Glossary
Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section
of the glossary. If the term you are looking for starts with a digit or symbol, choose the
'#' link.
- All Grain
A beer recipe utilizing only grains for fermentable sugars. These
sugars must be extracted from the grain using a mashing and lautering process. An all grain beer is more difficult and time
consuming to make than an extract beer, but the brewer is rewarded
with a fresher and more complex product.-
- Alpha Acid
A resin contained in the hop plant that is responsible for the
bitterness in beer. When purchasing hops, the alpha acid content of the hops will be given
as a percentage and printed on the package cover.-
- Alpha Acid Units (AAU)
Synonymous with Home Bitterness Units. (HBU) A bitterness measurement system that allows
the brewer to consistently control the bitterness level of his/her beer. As the amount of
resin that is responsible for bitterness in a hop (alpha acid) varies from year to year,
simply adding x ounces of a hop variety in a beer will not necessarily produce the same
beer. Thus the bitterness level of a recipe is given in AAU, where 1 AAU = (hop alpha acid
%) X (hop weight in ounces). This factors in the varying Alpha acid content of hops from
year to year.-
- Apparent Attenuation
The percentage of sugars that have been converted to alcohol by the yeast. The measurement
does not take into account the lower density of alcohol compared to water. See Real Attenuation.-
- Apparent Extract
The final specific gravity of beer converted to degrees Plato. This measurement does not
take into account the lower density of alcohol compared to water. See Real
Extract.
- Beer
Chief product of Lee's Brewery!
- Crushed Grain
Prior to mashing, the grains outer husk must be cracked using a grain mill in order for the grain's starches to efficiently converted to
sugars.
- Dry Hopping
Gives a beer a very aromatic character. To dry hop a beer, place 2 ounces of aroma leaf
hops into a hop bag and let it float in your secondary fermenter. As an alternative see hop tea.
- Extract
Sweet syrup which can be purchased in a sealed bag or can. The mashing
and lautering processes have been performed by the extract
manufacturer. Beers made from extracts are easier and quicker to make than ones made from
grain. The minus side of using extracts is that the loss of ingredient freshness as well
as strict control of the brewer's end product.
- Ferment
A natural conversion process performed by yeast cells that turns
sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.-
- Final gravity
Specific gravity of wort after fermentation
has completed. A beer with a lower final gravity is generally more desirable because it is
an indication of an efficient fermentation process. (More sugars have been converted to
alcohol.)
- Grain Bed
Refers to the collection of grain in the lauter tun that heated water
is run through in order to extract sugars.-
- Grain Mill
Used to crush grain prior to the mashing process. See the Brewery's Photo Gallery for a picture of the mill used by the
brewery.-
- Glass Carboy
A vessel used for fermentation. Glass carboys are also used to distribute drinking water.
For a picture of a glass carboy, refer to the brew closet photo in the Brewery's Photo Gallery.
- Hops
A vine whose flowers are used as a bittering agent in beer. Hops also contribute to the
beer's aroma as well as increase the beer's shelf life.
- Hop Tea
Used as an alternative to dry hopping to give a beer a very aromatic
quality. A hop tea is made by boiling a pint of water with 2 ounces of pelletized aroma
hops, then adding it, cooled and strained, to the secondary fermenter.
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- Hot Water Tank
A vessel used to house hot water between 170 and 210°F. This hot water is run through the
grain bed during the lautering process in order
to wash away sugars needed for the wort from the grain.
- Irish Moss
Made from algae. A natural additive used to produce a clear beer.
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- Lautering
The process of washing sugars away from the grain.-
- Lautering Arm
A device used to spread water evenly over the grain bed in to ensure
the maximum amount of sugars are washed from the grain.-
- Lauter Tun
Refers to the vessel that hold the grain bed during the lautering
process.-
- Light Dry Malt
In powder form. An extract that has had all it's water removed. Used
by the brewery to prime beer before bottling.
- Mash
Refers to the water/grain mixture during the mashing process.-
- Mashing
The process of converting a grain's starches into fermentable sugars.-
- Mash Tun
Refers to the vessel that holds the grain bed during the mashing process.-
- Mead
A honey wine, fermented honey.
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- Nylon Grain Bag
A fine mesh bag used to hold grain during the steeping process.
- Original Extract
A beer's original gravity converted to degrees Plato.-
- Original Gravity
Specific gravity of wort before fermentation.
The higher a beer's original gravity, the more sugars it contains, and thus a higher
potential for alcohol content.
- Pitch
The act of adding yeast to wort.-
- Primary
Short for Primary Fermenter. A vessel used to house the beer in the first 3-7 days of
initial fermentation after the yeast has been pitched into the wort.-
- Prime
The act of adding sugar or light dry malt to the beer after fermentation and prior to bottling. This sugar gives the remaining yeast some food to eat, the result is carbonation!
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- Real Attenuation
The real percentage of sugars that have been converted to alcohol by the yeast. This
measurement takes into account the lower density of alcohol compared to water.-
- Real Extract
The final gravity of the beer, converted to degrees Plato and corrected to account for the
lower density of alcohol compared to water.
- Sanitize
The act of cleaning and removing the bulk of the bacteria from an item.-
- Secondary
Short for Secondary Fermenter. A vessel used to house the beer during the later half of fermentation, after Primary fermentation. Beer is
usually stored in the Secondary for 7-14 days. After Secondary Fermentation, the beer is
ready to be bottled.-
- Sparge
Also see lautering. The process of washing away sugars from the grain
after they have been converted from starches during the mashing
process.-
- Specialty Grain
A grain that can be used with extract recipes to impart a desired
flavor and/or color characteristics to the end product. Specialty grains must be steeped at between 150-170°F before the boil for the sugars to seep
into the wort. Mashing of specialty grains is not required as the
starches have all ready been converted into sugars.-
- Specific Gravity
A measurement of a liquid's density relative to the density of water. (specific gravity of
water at 60°F is 1.000)-
- Steep
The process of soaking specialty grains is a nylon or muslin bag in
water at between 150-170°F in order for the sugars contained to be added to the wort.
- Trub
Sludge consisting of proteins and hops that precipitate out of wort during the boiling and
chilling processes.-
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- Wort
- A sweet liquid that becomes beer once yeast
has been added.
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- Yeast
The magical ingredient of beer. A microscopic fungi that is able to convert sugar into
alcohol and carbon dioxide in a process know as fermentation.-
- Yeast Nutrient
"Vitamins" for yeast. The best nutrient is actually dead yeast cells in the form
of Vegemite or Marmite yeast extracts. The addition of a yeast nutrient to wort promotes a
healthy and hearty fermentation resulting in a beer with a lower final gravity.-
- Yeast Starter
Refers to an intermediate quantity of yeast that is pitched into the wort. This is done because the quantity of yeast in its purchased form
is typically too small to be added directly to the wort. The larger number or amount of
yeast cells that are added to the wort, the more efficient the fermentation
process will be. A more efficient fermentation results in a better quality beer with less
likeliness of contamination.
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Revised: Friday, May 22, 1998 17:30:27
Copyright © 1996 by [Lee's Brewery].
All trademarks or product names mentioned herein are the property of their respective
owners.