B
- Balance
- The relationship between the sweetness of malt and the
bitterness of the hops.
- Bamberg Beer
- See Rauchbier.
- Barley
- The grain used to produce the malt used in brewing.
- Barm
- Verb: to pitch yeast. Noun: kraeusen or the foam on the top of a mug
of beer.
- Barrel
- A barrel of beer is equal to two kegs, or 31 gallons.
- Bead
- Describes the bubbles in a beer. Well made beer will have very fine
bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass.
- Beer
- An alcoholic beverage made from from grain, hops, yeast,
and water. Process includes mashing, sparging, and fermentation.
Belgian Lace
- Traces of head left on the glass as a beer is consumed.
- Berliner Weisse
- A regional beer of northern Germany, pale, top-fermented, and made
with wheat.
- Best Bitter
- A British-style dry ale brewed to an original gravity
of the mid to upper 1040s.
Beta Acid
- An acid of hops that is bitter and does not add any bittering
to the beer because it is insoluble.
- Beta Amylase
- The other main diastic enzyme.Can also be called the saccharifying
enzyme.This converts starches and dextrines to fermentable sugar.
- Beta Glucanase
- An enzyme that breaks the 1-3 links that hold branched
starch molecules together.
- Biere de Garde
- French term that applies to a strong, bottle-conditioned
ale that is designed to be laid down when fermenting.
- Bitter
- Self explanatory impression. Bitterness is generally proportionate
to the ratio of hops to malt.
- Bittering Hops
- (1) Hops used to add bitterness, but not aroma, to beer.
(2) Hop varieties of high alpha acid content, bred for this purpose.
- Black Malt
- Malted barley roasted at high temperatures. Used in stouts
and dark beers to contribute dark color and a burnt flavor.
- Black and Tan
- A mix of equal parts of dark and pale beers such as porter
and pilsener, or stout and bitter.
Bock
- A very strong lager traditionally brewed in winter to
celebrate the coming spring. Full-bodied, malty, well-hopped.
- Body
- This is the mouthfeel of beer.A stout is said to have
a full body while a light beer is said to have a light body.
- Boiling
- Wort is boiled in the brew kettle, typically for 90 minutes.
During this time, the wort is spiced with hops. Boiling stops all mash
enzyme activity, it extracts bitter and aromatic substances from the
hops, it boils off any harsh grainy odors, and it precipitates the trub
which helps clarify the wort.
- Bottle conditioning
- When carbomation is done in the bottle by living yeast.
- Bottom Fermenting
- See lager yeast.
- Bouquet
- This has nothing to do with a dozen roses. It is the hop
aroma.
- Break
- This is the hot break or cold break.
It is where the proteins precipitate.
- Brewing
- The art of making beer.
- Brew Kettle
- One of the vessels used in the brewing process, used to
boil the wort.
- Brown Ale
- A British-style, top-fermented beer which is lightly hopped
and flavored with roasted and caramel malt.
- Brussels Lace
- See Belgian
lace.
- Bung
- A cork that seals kegs or fermentors.