Brewing Dictionary


Adjunct Something added to beer other than malt, hops, water, and yeast. Like corn or sugar
Ale Top fermenting beer brewed at room temperature. Usually 68 to72 degrees.
All Grain The process of making beer with just grain. You use no DME or LME.
Aerate To force air or oxygen into the wort.
Air Lock A one way valve that allows carbon dioxide to escape while fermentation takes place.
Autolysis The death of yeast due to shock or lack of nutrients.
Beer Fermented beverage made from malt, water, yeast, and hops.
Blow Off A method of expelling carbon dioxide gas by fitting tubing in the neck of the carboy and other end in pitcher of water.
Bottle Conditioned Priming bottled beer with priming sugar and allowing to naturally carbonate.
Capper Device used to put bottle caps on bottles.
Carbon Dioxide Gas that is produced by the yeast as it consumes the malt sugar.
Carboy A glass jug usually 5 to 6 1/2 gallons used to ferment beer in.
Chill Haze Temporary cloudiness of beer when chilled.
Cider A fermented beverage made with apple juice.
Conversion process where the starches in the grain are converted to sugar that can then be fermented.
Dextrose AKA corn sugar. This is used in priming beer.
DME Dried malt extract.
Dough In The process of adding grain and water to the mash tun.
Dry Hopping Adding hops to the secondary to add aroma to beer. Usually for a week to two weeks.
Fermentation Conversion of sugar to carbon dioxide and alcohol. The results of yeast.
Final Gravity The ending gravity of beer after fermentation.
Finings Used to clear beer. Products such as Irish Moss, and Inglass
Flocculation This is how yeast settles out after fermentation. Yeast's have different flocculation rated as low, med, or high
Extract Malt that has been processed by mashing and comes in the form of dry or liquid.
Extraction rate This is a measurement of the starches that are converted to sugar during the mash.
Hops Used to give beer its flavor. Some say hops spice the beer.
Hot Break This is the gunk that settles out in the bottom of the kettle after it is cooled.
Hydrometer A device that measures the amount of sugar in water. A brewer uses this to estimate the alcohol content in beer.
Irish Moss A fining that is a form of seaweed. Used to clarify beer.
Krausen Foam that appears on top of fermenting beer.
Lager Bottom fermenting beer brewed at cooler temperatures. Usually 32 to 58 degrees.
Lager German word meaning (to store).
Lauter To separate sweet wort from the spent grains.
Lauter Tun This is a vessel where the malted barley and hot water convert starch to sugar.
LME Liquid malt extract.
Lovibond A rating system for grain from 0 to 500+. The lower the number the lighter the color.
Malt Barley that has been soaked in water, allowed to sprout, and then dried.
Mash This is the grain and hot water mixture.
Mashing Starch is converted to sugar by mixing hot water and malted barley.
Mead A fermented beverage made from honey.
Original Gravity This is the gravity reading before fermentation.
Pitch A term used in beer making meaning to add yeast to wort.
Primary Fermenter Usually a plastic or glass container used to ferment beer in.
Priming Sugar AKA corn sugar. This is used in priming beer.
Proof A term used to check and make sure yeast is alive and healthy.
Rack A term used in brewing that means to move beer from one location to another.
Racking Cane A long curved plastic tube used to transfer beer from one location to another.
Rehydrate To add dry yeast to boiled and cooled water to slowly come back to life before pitching into wort.
Reinheitsgebot The German purity law of 1516 that states that beer can only contain water, malt, hops, and yeast.
Rhizome A root cutlet from a hop plant.
Rousing To agitate or create turbulence. To mix.
Sanitizer Solution to kill most bacteria on equipment.
Secondary Fermenter A glass container used to clear beer that has been racked from the primary.
Siphon Used to transfer beer from one place to another.
Skunky This is a term used when a beer has been subjected to too much light.
Sparging The process of running hot water over spent grains to extract remaining sugar.
Specialty Grain Used to give beer color without adding much fermentables.
Starter Small batch of beer used to increase the amount of yeast cells.
Strike temperature This is temperature you are shooting for when doing all grain.
Thermometer A device to measure the temperature.
Trub The junk at the bottom of your pot after the boil. You should avoid adding this to the fermenter.
Wort Unfermented beer.
Wort Chiller A device used to cool the wort.
Yeast a microorganism that eats sugar and the by products are carbon dioxide and alcohol.

1