Beer & Brewing Vocabulary — Under the Jenfluence

Hop Seal

Denotes the right of a hop-growing locale in Germany to "seal" its hops.

Jen BlairApril 8, 2018hops, Hopfensiegel, Under the Jenfluence, Noble hops, apellation, Germany, German hops, hop sealComment

Braggot

A beverage made from both malt and honey that is essentially part beer and part mead.

Jen BlairFebruary 18, 2018Braggot, mead, honey, malt, Under the Jenfluence, brewing, homebrewing, fermentationComment

Firkin

A cask that holds a quarter of a barrel, which is 10.8 US gallons or 9 Imperial gallons.

Jen BlairJanuary 7, 2018cask, cask-conditioned, firkin, barrel, oak barrel, cask sizes, Real AleComment

Lag Phase

The period between adding yeast to wort and the beginning of fermentation.

Jen BlairDecember 17, 2017fermentation, lag phase, Under the Jenfluence, yeast, wortComment

Gabriel Sedlmayr the Younger

Under Gabriel Sedlmayr the Younger, Spaten was on the forefront of brewery innovation. In 1844, Spaten became the first brewery outside of England to use steam power. In 1873, Spaten also became the first brewery to install a then-cutting edge refrigeration system.

Sucking the Monkey

The practice in the colonial Royal Navy of sucking beer from a cask through a straw.

Jen BlairNovember 26, 2017cask, sucking the monkey, tapping the admiral, bleeding the monkey, Under the JenfluenceComment

Invert Sugar

A brewing adjunct that is created by converting sucrose with either acids or enzymes to produce a mixture of glucose and fructose.

Jen BlairNovember 5, 2017brewing, sugar, invert sugar, Under the Jenfluence, adjuncts, syrup, what is invert sugarComment

Cask

A barrel-shaped container used for the production, storage, and service of cask-conditioned beer

Jen BlairNovember 5, 2017cask, cask-conditioned, Real Ale, CAMRA, Under the Jenfluence, barrel, pin, firkin, kilderkin, hogsheadComment

Drauflassen

The brewing practice of putting one batch of wort "on top of" another.

Jen BlairOctober 29, 2017Drauflassen, brewery, brewhouse, yeast, yeast propagation, Under the Jenfluence, wort, fermentationComment

Underletting

A technique used by brewers during run-off or lautering as a method of freeing up a mash bed that has collapsed, colloquially known as a stuck mash.

Jen BlairSeptember 24, 2017underletting, mash, mash tun, Under the Jenfluence, stuck mash, last resort, turbidityComment

Swan Neck

A long-neck spout fitted to a cask beer engine featuring a tall arch resembling the long, curved neck of a swan.

Jen BlairSeptember 17, 2017swan neck, cask, cask-conditioned, nonic pint, tulip pint, Under the Jenfluence, beer engineComment

Mouthfeel

The textual attributes of beer that produce a tactile sensation in the mouth.

Jen BlairAugust 27, 2017mouthfeel, carbonation, fullness, aftertaste, Under the JenfluenceComment

Zymurgy

The chemistry and science of fermentation by yeast.

Jen BlairAugust 9, 2017zymurgy, fermentation, yeast, brewing, Under the JenfluenceComment

Brotzeit

A hearty snack consumed between the main meals of the day, sort of like a second breakfast.

Jen BlairAugust 2, 2017brotzeit, Bavarian beer, Bavaria, weissbier, weisswurst, biergarten, beer garden, Under the JenfluenceComment

Beechwood Aged

A method to complete the lagering process quickly by allowing a greater surface area of yeast to be exposed to the circulating beer.

Jen BlairJuly 23, 2017beechwood aged, Anheuser-Busch, macro beer, marketing ploy, aged beer, Under the JenfluenceComment

Oast House

A building designed for drying hops before they are compressed, baled, or pelletized, packaged, and sold to brewers.

Jen BlairJuly 19, 2017oast house, hops, cowl and vane, Kent, hop garden of England, Under the Jenfluence, hessian sackComment

Jean De Clerck

Known as one of the brewing world's most influential scientists and scholars, De Clerck founded the European Brewery Convention (EBC) and formulated both Moortgat Duvel and Chimay Blue.

Geraniol

A compound closely associated with the aromas of several popular American hop varieties that is characterized by rose-like, floral, and citrus fruit aroma and flavors.