Glossary
Additives
Certain ingredients and processing aids allowed in the brewing of beer. In New Zealand, only certain antioxidants, ingredients and processing aids, e.g. specified enzymes, can be used. Preservatives are not permitted to be used for beer in New Zealand.
Alcohol
Ethyl alcohol or ethanol. An intoxicating by-product of fermentation, caused by yeast acting on sugars in the malt.
Alcohol content
Alcohol content is expressed as a percentage of volume or weight.
Ale
Historically, beers brewed with top-fermenting yeast strains were called ales. Modern ales still employ warm temperatures to make the required flavour profile, but these days a wider variety of yeast types are used.
Amber
Any top or bottom fermented beer having an amber colour – varies between pale and dark. The colour typical comes from the use of lightly roasted malts, e.g. caramel or Munich malts.
Aroma Hops
A variety of hops chosen for their fragrance. New Zealand grows unique aroma hops like New Zealand Hallertauer and New Zealand Saaz.
Barley
The name of the grain from which malt is made, barley is grown in both the South and North Island of New Zealand and is harvested in Summer.
Bitter
The bitterness of hops is the sensation that is felt on the back of the tongue, typically described as sharp and slightly biting. Bitterness is formed in brewing when the hops are boiled during the preparation of a brew for fermentation.
Black Malt
Partially malted barley is roasted at a high temperature during the kilning process. Black malt gives a dark colour and a roasted flavour to beer. Used in Monteith’s Black beer and other dark ales.
Body
Describes the fullness and mouth-filling property of a beer. Beers can range from being full to thin bodied.
Bottom fermenting yeast
Bottom fermenting yeast strains typically perform well at cooler fermentation temperatures and produces a different flavour style compared to ales that are fermented at warmer temperatures. Also called lager yeast - “lager” means “to store” in German and lager beers historically were made in winter, stored cold, ready for summer.
Brew Kettle
The vessel in which wort from the mash is boiled with hops. Sometimes also called a copper.
Caramel
A burnt sugar flavour used to add colour and also give a slight butterscotch like flavour to the beer. Caramels are also used in cooking to colour meat dishes brown.
Carbonation
Sparkling caused by carbon dioxide either created during fermentation or injected later. The yeast makes carbon dioxide during fermentation.
Conditioning
The periods of prolonged storage of the beer after the main fermentation. Firstly, warm conditioning further develops the complex of flavours and then a period of cold conditioning allows the beer to slowly develop its delicate flavours and helps settle the yeast out to enable ‘bright’ beer to be made.
Conditioning Tank
A vessel in which beer is placed after primary fermentation for maturation. See “Conditioning”.
Dextrin
The unfermentable carbohydrate produced by the enzymes in barley. It gives the beer flavour and body.
Draught Beer
Draught beer or Tap beer is beer that is brewed and kegged for dispense from taps at bars in the trade. DB Breweries specially cold filters all its draught beers to give customers a ”brewery fresh” product.
Dry-hopping
The addition of dry hops to fermenting or ageing beer to increase its hop character or aroma. This hop character often gives more herbal, floral aromas to the beer.
Enzymes
Special proteins found naturally in grain that, when heated with malted barley and water, convert the starches of the malted barley into malt sugars that can then be converted to alcohol and flavour by the yeast during fermentation.
Ester
Volatile flavour compound naturally created in fermentation by the yeast. Often fruity, flowery or spicy.
Ethanol
A form of alcohol produced by yeast during fermentation.
Fermentation
The process of converting sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide, through the action of yeast.
Filter
The removal of yeast and proteins from the cloudy fermented and stored beer to produce a sparkling clear or ‘bright’ beer.
Grist
A brewer’s term for milled malted barley or other fermentable grains and sugars used to make beer.
Heat Exchanger
Equipment used to rapidly reduce or increase the temperature of the brew during processing. Coolants or hot water/steam pass counter current to change the temperature of the brew as required by the brewer.
Hops
A vine originating in Europe that produces numerous hop flowers that are harvested in late summer. Hops when added during brewing give both hop aromas and bitterness.
IBU
International bitterness units - a measurement of bitterness levels.
Infusion
At mashing, temperature changes allow certain enzymes to be active at specific temperatures. Typically an infusion mash is a step where an increase in temperature is used to produce the required profile of sugars for fermentation.
Keg
Container for beer that can be shipped to outlets and bars. Originally made of wood and available in a variety of sizes. Today’s beer kegs are typically made of stainless steel.
Lager
“Lager” means “to store” in German and lager beers historically were made in winter , stored cold, ready for summer. See “Bottom Fermenting Yeast”.
Lagering
Refers to cold maturation for several weeks or months at cold temperatures. See “Lager”.
Light struck
When beer flavour is affected by exposure to light. Beer, like milk, will change flavour when exposed to light so it’s always best to store beer away from light.
Liquor
A brewer’s term for water used in the brewing process, as included in the mash or used to sparge the grains after mashing.
Malt Extract
The process by which barley is steeped in water, germination is initiated, then the barley kilned by a special heating process that keeps enzymes still active. The dried malted barley can be stored in silos or sacks ready for brewing.
Malt(ing)
The condensed wort from a mash, consisting of maltose, dextrins and other dissolved solids. It is used by brewers, either as a syrup or powdered sugar, in the solutions of water and extract to reconstitute wort for fermentation.
Maltose
A water-soluble, fermentable sugar contained in malt.
Mash
To release malt sugars by soaking the grains in water. A mash is the resultant mixture.
Mead
Meads are produced by the fermentation of honey, water, yeast and optional ingredients such as fruit, herbs and/or spices.
Pasteurisation
Heating of beer to temperatures in excess of 60 degrees Celsius to kill any yeast remaining after filtration and stabilise it microbiologically.
Pils (Pilsner)
A style of bottom fermented light coloured beer with a very pronounced taste of hops that originated in the area of Pilsen in Europe.
Pitch
The process of adding yeast to the wort.
Reinheitsgebot
The German beer purity law of 1520. Originating in Bavaria, the law still applies to all German brewers making beer for consumption in Germany. It allows only malted grains, barley or wheat, hops, yeast and water to be used in brewing.
Shelf life
The number of days a beer will retain its drinkability. Note: unlike wine, beer is best fresh and should not be stored for long periods.
Sparge
To spray grist with hot water to remove soluble sugars (maltose). This takes place at the end of the mash during the brewing process.
Top fermenting (ale) yeast
Top fermenting yeast works better at warmer temperatures to typically produce fruitier, sweeter beer. Traditionally, top yeast rose to the top of the open tank during fermentation and could be collected for subsequent brews, but modern ale yeast is now often collected at the bottom of tall enclosed fermenters.
Tun
A large vessel used in brewing.
Wort
The name wort, pronounced ‘wert’, is given to the unfermented sugary solution that is produced in the brew house. The wort once fermented becomes beer.
Yeast
A micro-organism of the fungus family. Special yeast strains are used for brewing.
Yeasty
Slight earthy-like flavours imparted to some beers by the use of specific brewing yeasts.