| A | |
|---|
Abbey beer :
| A beer claimed to be produced following the tradition of an existing or past abbey. Several abbey beers have disappeared or have long ago been passed on
to laymen. Today, few beers are really produced within the walls of a monastery. Among the true abbey beers, the most famous are those produced by the Trappists.
|
Adjuncts :
| Starches, other than malted barley and wheat, such as corn, rice, and sugar, which dilute the flavor and character
of the malt and function as cheap fermentable sugars.
|
Aftertaste :
| The taste, odor and tactile sensations that linger after the beer has been swallowed.
|
Alcohol :
| A synonym for ethyl alcohol or ethanol.
Alcohol by Volume : A measure of the amount of alcohol in beer; used as a primary measure in most countries.
The measure of the amount of space the alcohol in a beer takes up as a percentage of total space.
Alcohol by Weight : A measure of the amount of alcohol in beer; used as a primary measure in the U.S. The measure
of the amount of weight the alcohol in a beer has as a percentage of total weight.
|
Ale :
| The generic term to designate British-type, top-fermentation beers. Ales cover a large range of products, from pale ales to dark ales, that present a diversity of
tastes and levels of alcohol content (bitter, brown, light, mild, pale, old, scotch ale).
|
Alt :
| Altbier is associated with Dusseldorf, Munster, and Hanover. This style of ale is light to medium-bodied, less
fruity, less yeasty, and has lower acidity than a traditional English ale. In the US some amber ales are actually in the
alt style.
|
Amber Ale Belgian Style :
| This is a not a classic style but nonetheless encapsulates various beers of a similar Belgian theme that do not fit
into the more classic mold. Expect amber hued, fruity and moderately strong ales (6%ABV) with a yeasty character. Typical
examples of the style would be Flemish beers such as De Koninck and Palm.
|
Aroma Hops :
| Hop varieties that are chosen for their aroma contribution to the beer. Noble hops are classified as aroma hops.
|
| B | |
|---|
Balance :
| The proportion of malt to hops in a beer. Brewers strive for a seamless balance of the two.
|
Balling Degrees :
| Scale of the density of sugars in wort, developed by C. J. N. Balling.
|
Barley :
| The grain used to produce the malt used in brewing.
|
Barley Wine:
| A top-fermented beer of unusually high, wine-like, alcohol content. Copper-colored or dark brown, strongly
flavored, fruity, sometimes fermented with wine or champagne yeast.
|
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, Pilsener, Stout, Porter and Lager.
|
Berliner Weisse:
| A regional beer of northern Germany, pale, top-fermented, and made with wheat.
|
Bière de garde :
| A beer that continues to ferment undergoes a secondary fermentation. A bière de garde is therefore a beer that has been subjected to prolonged fermentation during which
sugars and yeasts continue to ferment.
|
Bitter :
| One of the flavor characteristics of beer, contributed by the hops. In Britain, the draft equivalent of pale ale,
top-fermented beer that's usually highly hopped, dry and lightly carbonated.
|
Bittering hops :
| Hop varieties that are used to contribute bitterness to the beer.
|
Black Malt :
| Malted barley roasted at high temperatures. Used in stouts and dark beers to contribute dark color and a burnt flavor.
|
Blond Ale Belgian Style :
| This is not a classic style of Belgian ale, but covers the more commercially minded Belgian ales that are lighter
in color and moderate in body and alcoholic strength. Fruity Belgian yeast character and mild hopping should be expected.
|
Bock Beer :
| A very strong lager traditionally brewed in winter to celebrate the coming spring. Full-bodied, malty, well-hopped.
|
Body :
| The density of a beer. The amount of mouthfeel experienced by the drinker.
|
Boiling :
| Wort is boiled in the brew kettle, typically for 90 minutes. During this time, the wort is spiced with hops.
Boiling stops all mash enzyme activity, it extracts bitter and aromatic substances from the hops, it boils off any harsh
grainy odors, and it precipitates the trub which helps clarify the wort.
|
Bouquet :
| The description of the whole of a beer's aromas.
|
Brew Kettle :
| One of the vessels used in the brewing process, used to boil the wort.
|
Brewhouse :
| The collective equipment used to make beer.
|
Brewing :
| The making of 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, in The Netherlands as a huisbrouwerij and in Germany as a Hausbrauerei.
|
Brown Ale :
| A British-style, top-fermented beer which is lightly hopped and flavored with roasted and caramel malt.
|
| C | |
|---|
Caramel Malt :
| A sweet, coppery malt which imparts both color and flavor to beer. Gives a golden color and a nutlike flavor to beer.
Also called crystal malt.
|
Carbonation :
| The addition of carbon dioxide which causes conventional beer to foam.
|
Cask :
| A closed, barrel-shaped container for beer. Available in various sizes and usually made of metal.
|
Chocolate Malt :
| Similar to black malt but roasted to a lesser, chocolate-brown color.
|
Conditioned (cask & bottle) :
| Beer with the yeast left in the brew to complete the fermentation in the cask or bottle.
|
Conditioning tank :
| An airtight tank in which a beer's secondary fermentation occurs.
|
Cooling :
| The wort is cooled to the desired temperature for starting fermentation in a holding tank or whirlpool.
|
Contract beer :
| Beer that is marketed by an independent company that represents itself as the brewery.
|
Cooperage :
| The trade, business or workshop of the cooper (person who makes or repairs casks); products made by the cooper.
|
Craft Beers :
| Beers made by small, independent brewers with only traditional brewing ingredients such as malt, hops, yeast
and water, and brewed with traditional brewing methods.
|
Crystal Malt :
| Synonym for caramel malt.
|
| D | |
|---|
Decoction :
| A brewing process used for bottom-fermenting beers in which portions of the wort are removed, heated, then
returned to the original vessel.
|
Dense (beer) :
| Contrary to a beer that is quickly and easily swallowed, a bière dense affords a full-bodied sensation as
well as a hearty and mellow taste that fills and lingers in the mouth. This sensation is more often than not a
characteristic of a smooth and well malted beer. A beer presenting these qualities is generally less bitter and
has a high percentage of alcohol.
|
Degree :
| Alcohol content is generally expressed in terms of percentage (%) of alcohol per volume. This measurement
should not be confused with the degree of alcohol. or proof (i.e.: 5°), another unit of measurement that refers namely
to degree Plato, Original Gravity, Régie et Balling, but that is rarely used today to indicate the potency of beer.
|
Dextrins :
| Unfermentable sugars that yeast is unable to metabolize, that are left in the beer. Dextrins are responsible for
the body in the finished beer.
|
Diacetyl :
| A compound produced by yeast as a normal product of fermentation. At proper levels, diacetyl is an essential
flavor component of some beer styles. A clearly detectable level of diacetyl may indicate poor brewing practices. It
is perceived as a buttery or butterscotch flavor.
|
Dortmunder :
| A gold-colored, bottom-fermented beer from Dortmund, Germany's largest brewing city.
|
Double Bock / Dopplebock :
| A stronger bock beer, though not necessarily double the strength. The original of the style was brewed by the
Italian monks of the order of St. Francis of Paula in Bavaria to help them though their Lenten fast.
|
Draft Beer :
| Keg beer served on tap.
|
Dry Beer :
| A term for light-bodied brews with little aftertaste and more alcohol.
|
Dry Hopping :
| The process of adding extra hops to the beer during fermentation to enhance its aroma.
|
Dry Stout :
| The Irish version of stout, slightly more bitter and higher in alcohol than the English sweet stout.
|
| E | |
|---|
Eisbock :
| The strongest of the bock beers. Produced by lagering beer in very cold cellars to the freezing point of water,
and removing some of the iced water, thereby increasing the alcoholic strength of the beer.
|
Enzymes :
| Naturally-occurring grain proteins that convert the malted barley starches to sugars (maltose) when the mash is
heated.
|
Estaminet :
| A small café, licensed beverage establishment.
|
Esters :
| Fruity flavors, such as grapefruit, banana, and peach, produced by the yeast during fermentation. Ale yeasts
are known for the production of esters.
|
Ethyl Alcohol :
| A colorless, combustible and potable liquid soluble in water, chloroform, and methyl alcohol. The intoxicating
element in beer, wine, and spirits. Synonyms: alcohol, ethanol, grain alcohol.
|
| F | |
|---|
Faro :
| A blend of equal parts of two types of lambic beer, sweetened with sugar and sometimes colored and diluted with
water. Practically extinct.
|
Fermentation :
| Fermentation is the transformation of sugars by micro-organisms. The fermentation of these sugars by yeast yields
alcohol. This process takes place in big tanks, called fermentors. The secondary fermentation (refermentation) is another
fermentation, but in the bottle this time.
Bottom fermentation: Beers made from bottom fermentation are the most widespread. They are usually pale or blonde
beers, light in alcohol, with a rather neutral flavour. During the production of these beers, yeast is injected at lower
temperatures (6.5 to 8.5 °C), in chilled fermentors containing the wort of the future beer. Then, when fermentation is
finished, one chills the beer to 0°C. The yeast settles down at this point and the beer will go through a maturation phase
before being drinkable.
Top fermentation: Beers produced at higher temperatures, 15 to 25 °C. This gives for faster fermentation and beers
with more fruity, aromatic characteristics. The quantity of yeast used is lesser than for bottom fermentation. The yeast
stays at the surface of the beer during the fermentation. these beers, more typical and darker, are called porter, stout
and ale in England.
Spontaneous fermentation: Fermentation typical for certain belgian specialty beers : one referments the beer in
rooms at a temperature of 16 °C, without adding yeast. Only the micro-organisms floating in the air touch the beer during
this natural fermentation. When the product thus obtained, the lambic, is placed in wooden vats for refermentation for at
least two years, one obtains gueuze. One can also obtain Kriek by steeping cherries in lambic. Other possibilities includes
the use of raspberries, cassis... These beers are usually amber or red.
|
Fermenter :
| A vessel used in the brewing of beer, the place where the yeast converts the simple sugars in the wort to alcohol
and carbon dioxide.
|
Filtration :
| Beer is still slightly cloudy after lagering, and requires filtering to remove any remaining yeast and other
insoluble materials to achieve a brilliant clarity.
|
Flemish Style Brown Ale (Vlaamse Bruine):
| These are complex dark beers most closely associated with the town of Oudenaarde in Flanders. The authentic
examples are medium to full bodied beers that are influenced by a number of factors: high bicarbonate in the brewing
water to give a frothy texture; a complex mix of yeasts and malts; blending of aged beers; and aging in bottle before
release. In the best examples, the flavor profile is reminiscent of olives, raisins, and brown spices and could be
described as 'sweet and sour.' These beers are not hop-accented and are of low bitterness.
|
Flowery nose :
| An aromatic quality generally found in top-fermentation beers. The use of aromatic hops provide the beer with a "green",
flowery bouquet.
|
Four Vessel Brewing :
| Traditional decoction brewing method requiring a mash cooker, a mash tun, a lauter tun, and a kettle. Mashing is
carried out in the mash tun, and starts at a low temperature while portions of the mash are taken out and boiled in the
cooker and later returned to the mash tun, thus gradually raising the temperature of the entire mash. The mash is
afterwards filtered in the lauter tun and the resulting wort is boiled in the copper kettle.
|
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.
|
Fuggles Hops :
| Noble English hops grown in East Kent, England, used to make most ales.
|
Full-bodied :
| A full-bodied beer has a taste that lingers in the mouth.
|
| G | |
|---|
Germination :
| The stage in the beer-making process in which the steeped barley grains are drained and allowed to sprout for
seven to nine days.
|
Golden Ale Belgian Style :
| Belgian golden ales are pale to golden in color with a lightish body for their deceptive alcoholic punch, as
much as 9% alcohol by volume. The benchmark example, Duvel (Devil) from Belgium, is quite heavily hopped to give a floral
nose and a tangy, fruity finish. Typically such brews undergo three fermentations, the final one being in the bottle,
resulting in fine champagne-like carbonation, and a huge rocky white head when they are poured. Often such beers can be
cellared for six months to a year to gain roundness. These beers are probably best served chilled to minimize the alcoholic
mouthfeel.
|
Goldings Hops :
| Noble English hops grown in East Kent, England, used to make ales. Named after the farmer who originally
identified the hop type.
|
Gueuze, Geuze :
| A typically Belgian beer from Brussels, the gueuze results from spontaneous fermentation and is comprised of lambics of different ages (one, two, three
years). The gueuze was first produced in the Vallée de la Senne and Brussels, where it was granted noble status around 1830. Several breweries produce gueuze beer
at varying degrees of alcohol (from 4,1° to 6°).
Thanks to the lambic from which it is derived, the gueuze now benefits from the guaranteed vintage label. As a general rule, this lambic can only be brewed during the
winter months, that is between the 15th of October to the 15th of May. It is therefore during this period that one should visit the Musée bruxellois de la Gueuze,
established in the last craft brewery in operation in the Brussels area.
The gueuze is kept at cellar temperature. Since the bottles are stored horizontally, they must rest at least one month following transport. The gueuze should be savoured
at 12 to 15 °C; it must be poured with great care in a glass that is first tilted, then slowly set upright, so as to ensure a perfect foam. Since this beer has a sour taste, it is
possible to soften it and rid it of its acid quality by mixing in a touch of sugar before drinking.
|
| H | |
|---|
Hallertau / Mittelfrueh Hops :
| Noble, Bavarian lager hops grown in Germany, used to make Lager. Bavaria's Hallertau region has only 400 acres of
hop growing land with the perfect soil and climate for growing Mittelfrueh hops.
|
Head :
| The foam at the top of a beer. The head is the protein which is pushed out of suspension by the bubbles.
|
Hearty :
| A beer affording a hearty taste leaves a lasting sensation in the mouth. It is a bière dense whose flavour lingers
in the mouth, contrary to beers that seem to go down like water.
|
Hefe :
| A German word meaning "yeast" 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.
|
Hefeweizen :
| A German unfiltered wheat beer.
|
Hogshead :
| Cask holding 54 imperial gallons ( 243 liters ).
|
Holding :
| Also called secondary fermentation, the holding process is a period, following a primary fermentation with yeast, during which the beer matures. During the
holding period, sugars and yeast continue to ferment while producing carbon dioxide.
|
Hops :
| A vine grown for its cones (also called catkins) or female blossoms used to flavour beer. These inflorescences, or groups of flowers, produce a yellow powder
containing bitter resins called lupulin. This is what gives beer its slightly bitter taste.
Old hops that have lost their aromatic and bitter qualities are sometimes used. If old hops is rather bland, why then is it used? To provide a very discrete touch of
bitterness. It is almost solely used for lambics (spontaneous fermentation) since bitterness does not blend well with the legendary acidity of these beers.
|
| I | |
|---|
IBU :
| Bitterness Units. An international system of units for measuring and expressing the hop bitterness in beer.
|
Ice Beer :
| A beer resulting from a method by which the temperature of a beer is lowered until the water in it freezes. The
water crystals are then filtered out to produce a beer presenting a higher density, and therefore a higher percentage of
alcohol.
|
Imperial Stout :
| See Russian Stout.
|
India Pale Ale :
| An ale brewed in England for British troops stationed in India in the 18th century. It was brewed very strong to
survive a voyage that could take as long as six months. Highly hopped.
|
Infusion :
| Simplest method of making mash, in which the malt is soaked in water, typically at a single temperature.
|
| K | |
|---|
Keg :
| A keg of beer is equal to 6.88 cases of beer or 1,984 ounces.
|
Krausening :
| A secondary fermentation. A small portion of young, still actively fermenting beer and yeast is added to a tank
of beer at the end of primary fermentation. Since such a small supply of wort is being introduced, the new yeast has a
limited food supply. It quickly exhausts the available sugars and is then forced to scavenge among a range of secondary
compounds for more food. This eliminates strong and potentially offensive odors and flavors, producing an elegant and
balanced flavor, and adding smoothness and body.
|
Kriek Beer :
| A Belgian beer resulting from spontaneous fermentation, produced from lambic, and to which cherries are added.
The cherries soak for a period of four to eight months, undergo fermentation, and the resulting beer is extracted. This
specialty from Brussels must not be kept for a long period of time and should be savoured at cellar temperature (12 to 15°C).
|
| L | |
|---|
Lager Beer :
| Derived from the German word "lagern", which means "to store", it is the common name for bottom-fermentation beers.
Lagers are the most popular beers in the world and include namely the pils.
|
Lagering :
| A period of one to many weeks following or including fermentation in which the temperature of the beer is slowly
reduced. This helps reduce the harsher secondary products of fermentation, while clarifying and mellowing the beer.
|
Lambic :
| A typically Belgian alcoholic beverage produced with a sweet wort, the lambic undergoes spontaneous fermentation (see spontaneous fermentation) thanks to
a natural "infection" of wild yeasts and bacteria (microorganisms floating in the air) found in a very specific environment. As it were, the lambic was the beer that men
drank before the invention of industrial refrigeration and Pasteur's work on fermentation techniques.
The lambic has benefitted from the guaranteed vintage label since 1965 and its production criteria have been established as follows: It must be comprised of 70% of malt
and 30% of unmalted wheat and old hops. The malt can be barley or winter six-row barley. The wort must be at least 5° proof with a tolerance of 5 %. Contrary to
other beers, no yeasts are added, since the fermenting agents required for its maturation stem naturally from the air in the region of Brussels and in the Vallée de la
Senne.
|
Lautering :
| The separation of solids (the mash) from the liquid malt extract called wort.
|
Lauter Tun :
| One of the vessels used in the brewing process, used to filter the liquid wort from the solid mash. Lauter Tuns
usually have a false bottom which opens up to filter the mash.
|
Lees :
| A yeast deposit formed in bottle-fermented liquids (beer, wine).
|
| M | |
|---|
Malt :
| Artificially germinated barley, dried and ground to flour, used to produce beer.
|
Malt liquor :
| A common beer that contains more alcohol than regular beers (generally higher than 5%, usually 6%).
|
Malted barley :
| Barley that has been submitted to the malting process.
|
Märzenbier :
| In Germany, before the advent of refrigeration, beer was brewed in winter and the last batch, brewed in March,
was made especially strong to survive the many months of maturation before it was drunk at the end of summer. Now
commonly called Octoberfest.
|
Mash :
| Ground malt blended with water.
|
Mashing :
| The process of combining the ground malt with water. Mashing is performed at either a constant temperature,
or a series of rising temperatures, depending on the brewing equipment, the raw materials being used, and the type of
beer being brewed. The mashing process determines the composition of the wort.
|
Mash Filtration :
| The separation of solids (the mash) from the liquid malt extract called wort.
|
Mash Tun :
| The first vessel used in the brewing process, the mash tun is used to combine the ground malt with water and to heat
the mash to the desired temperature.
|
Mellow :
| Just like a hearty beer, a mellow beer has a taste that lingers in the mouth. It is the texture of the beer that
allows it to release its light aromas and to linger in the mouth, instead of flowing readily down the throat.
|
Microbrewery :
| Small brewery generally producing less than 15,000 barrels per year. Sales primarily off-premises.
|
Milling :
| The first step in the brewing process. Barley malt is crushed, not ground, between pairs of rollers in a mill.
This separates the husk from the meal body and also fractures the meal body, preparing the malt for mashing.
|
Münchener (or Munich) :
| A bottom-fermented beer produced in Munich since the mid-10th century. There are two versions: helles bier,
a paler beer, and dunkel bier, closer to the original dark style. Both styles are distinctively malty.
|
| N | |
|---|
Noble Hops :
| Rare, unique hop varieties that are prized for their quality flavor and aroma characteristics. Grown
only in four small areas in Europe; three in Germany, and one in Bohemia.
|
Nose :
| The bouquet or the act of smelling the bouquet of a beer.
|
| O | |
|---|
Original Gravity :
| The density of the wort prior to fermentation, expressed as a ratio as compared to the density of water. A
measure of the amount of solids in the wort.
|
Oktoberfest :
| A bottom-fermented Vienna- or märzen-style beer, originally brewed for Germany's Oktoberfest celebration.
Copper-colored, malty, and a bit sweet.
|
Oxidation :
| When a packaged beer is stored for a period of time, it stales, or oxidizes. Different beers stale at different
rates and develop off flavors. The rate of oxidation goes up as the temperature goes up. Oxidation is familiar to
drinkers as a papery or cardboard like character in both taste and aroma.
|
| P | |
|---|
Pale Malt :
| A form of crystal malt used with pale beers.
|
Pale Ale :
| An amber or copper-colored, top-fermented beer brewed with pale malts. Similar to bitter but drier, hoppier and
lighter.
|
Pasteurization :
| Heating of beer to 140-174 F.(60-79 C.) 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.
|
Pils, Pilsener, Pilsner :
| A golden beer created in a brewery in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia, where water, poor in mineral salts, provides the beer with unequalled
smoothness. It also allows it to be highly hopped with hops from Saaz, reputed to be the finest in the world, while avoiding any unpleasant acrid taste. Almost all pils in
Europe are derived from this type of beer. The term "pilsener" is the only term authorized to designate beer elaborated following the method of Pilsen beer but brewed
outside of Pilsen.
|
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.).
|
Pitching :
| Adding yeast to the wort.
|
Porter :
| A highly hopped beer, close to the stout, but with less body. Created in London in 1722 by a man named
Harwood as a substitute for a then popular mix of ale, beer, and two penny beer. It disappeared for a long time in
its top-fermentation version. However, under the impulse of Canadian and American microbreweries, it is now gaining in
popularity.
|
Proof :
| Alcohol content is generally expressed in terms of percentage (%) of alcohol per volume. This measurement should not be confused with the degree of alcohol
or proof (i.e.: 5°), another unit of measurement that refers namely to degree Plato, Original Gravity, Régie et Balling, but that is rarely used today to indicate the potency
of beer.
The higher the density of a beer, the higher its chances of having a greater alcohol content. The yeast
transforms fermentable sugars into alcohol (fermentable = that can ferment) until the beer reaches its final level of alcohol per volume.
|
Pub :
| Short for a public house, a place that serves beer and sometimes other alcoholic beverages for consumption on the
premises.
|
| R | |
|---|
Rauchbier :
| A dark, bottom-fermented beer produced by a few breweries in Bavaria. Unique smoked flavor from the use of malts
dried over an open fire.
|
Red Ale Belgian Style :
| These are also known as 'soured beers' and their defining character classically comes from having been aged for
some years in well-used large wooden tuns, to allow bacterial action in the beer and thus impart the sharp 'sour'
character. Hops do not play much role in the flavor profile of these beers, but whole cherries can be macerated with
the young beer to produce a cherry flavored Belgian Red Ale. These styles are almost exclusively linked to one producer
in northern Belgium, Rodenbach. These ales are among the most distinctive and refreshing to be found anywhere.
|
Refermentation :
| Fermentation is the transformation of sugars by micro-organisms. The fermentation of these sugars by yeast yields
alcohol. This process takes place in big tanks, called fermentors. The secondary fermentation (refermentation) is another
fermentation, but in the bottle this time.
Bottom fermentation: Beers made from bottom fermentation are the most widespread. They are usually pale or blonde
beers, light in alcohol, with a rather neutral flavour. During the production of these beers, yeast is injected at lower
temperatures (6.5 to 8.5 °C), in chilled fermentors containing the wort of the future beer. Then, when fermentation is
finished, one chills the beer to 0°C. The yeast settles down at this point and the beer will go through a maturation
phase before being drinkable.
|
Reinheitsgebot :
| German Beer Purity Law: A law dating back to 1516, requiring beer to be totally pure with only water, yeast,
malt, and hops allowed as ingredients.
|
Roasted Malt :
| Some malts are roasted to varying degrees to produce a range of specialty malts called caramel, chocolate, and
black malts. These malts affect the color and the flavor of beer.
Russian Stout :
| In Britain, a very strong stout originally brewed from 1760 to World War 1. Present day Russian stout is
non-pasteurized and matured in casks for two months, then bottle-aged for a full year. Also called Imperial Russian
stout or Imperial stout.
| S | |
|---|
Saaz Hops :
| Bohemian Noble hops from the Czech Republic used in several beer styles.
| Saison Beer :
| An amber or copper-colored top fermented beer from Belgium and France, once brewed in summer but now available
all year-round. Naturally conditioned in burgundy-shaped one liter bottles.
| Scotch Ale :
| A top-fermented beer of Scottish origin. Traditionally strong, very dark, thick and creamy.
| Seasonal Beers :
| Special beer styles brewed for a specific season, i.e. Oktoberfest, Bock Beer, Winter beer, Spring bockbeer.
| Six Row Barley :
| A type of barley used by most major brewers. Six row barley has less flavor than two row barley.
| Sparge :
| To wash out all soluble products from the mash prior to boiling.
| Specific Gravity :
| A measure of the density of a liquid or solid, as compared with that of water. Brewers use gravity to measure
the fermentation's progress: the more fermentable sugars, the higher the gravity; the more alcohol, the lower the gravity.
| Spice :
| Natural aromatics added to beer to enhance its taste. Several Belgian beers contain spices.
| Spontaneous :
| Fermentation is the transformation of sugars by micro-organisms. The fermentation of these sugars by yeast yields
alcohol. This process takes place in big tanks, called fermentors. The secondary fermentation (refermentation) is another
fermentation, but in the bottle this time.
Bottom fermentation : Beers made from bottom fermentation are the most widespread. They are usually pale or blonde
beers, light in alcohol, with a rather neutral flavour. During the production of these beers, yeast is injected at lower
temperatures (6.5 to 8.5 °C), in chilled fermentors containing the wort of the future beer. Then, when fermentation is
finished, one chills the beer to 0°C. The yeast settles down at this point and the beer will go through a maturation phase
before being drinkable.
| Spruce Beer :
| A brew produced in North America and Northern Europe by fermenting molasses and other sugars with the exudate of
spruce trees, sometimes with malt.
| Steam Beer :
| A beer produced by hybrid fermentation using bottom yeast fermented at top yeast temperatures. Fermentation is
carried out in long shallow vessels called clarifiers, followed by warm conditioning and krausening. The style is
indigenous to America and was first produced in California at the end of the 19th century, during the Gold Rush. At
one time there were 27 breweries making steam beer in California.
| Stock Ale :
| A strong ale brewed to be stored for a long time. Indigenous to America.
| Stout :
| A top-fermentation beer containing roasted malt, presenting a very dark, almost black robe, as well as a bitter
taste. The most famous example is the Guinness Extra Stout, of which several imitations exist not only in Ireland, its
country of origin, but also in the Caribbean and in Africa. In Ireland and Great Britain, the Extra Stout
has an alcohol content of 4 or 5%; however, in tropical countries, where it is savoured icy cold, the alcohol content
reaches 7 or 8%.
| Strong Ale Belgian Style :
| Beers listed in this category will generally pack a considerable alcohol punch and should be approached much
like one would a Barley Wine. Indeed, some of them could be considered Belgian style barley wines, such as those beers
from Brasserie Dubuisson. Expect a fruity Belgian yeast character and a degree of sweetness coupled with a viscous
mouthfeel.
| | T | |
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Tannic :
| An astringent sensation that makes beer appear dry in the mouth. This sensation is often characteristic of
very bitter beers.
| Tannicity :
| An astringent sensation that makes beer appear dry in the mouth. This sensation is often characteristic of
very bitter beers.
| Tannins :
| Organic compounds contained in certain cereal grains and other plants.
| Terminal Gravity :
| Synonym for specific gravity.
| Trappist :
| A top-fermentation beer brewed by the Trappist monks in Belgium and the Netherlands. Trappist beers are abbey-type beers, but the contrary is not always
true. Abbeys are not all in the hands of the monks of the La Trappe congregation in Normandy, from which the monks fled during the French Revolution. They found
refuge namely in Belgium and the Netherlands, bringing with them their secular brewing tradition. Today, six abbey-breweries still exist in Belgium (Chimay, Orval,
Rochefort, Westmalle, Westvleteren and Achel), while one continues to operate in the Netherlands (Koningshoeven).
| Trub :
| Suspended particles comprised of proteins from the malt and tannins from the hops which help to clarify the wort.
| Tun :
| A cask of great capacity (from 50 to 300 hl).
| Two Row Barley :
| A type of barley used to brew beers with more flavor. Two row barley is more expensive than six row barley, the
type used by most major brewers, and it has more flavor.
| | V | |
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Vintage :
| The year the product was produced, as mentioned on the label.
| | W | |
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Water :
| One of the four ingredients of beer. The only requirement for water used in brewing is that it be drinkable.
Chemically speaking, brewing water should be non-alkaline and of a certain hardness, prerequisites easily attained with
the proper treatment.
| Weihenstephan :
| The oldest brewery in the world. Now a brewery and brewing school located just outside Munich.
| Weissbier / Weizenbier :
| In Germany, a generic name for wheat beers. Weisse means white, and such beers are usually very
pale and cloudy, with a white foam.
| Weizenbock :
| In Germany, a wheat beer of bock strength.
| Wheat Beer :
| Any beer containing a high proportion of malted wheat. All wheat beers are top-fermented and many are
bottle conditioned.
| Whirlpool :
| A vessel used in the brewing process, used to remove the trub from the wort.
| Wild Yeast :
| Any airborne yeast. Now available in cultured form.
| Wort :
| The liquid malt extract that is filtered from the mash during lautering. A sweet, amber colored, clear
liquid wort is basically food for the yeast.
| | Y | |
|---|
Yeast :
| A fungus that induces the fermentation of sweet solutions or that causes flour-based dough to rise. Yeasts are of
the ascomycete class of fungi (a superior type of fungi); the most important genus is the saccharomyces. Each production
and fermentation (top or bottom) technique is linked to a yeast strain:
top-fermenting yeast (saccharomyces cerevisiae) is active at temperatures between 15 and 25°C and rises to the
surface once the fermentation is complete;
bottom-fermenting yeast (saccharomyces carlsbergensis) is active at temperatures between 4 and 10°C and sinks to
the bottom of the fermentation vessel.
| Yeasty :
| Having a yeast-like flavor resulting from yeast in suspension, or beer sitting too long on sediment.
| | Z | |
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Zymurgy :
| The science of brewing beer.
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