Acetic Acid…..A common acid produced by a variety of yeasts and bacteria. A major spoilage flavour resulting from the growth of acetic acid bacteria in beer and detectable by a vinegar like aroma and taste. Production by acetic acid bacteria involves the oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid.
Alcohol By Volume (ABV)…..A measure of the strength of a beer by the level of alcohol it contains. If measured by volume the units would be millilitres of alcohol per 100 grams of beer. Beer ABV ranges from 3% in weak ales and milds to 10% in strong ales and barley wines.
Barley…..The principle cereal grain used in brewing. Two species,Hordium vulgare and Hordium distichon are most commonly grown and many varieties exist some of which are planted in the spring others in the winter. The grains of barley are quite large and contain high levels of starch and also of digestive enzymes. Two row barleys are larger than six or four row barleys due to the selection of two rows of grains down the stem rather than the wild type six rows.
Barley Wine…..A classic strong ale with an ABV between 6.5 and 11,a bitterness between 20 and 50 and a wide range of colour. Flavours are generally pungent and alcohol,ester and hoppy and taste moderately bitter with a thick and smooth mouthfeel.
Beer engine…..A hydraulic pump used to pull beer from a cellar to the bar for dispense. Designed like a simple water pump it contains one way valves in a chamber to prevent backflow of the beer. Beer, pulled into the chamber through a rubber flap on the piston, is dispensed out through a spout which may be extended to reach the bottom of the glass and minimise turbulence. The long pulling handle is the characteristic emblem of cask ales which are typically dispensed using beer engines.
Beer stone…..A deposit of mineral and organic materials in the fermenter due to the precipitation of calcium salts and proteins. May be difficult to remove and can shield contaminating bacteria so posing a hygiene hazard.
Brown Ale…..A distinctive type of British beer characterised by a moderate bitterness and strong malt character. Taste is malty and sweet with a full body and light hop and fruit. ABV is between 4.5 and 5.0% and colour up to 70EBC.
Calandria…..The surface of a heating element in contact with wort. May be internal to the copper or external so as to heat wort which is pumped over it in a recirculation loop.
Casks…..Vessels for dispensing beer. Traditionally made from wood but today stainless steel,or less frequently, aluminium. Typical shape is cylindrical with a belly to keep settled yeast away from the tap. When stillaged the tap has a shive bung which is opened to allow air or gas into the cask. Beer is drawn from a tap inserted into the keystone bung in the side.
Copper…..A boiling vessel for wort.Boiling kills residual microorganisms extracted from malt during mashing, stabilises flavours and converts a acid into iso a acids so making wort bitter. It is an essential stabilisation stage in brewing.
Fermentation…..The dominant reaction of yeast metabolism which produces ethanol and carbon dioxide from glucose. Energy is also produced and used by the cell for growth and multiplication.
Ferulic acid…..A phenolic compound released by malt and converted to spicy flavours such as vinyl guaiacol by wild yeast. This may be perceived as an off flavour in standard beers but is an important feature of authentic wheat beers.
Foam…..The froth produced on the top of beer dispensed with agitation. Composed of a mixture of protein, polysaccharides and iso humulones it forms a layer of liquid around gas bubbles released from the beer. This layer drains slowly so retaining the bubble shape. Antifoaming materials such as lipids reduce the integrity of the layer and collapse the foam. High levels of protein and bitterness in beer will increase foam levels and foam stability.
Fuggles…..One of the first identified varieties of hops. Developed in 1875 by Richard Fuggle it remains an important variety used in traditional British beers.
Infusion mashing…..A traditional mashing process involving keeping the mash at a single temperature during the mash period. This is typically between 60 and 70 C where amylase activity is maximal. Infusion mashes are usually employed for UK beers produced using well modified malt which has incurred extensive protein and b glucan digestion during malting.
Priming Sugar…..Sugar added to the beer after fermentation to restart yeast activity and fermentation. Important in some cask ales and bottle conditioned beers where a secondary fermentation is necessary to produce additional carbonation. Sucrose would commonly be used but malt gives a better flavour profile.
Worts……A wort is how all beers start out. Wort is the liquid resulting from the mashing of the malted barley at the start of the brew process. For beer,hops and yeasts are added to the wort prior fermentation,the hop choice from the brewer are what takes it to the next level with their preferred flavourings. The yeast is added after the liquid is boiled steadily for around an hour and allowed to cool, this will transform the sugar in the wort into alcohol and produce the CO2 that render beer sparkle.
Enjoying a pint of great beer 