M
- Magnesium
- An ion that lowers mash and wort pH but also implants
a clinging "bite" to the finished beer.
- Malt/Malted Barley
- One of the four ingredients of beer. Malt is barley which
has been moistened, allowed to germinate, and then dried. The variety
of barley, the extent to which it is allowed to germinate, and the temperature
at which it is dried all influence the character, the color, and the
flavor of beer.
- Malt Liquor
- A beer of higher alcohol content than regular beer. On
average, it contains 4.5 to 6.0% alcohol by weight, and by law is deemed
too alcoholic to be labeled lager or beer.
- Malting
- The process of soaking, sprouting, and then drying barley
(or other grain) to develop its enzyme content and render it suitable
for mashing.
- Malto-Dextrin
- A general name for unfermentable soluble carbohydrates
formed by the diastatic hydrolysis of malt starch.
- Manganese
- An ion important in trace amounts for proper enzyme action
in the mash. Large quantities impart a metallic taste to beer.
- Marzenbier
- In Germany, before the advent of refrigeration, beer was
brewed in winter and the last batch, brewed in March, was made especially
strong to survive the many months of maturation before it was drunk at
the end of summer. Now commonly called Octoberfest.
- Mash
- Ground malt blended with water.
- Mashing
- The process of combining the ground malt with water. Mashing
is performed at either a constant temperature, or a series of rising
temperatures, depending on the brewing equipment, the raw materials being
used, and the type of beer being brewed. The mashing process determines
the composition of the wort.
- Mash Tun
- The first vessel used in the brewing process, the mash
tun is used to combine the ground malt with water and to heat the mash
to the desired temperature.
- Maturation
- To age the beer so the flavors mellow.
- Mealy
- A chewy characteristic of the grain, which is attained
only when malt is fully modifid. Maltsters use the bite test as means
to test malt for full modification. If the grain is meal, it is considered
to be fully modified.
- Mild Ale Malt
- British malts kilned at high temperatures that produce
beers of golden and amber colors. Used specifically in the production
of mild ales.
- Milling
- The first step in the brewing process. Barley malt is
crushed, not ground, between pairs of rollers in a mill. This separates
the husk from the meal body and also fractures the meal body, preparing
the malt for mashing.
- Modification
- Changes in the grain brought about by germination.
Munchener (or Munich)
- A bottom-fermented beer produced in Munich since the mid-10th century.
There are two versions: helles bier, a paler beer, and dunkel bier, closer
to the original dark style. Both styles are distinctively malty.
- Munich Dark
- See Munchener.
- Munich Pale
- See Munchener.