Barley

A cereal grain that is malted for use in the grist that becomes the major part of the  mash in the brewing of beer.

Shive

The stopper in the hole in a cask though which the cask is filled and emptied. The hole may also be referred to as a bung or bung hole. Real beer normally uses a wooden bung.

CAMRA

Campaign for Real Ale. Established in 1971 to preserve the production of cask – conditioned beers and ales and more recently introduced Real Ale in a Bottle.

Cask

A closed barrel shaped container for beer. They come in various sizes and are usually made of metal. The bung in a cask of real ale must be made of wood or plastic to allow the pressure to be relieved, as the fermentation of the beer, in the cask continues.

Cask – conditioning

Secondary fermentation and maturation in the cask at the point of sale. Creates light carbonation.

Chill Haze

Cloudiness caused by precipitation of protein-tannin compound at low temperatures. Does not affect the flavour.

Conditioning

Period of maturation intended to impart “condition” (natural carbonation) warm conditioning further develops the complex of flavors. Cold conditioning imparts a clean, round taste.

Dry hopping

The addition of dry hops to fermenting aging beer to increase its hop character or aroma.

Filter

The removal of designated impunities by passing the wort through a medium, sometimes of diatomaceous earth (made up of the microscopic skeletal remains of marine animals) yeast and protein in suspension is often targeted for removal.

Fining

An aid to clarification: a substance that attracts particles that would otherwise remain suspended in the brew.

Grist

Brewers term for milled grains or he combination of milled grains to be used in a particular brew. Derives from the verb to grind. Also sometimes applied to hops.

Hops

Herb added to boiling wort or fermenting beer to impart a bitter aroma and flavor.

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Malt (ing)

The process by which barley is steeped in water, germinated, and then kilned to convert insoluble starch to soluble substances and sugars. The foundation ingredient of beer.

Mash tun

A tank where grist is soaked in water and heated in order to convert the starch to sugar and extract the sugars and other solubles from the grist.

Racking

The process of separating the fermented beer from the yeast cells at the bottom of the fermenting vessel. Also the transfer of beer between vessels.

Secondary Fermentation

Stage of fermentation occurring in a closed container from several weeks to several months.

Sediment

Yeast material at the bottom of the bottle formed as a result of conditioning the beer in the bottle. Not a sign of bad beer.

Tun

Any large vessels used in brewing.

Top – fermenting yeast

One of the two types usedin brewing. Top fermenting yeast works better at warmer temperatures and are able to tolerate higher alcohol concentrations than bottom – fermenting yeast, it is unable to ferment same sugars and results in a fruitier, sweeter beer. Also known as “ale yeast”.

Wort

The solution of grain sugars strained from the mash tun. At this stage, regarded as “sweet wort”, later as brewed wort, fermenting wort and finally beer.

Yeast

A microorganism of the fungus family. Gensus Saccharomyes?.

Yeasty

Yeast like flavor; a result of yeast in suspension or beer sitting too long on sediment.