Beer & Brewing Vocabulary — Under the Jenfluence

Real Ale

A beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of carbon dioxide.

Jen BlairJanuary 9, 2017Real Ale, cask, cask-conditioned, CAMRA, Cicerone Certification ProgramComment

Hot Liquor

Heated brewing water.

Jen BlairJanuary 3, 2017homebrewing, hot liquor tank, hot liquor, mash tun, lauter tun, breweryComment

Christmas Ales

A catch-all given to special beers made for Christmas and New Year celebrations. These ales are typically higher in alcohol (5.5%-14%) and are distinguished by the inclusion of dark flavored malts, spices, herbs, and fruits.

Jen BlairDecember 21, 2016Christmas, Christmas Ale, Lambswool, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Anchor BrewingComment

Wassail

A Christmas custom in medieval England that involved the consumption of copious amounts of hot ale.

Jen BlairDecember 13, 2016Christmas, Middle Ages, Medieval England, Wassail, barleywine, strong ale, old aleComment

The Volstead Act

The Volstead Act was passed by Congress on October 28, 1919, to provide for the enforcement of the 18th Amendment, more popularly known as the Prohibition Amendment.

Jen BlairDecember 6, 2016Prohibition, Volstead Act, 18th Amendment, mustachesComment

Three Threads

A beer drunk in 18th century London made up of three types of beer, commonly pale ale, mild (fresh brown beer), and stale (matured brown beer).

Jen BlairNovember 27, 2016porter, three threads, London, pale ale, mild, stale, pubs, caskComment

Attenuation

The removal of sugars and production of alcohol by yeast during fermentation.

Jen BlairNovember 23, 2016attenuation, fermentation, wort, gravity, final gravity, specific gravity, sugar, yeastComment

Candi Sugar

An adjunct commonly used in Belgian beer. Candi sugar can range from light to dark and is typically used in a liquid form by heating beet sugar with water and salts to caramelize the sugar. Many homebrewers use candi sugar in crystallized, hard candy form.

Jen BlairNovember 12, 2016Belgian beer, adjuncts, candi sugar, Tripel, Dubbel, homebrewingComment

Esters v. Phenols

Generally, esters are fruity and usually desirable, whereas phenols are spicy and usually undesirable.

Jen BlairNovember 6, 2016esters, phenols, yeast, fermentation, off flavorsComment

Zoiglbier

An effervescent form of Kellerbier. It is brewed with more highly kilned malt than Kellerbier, so it is a slightly darker amber beer than Kellerbier.

Jen BlairOctober 31, 2016Zoiglbier, beer styles, Bavarian beer, German beer, Middle AgesComment

Tied House

A tavern or bar where the owner is required to purchase some or all of its products from a single manufacturer.

Jen BlairOctober 23, 2016Prohibition, England, Tied house, distributionComment

Ale-Wife

An English term from when it was the woman's responsibility to make sure the men of her house were well-supplied with beer.

Jen BlairOctober 10, 2016Ale-WifeComment

Beer Clean

A term that refers to the cleanliness of a vessel used to drink beer.

Jen BlairOctober 4, 2016Comment

Gruit

An herb mixture used to flavor and preserve beer before hops became commonly used in the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe.

Jen BlairSeptember 26, 2016Gruit, hops, botanticals, bog mrytle, yarrow, rosemary, heather, juniper, ginger, carawayComment

Manometer

A device for measuring pressure.

Jen BlairSeptember 21, 2016Comment

Spontaneous Fermentation

A method of fermentation by which all microorganisms necessary for fermentation are naturally occurring in the brewery and the brewer adds no cultures of microorganisms.

Jen BlairSeptember 12, 2016fermentation, spontaneous fermentation, lambic, gueuze, faro, barrel, oak barrelComment

Trappist & Abbey Ales

"Trappist" is an appellation (i.e. a legal description with the enforceability of a trademark) meaning that only brewers who meet certain requirements are allowed to use the Trappist name.

Jen BlairSeptember 6, 2016Trappist, abbey, alesComment

Retronasal Aroma

Orthonasal and retronasal olfaction send messages to your brain to tell it what you are eating or drinking. While you can taste five basic tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami), you can distinguish thousands of volatile chemical compounds.

Jen BlairAugust 28, 2016retronasal, orthonasal, aroma, smellComment

Itinerant Brewers

Brewers who do not own a brick and mortar brewery but rather brew beer at various breweries. Itinerant or transient brewers typically release their beers under their own label but may have several projects going at the same time at different breweries.

Jen BlairAugust 23, 2016Comment

Body

The fullness or thickness of a beer on the tongue and palate. Body is part of mouthfeel, which is the tactile sensation beer produces in the mouth. Body is one of the physical qualities of a beer.

Jen BlairAugust 14, 2016Comment

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