BEER BREWING TERMINOLOGY
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A.E.: Apparent extract. Percentage of sugars after fermentation (or during). 'Apparent' due to influence of alcohol on the percentage of sugar measurement.
 
adjunct: A starch source for brewing other than malt. Examples: corn, rice.
 
B.M.E.: Brewing Material Efficiency. A calculation which compares the actual extract received divided by the potential extract available.
 
barrel: An English unit of measure for beer. A barrel of beer is equivalent to 31 gallons (117.4 l) 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/58.7 l), and a "pony" keg is a quarter-barrel (7.75 gallons/29.3 l).
 
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 pils 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 41-50F (5-10C).
 
carbohydrate: A class of organic compounds containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen (sugars, starch, alcohol, etc.).
 
centrifuge: Device used 'in-line' to remove yeast and other suspended particles from beer.
 
chill haze: A visible haze produced in beer by reaction of proteins and tannins.
 
chillproof: Used to prevent chill haze.
 
conversion: The point in time/temeprature in the mash mixer when the malt enzymes are converting starch to sugar.
 
D.E.: Diatomaceous earth. A powder used to filter beer.
 
D.M.S.: Dimethyl sulfide. A garlic or cooked corn-like flavor compound. An undesired (typically) flavor component.
 
diacetyl: A buttery compound produced by yeast and bacteria. An undesired flavor 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 utilizes the sugars present in wort and converts them to the major by-products of alcohol and carbon dioxide.
 
gueuze: A blend of old and young lambic, which triggers a new fermentation.
 
H.F.C.S.: High fructose corn syrup. Sweet sugar syrup commonly used in soft drinks. hectolitre: Literally, one hundred litres (26.4 gallons). The standard metric unit of measurement for large quantities of beer. 
hops: Perennial plant producing flowers which are harvested and used in beer production, imparting the bitter and some of the aroma flavor to 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.
 
lautering: Separation of wort from the mash.
 
malt: The end result of the transformation of a barley seed via the malting process.
 
maltose syrup: Syrup used in the brewhouse. An alternate carbohydrate source which can be used in place of corn grits.
 
O.E.: Original extract. The percentage of sugars in the wort after kettle strike out (prior to fermentation).
 
pH: Scale used to indicate the concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution. Low pH = acidic. High pH = basic.
 
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.
 
PPB: Parts per billion. Commonly used to express concentrations of dissolved oxygen gas or D.M.S.
 
PPM: Parts per million. Commonly used to express concentrations of diacetyl or sulfur dioxide.
 
protein: Consists of amino acids linked together to form long chains. Depending on structure, these chains can be functional. Enzymes are an example of functional proteins.
 
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.
 
steely ends: Unmodified hard starch end of malt kernel (the portion of the malt grind used in the cereal cooker).
 
sulfur dioxide: A substance produced by yeast. In high concentrations it can produce an off, sulphury flavor.
 
tannins: A compound which, when bound to protein, can form a haze in beer. Tannins origininate 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 degrees C and 25 degrees C.
 
vorlauff: Brewhouse term to describe the clarification step at the start of the lautering process (wort extraction from mash).
 
wort: Liquid extracted from a mash of malt or malt and adjunct. 
Y.F.E.: Yeast fermentable extract. A test to determine the remaining fermentable sugars in beer.
 
Y.I.S.: Yeast in suspension. 
yeast: Single-cell organism with numerous species in nature. Specific strains of yeast are used by brewers to ferment wort to produce beer.