My Recipe Box
AAU- alpha acid unit. Used for determining the amount of bitterness in a beer.
Adjunct- any unmalted grain or additive used as a source of sugar, color, flavor, or body in brewing.
Aerate- the process of adding oxygen to a beer to increase yeast activation.
Airlock- a device that allows carbon dioxide to escape from a fermenter, while preventing air from entering.
Ale- any top fermenting beer.
Ale yeast- a strain of top fermenting yeast that works well at room temperatures.
Barley- the main source of fermentable sugars in beer.
Bittering hops- hops added to the wort early in the boil to impart bitterness.
Black patent malt- malted grain that adds dark color and roasted flavor.
Carboy- A large glass jug, 5 or 7 gallons in capacity, used as a fermenter in home brewing.
Chocolate malt- malted grain that imparts a nutty flavor. Lighter than black patent malt.
Crystal malt- unroasted malt that will lend a copper color and head retention. The most widely used of all the malts.
Extract- see malt extract
Fermentation- the conversion of sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol, performed by yeast.
Fermenter- vessel used to contain wort during fermentation. Must be at a minimum of 5 gallons.
Finishing hops- hops added to the wort late in the boil, to impart a hoppy aroma rather than bitterness.
Gravity- a measure of the density of a liquid. See specific gravity.
Gypsum- used as a water hardener. Two teaspoons of gypsum for 5 gallons of water. Usually used for ales.
Hops- plant that is used to give bitterness and aroma to beer. Hops are available in leaf, plug, and pellet form.
Hydrometer- instrument which measures the gravity (density) of a beer. This is also used to determine alcohol content.
Irish Moss- (carrageen seaweed) a clearing agent used to prevent haze or cloudiness in a beer.
Lactose- non-fermentable milk sugar. Used to add a "creamy" style to beer.
Lager- beer that is fermented cool using a lager yeast and stored cold for a period of weeks.
Lovibond- (L) the scale, in degrees, on which brewers measure the color of malt and beer. Darker malt will have a higher degree (L)
Malt- grain barley which is soaked, germinated, and baked to turn starches into sugars for later fermentation.
Malt extract- form of barley in which the grains have been malted and packaged in either syrup or dry (powder) forms for easy use in home brewing.
Malto-dextrin- non-fermentable additive that improves body or mouth feel in beer.
Noble hops- hops of relatively low alpha acid content but with fine aromatic and flavoring properties.
Oat extract- adjunct used mainly in darker ales
Original gravity- the specific gravity of wort before fermentation.
Pale malt- ordinary barley malt, dried at low temperatures to minimize color.
Pitch- to add brewers yeast to wort.
Primary Fermentation- the first stage of fermentation lasting 1-2 weeks.
Prime- adding sugar to beer before bottling.
Rack- transferring beer from one container to another, leaving the sediment (trub) behind.
Rice extract- adjunct used mainly in lager beers. Rice extract will thin a beer and give it a crisp body.
Secondary Fermentation- Second stage of fermentation. Beer is usually racked from the primary fermenter into a glass carboy for secondary fermentation and clearing for about 1 week.
Siphon- using plastic tubing to transfer wort from one container to another.
Slurry- yeast that has been activated in anticipation of pitching to the wort.
Specific gravity- a measure of density of a liquid when compared to pure water. Malt sugar increases specific gravity and fermentation lowers it.
Steep- process of placing grains or adjuncts into heated (non boiling) water to allow the qualities to be extracted.
Terminal gravity- the specific gravity of beer after fermentation.
Trub- the sediment that collects at the bottom of the brew kettle and fermenter.
Wort- mixture of boiling water, barley malt, and hops. When yeast is added you have beer!
Yeast- single cell microorganism that eats the sugars in wort and converts them into carbon dioxide and alcohol.