GLOSSARY OF BREWING TERMS

ABV – ALCOHOL BY VOLUME
AERATION – EXPOSING BEER TO AIR OR OXYGEN
ALE – TOP/WARM FERMENTED BEER
ALPHA ACID – CONTAINED IN THE RESIN GLANDS OF HOP FLOWERS, CONVERTED TO ISO-ALPHA ACIDS DURING THE BOIL; THESE ARE THE MAIN SOURCE OF HOP BITTERNESS.
ATTENUATION – MEASUREMENT OF THE PERCENTAGE OF SUGARS CONVERTED TO ALCOHOL AND CO2.
BOIL – STEP IN THE BREWING PROCESS WHERE SWEET WORT IS BOILED IN THE BREW KETTLE.
BOIL VOLUME – TARGET AMOUNT OF LIQUID TO BE COLLECTED THROUGH LAUTERING AND SPARGING TO THEN BE BOILED.
EBC* – MEASUREMENT OF COLOUR USED BY EUROPEAN BREWING CONVENTION
EXTRACTION – REMOVAL OF SOLUBLE PRODUCTS FROM GRAINS DURING LAUTERING AND SPARGING.
FERMENTATION – CONVERSION OF SUGAR TO ETHANOL ALCOHOL AND CO2 BY YEAST.
FG – FINAL GRAVITY; MEASUREMENT OF RELATIVE DENSITY OF THE BEER AT END OF FERMENTATION.
GRIST – ALL THE MALTS FOR THE RECIPE MILLED AND MIXED TOGETHER.
IBU – INTERNATIONAL BITTERNESS UNITS; MEASUREMENT OF THE BITTERNESS OF BEER.
LAGER – BOTTOM/COLD FERMENTED BEER.
MASH – PROCESS OF COMBING THE GRIST WITH WARM WATER.
OG – ORIGINAL GRAVITY; MEASUREMENT OF THE RELATIVE DENSITY OF THE WORT BEFORE FERMENTATION.
PITCHING – ADDITION OF YEAST TO THE FERMENTER.
PH – MEASUREMENT OF ACIDITY OR ALKALINITY
SPARGE – RUNNING HOT WATER THROUGH THE GRIST AFTER LAUTERING TO INCREASE EXTRACTION.
SPECIFIC GRAVITY – MEASUREMENT OF RELATIVE DENSITY COMPARED TO WATER. USED TO INFER SUGAR CONTENT OF WORT AND AS SUCH HOW FERMENTABLE IT IS. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OG AND FG CAN BE USED TO CALCULATE THE ALCOHOL PERCENTAGE OF A BEER.
SRM* – MEASUREMENT OF COLOUR USED BY AMERICAN SOCIETY OF BREWING CHEMISTS.
STRIKE WATER – THE WATER ADDED TO THE GRIST TO BRING THE MASH TO THE CORRECT TEMPERATURE.
VOLUME – AMOUNT OF WORT AT THE END OF THE BREWING PROCESS TO BE FERMENTED.