A
- Abbey Ale
- Traditionally brewed by Belgian abbeys, it was used during
their fasting as "liquid bread".
- A.A.U.
- See alpha acid unit.
- Acidification
- The process of getting a mixture's pH below 7.0 pH.
Acrospire
- The barley embryo which grows inside the husk during germination.
- Adjunct
- Starches such as corn, rice, and sugar, which dilute the
flavor and character of the malt and act as fermentable sugars.
- Aerate
- A means of adding oxygen to your wort.
- Aerobic
- Requiring oxygen.
- Aftertaste
- The combination of flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel after
swallowing beer.
- Airlock
- A one way valve that allows co2 to escape but no air to
get in during fermentation.
- Albumins
- When heated, this group of water soluble protiens tend
to coagulate.
- Alcohol
- What the yeast turns the fermentable sugars into. May
cause a person to feel different. Some may argue that alcohol is the
basis behind all good beers. I happen to disagree.
- Alcohol by Volume
- A measure of the amount of alcohol in beer; used as a
primary measure in Canada. The measure of the amount of space the alcohol
in a beer takes up as a percentage of total space.
- Alcohol by Weight
- A measure of the amount of alcohol in beer; used as a
primary measure in the U.S. The measure of the amount of weight the alcohol
in a beer has as a percentage of total weight.
Ale
- A beer style. A style made with a top-fermenting yeast. They are generally
hearty, robust, and fruity.
- Ale Yeast
- Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Performs well at temperatures
between 55-70 degrees F. Also referred to as "top-fermenting yeast".
Top-fermenting yeast is anaerobic and
always forms a sediment on the bottom.
- Alpha Acid
- The bittering property of the hop flower. Measured as
a percentage of the total weight of the hop cone.
- Alpha Acid Content
- The percentage of alpha acids in the hops.
Alpha Acid
Unit
- A.A.U.. Measures the bitterness level in hops. Simple rule of thumb is
the numerical value = the percentage of alpha acid.
- Alpha Amylase
- One of the diastatic enzymes that convert starches to
fermentable sugars. Known as the "liquefying" enzyme. Converts soluble
starch to dextrin.
- Altbier
- A traditional style of beer brewed mainly in Dusseldorf. The German word alt means old and refers to the traditional method of top fermentation. Alt beers are dark, copper colored, brewed from dark malts, well hopped.
- American Ale
- An American version of traditional ale, brewed with North American hops. See ale.
- American Malt Liquor
- U.S. beers which exceed the alcohol level, defined by
law, for lager or beer.
- Amylase
- Any enzyme that breaks the bonds that hold starch molecules
together.
- Amylopectins
- The branched chain fraction of starch. Barley contains
approximately 73 percent amylopectin and 27 percent amylose.
- Amylose
- See starch.
- Amyloses
- The straight-chain fraction of starch. Barley contains
approximately 27 percent amylose and 73 percent amylopectin.
Anaerobic
- Requiring no oxygen.
- Appley
- An ester produced from
yeast's interaction with the malt.
- Aroma
- The smell of beer associated with malt and grain character.
- Aroma Hops
- Hop varieties that are chosen for their aroma contribution
to the beer. Noble hops are classified as aroma hops.
- Attenuation
- The drop in specific gravity that takes place as the wort
ferments.
- Autolysis
- A process in which starving yeast cells feed on each other by excreting enzymes; causes a rubbery stench in beer.