tank and skimmed off when fermentation is complete.

All malt beer: A beer made entirely from barley malt, with no addition of sugar or un-malted grains such as corn or rice.

Barrel: An English unit of measure for beer, a barrel of beer is equivalent to 31 gallons (117.4L). By way of comparison, a barrel of oil is 55 gallons. Beer is not shipped by the barrel, however. The familiar full-sized keg is a half-barrel (15.5 gallons/58.6L), and a "pony" keg is a quarter-barrel (7.75 gallons/29.3L).

Bottle conditioning: Refermentation in the bottle, triggered by the addition of a little yeast and sugar.

Bottom fermentation: The process used in the production of pilsener or lager beers, using yeasts which sink to the bottom of the tank at the end of fermentation. The fermentation temperature is lower than for top fermented beers, at 41-50°F (5-10°C).

Carbohydrate: A class of organic compounds, containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (sugars, starch, alcohol etc.).

Centrifuge: A device used to remove yeast and other suspended particles from beer.

Chill haze: A visible haze produced in beer by the reaction of proteins and tannins.

Conversion: The point in time/temperature in the mash mixer when the malt enzymes are converting starch to sugar.

D.E.: Diatomaceous earth is a powder consisting of fossilized organisms used to filter beer.

D.M.S.: Dimethyl sulfide. A garlic or cooked corn-like flavour compound. Typically an undesired flavour component.

Diacetyl: A buttery compound produced by yeast and bacteria. An undesired flavour component.

Enzymes: Special proteins whose function is to speed up or make possible certain chemical processes. Special malt enzymes convert starch to sugars.

Ester: An aromatic compound produced by yeast during fermentation. Contributes to the beer aroma spectrum.

Fermentation: The process where yeast, when added to a cooled brew, converts sugar and oxygen into alcohol, carbon dioxide and heat.

Hectolitre (hL): Literally, one hundred litres (26.4 gallons). The standard unit of measurement for large quantities of beer. One hL = 12.22 cases of 24.

High Gravity Brewing: A process where the brewer optimizes capacity by brewing to higher alcohol level.  Finished beer is then adjusted with water to lower alcohol levels.

Hops: Perennial plant producing flowers on a large vine which are harvested and used in beer production, imparting bitterness and some of the aromas to beer. Also, a naturally occurring preservative

Ice Brewing: In aging, before fermentation, beer is chilled to -2C.  This process creates ice crystals and concentrates the beer creating a smooth easy to drink, higher alcohol beer

Krausening: Refers to secondary fermentation. Wort is initially fermented for 5-6 days and then transferred to a Krausen cellar, where fresh wort is mixed with the previously-fermented liquid and fermented again at lower temperatures for longer periods.

Lager: Beer produced using the bottom fermentation process, where the yeast cells sink to the bottom of the tank during fermentation, and are then drawn off when fermentation is complete. Most lagers are of the pilsener type. Other examples are Dortmunder, bock, dark lager and Vienna.

Lautering: A filtration step where husks are separated from the liquid wort.

Light beer: Beer with less alcohol (between 1 and 4%) or fewer calories (-30%), or both.

Malt: The end result of the process where grains are soaked in water, germinated (brought back to life) and roasted.  This process allows starches to be converted into soluble sugars necessary for fermentation.

Maltose syrup: Syrup used in the brew house. An alternate carbohydrate source which can be used in place of corn grits.

Plato: Degrees Plato. A term used to indicate the sugar concentration of wort or beer. The formula is grams of sugar/100 grams of solution.

Reinheitsgebot: The German purity laws, established in 1516. Allows only malt, hops, yeast and water in beer. The law was at odds with EU trade regulations and so is no longer in force, though many brewers still adhere to its tradition.

Spontaneous fermentation: Fermentation which relies on spontaneous action by airborne yeasts, as happens in the Zenne valley near Brussels.

Sulfur dioxide: A substance produced by yeast. In high concentrations it can produce an off, sulphur flavour.

Table beer: A traditional light beer with an alcohol content of about 1.5% vol., commonly consumed with meals at home.

Tannins: A compound which, when bound to protein, can form a haze in beer. Tannins originate in the malt.

Top fermentation: The process used in the production of ales, using yeasts which rise to the top of the fermentation tank, to be skimmed off when fermentation is complete. Fermentation temperatures are higher than for bottom fermented beers, at between 15°C and 25°C.

Wort: Liquid extracted from a mash of malt or malt and adjunct.

Yeast: Single-cell organism with numerous species in nature. Specific strains of yeast are used by brewers to ferment  wort to produce beer.