If you, like me, are new to brewing, this list may help you get used to the different terms used in brewing.. Mods feel free to add to or adjust the following:


Ale - A beer brewed from a top-fermenting yeast with a relatively short, warm fermentation.

Alpha Acid Units (AAU) - A homebrewing measurement of hops that quantifies the amount of alpha acids (bittering agents) going into the beer before fermentation. Equal to the weight of hops in ounces multiplied by the percent of Alpha Acids.

Aroma hops - A hop variety chosen for its enhanced bouquet.

Attenuation - The degree of conversion of sugar to alcohol and CO2.

Balance - When a beer's elements, including the bouquet and palate are in perfect proportionate agreement with one another.

Barley wine - A dark, rich, bittersweet beer with higher alcohol content.

Beer - Any beverage made by fermenting malted barley and seasoning with hops.

Caramel Malt - see Crystal Malt

Cold Break - Proteins that coagulate and fall out of solution when the wort is rapidly cooled after the boil.

Conditioning - The method of warm or cold secondary fermenting or maturing, which can develop a beer’s carbonation or complexity of flavor.

Crystal Malt - A specialty grain that can be steeped or mashed to provide body, color, and sweetness to the beer. There are many different colors of Crystal Malt and are measured in °Lovibond. A full description and break down of each color can be found here.

Dopplebock - A version of bock, meaning “double bock,” with a stronger alcohol content, varying from 8 to 13 percent by volume.

Dry-hopping - The method of adding dry hops to fermenting or aging beer to increase hop quality or aroma.

Fermentation - The conversion of wort to beer, defined here as three parts, Lagtime, Primary, and Secondary.

Gravity - Like density, gravity describes the concentration of malt sugar in the wort. The specific gravity of water is 1.000 at 59F. Typical beer worts range from 1.035 - 1.055 before fermentation (Original Gravity). The finished beer gravity (FG) will range from 1.005 - 1.015, depending on the OG and type of yeast.

Hefeweizen - A refreshing, frothy wheat beer that is lighter in body, flavor, and alcohol content.

Hops - Hop vines are grown in cool climates and brewers make use of the cone-like flowers to add bitterness and balance the sweetness of the malt sugar. The dried cones are available in pellets, plugs, or whole.

Hot Break - Proteins that coagulate and fall out of solution during the wort boil.

IBU (International Bitterness Units) - A system that measures hop bitterness in beer.

Iodophor - An iodine-based sanitizing solution which does not require rinsing,

India Pale Ale (IPA) - A pale ale that is profusely hoppy.

International Bittering Units (IBU) - A more precise method of measuring hop bitterness. An IBU is a measure of the amount of alpha acid in the beer after fermentation. Various equations have been devised to estimate the IBUs in a beer based on the AAUs and factors for percent utilization, wort volume and wort gravity.

Krausen (kroy-zen) - Used to refer to the foamy head that builds on top of the beer during primary fermentation. Also an advanced method of priming.

Lager - A beer brewed from a bottom-fermenting yeast and given a long cool fermentation.

Lagering - The method of maturing at cold temperatures.

Lagtime - The period of time from pitching the yeast until primary fermentation is evident. The lagtime should preferably be less than 12 hours.

Lovibond rating abbreviated (L) - The color of malts ranging from 1-600 on the scale. Higher numbers mean darker color.

Malt extract - The processed mash now in the form of syrup or powdered sugar, with maltose and dextrins, which is then reactivated with water for fermentation.

Mead - Substance produced when honey, water, yeast, and other possible additives like spices, herbs, or fruit are fermented.

Pale ale - A highly hopped beer made from high-quality malt that’s dry in flavor.

Pilsner - A beer brewed from bottom-fermenting yeast. Very pale in color with a dry, hoppy flavor and aroma.

Pitching - Term for adding the yeast to the fermenter.

Porter - Ale brewed from well-roasted barley. Dark brown in color, full-bodied in texture, and bittersweet or chocolaty in flavor.

Primary Fermentation - The high activity phase marked by the evolution of carbon dioxide and krausen. Most of the attenuation occurs during this phase.

Priming - The method of adding a small amount of fermentable sugar prior to bottling to give the beer carbonation.

Pulling a Wilson - the act of making a silly mistake while home brewing

Racking - The careful siphoning of the beer away from the trub.

Secondary Fermentation - A period of conditioning and settling of the yeast after primary fermentation and before bottling.

Sediment - The yeasty substance at the bottom of a bottle of conditioned beer.

Stout - A rich beer brewed from full-flavored roasted malts andtop-fermenting yeast, sometimes with caramel sugar and high hop content. Dark brown in color, full-bodied in texture, and slightly burnt in flavor.

Top-fermenting yeast - One of two strains of yeast used in brewing beer, essentially ales, that responds best at warmer temperatures, ferments fewer sugars for a sweeter flavor, and sustains higher alcohol concentrations.

Trub (trub or troob) - The sediment at the bottom of the fermenter consisting of hops, hot and cold break material, and dormant (sometimes dead) yeast.

Wheat beer - A beer brewed with wheat malt. Pale in color, medium-bodied in texture, and slightly tart in flavor.

Wort (wart or wert) - The malt-sugar solution that is boiled with hops prior to fermentation.

Yeast - A fungi that is added to wort, which aids in turning fermentable sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Zymurgy - The science of Brewing and Fermentation.

Great list thanks a lot

You learn something new everyday, Thanks!

thanks dub!

does anyone have a list of types of beer and some popular commercial examples?

ie Dry Stout = Guinness

Nice info Dub!

Here is a list that may be of interest regarding the beer styles:

http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/

Each link describes the standards for the styles and lists some commercial examples.

Enjoy

Another term to add to the list is:
Lovibond rating abbreviated (L)-is the color of malts ranging from 1-600 on the scale. Higher numbers mean darker color.

This list is by no means complete.

AA - Alpha Acid
AAU - Alpha Acid Unit (the same as HBU)
ABV - Alcohol By Volume
ABW - Alcohol By Weight
AG - All-Grain
APA - American Pale Ale
B - Brix or Balling (a measure of sugar)
B3 - Beer, Beer, and More Beer
BBBOT (or 3BOT) - Big-Bore Blowoff Tube
BJCP - Beer Judge Certification Program
BTU - British Thermal Unit
BYO - Brew Your Own magazine
BW - Barleywine
C&S - Crankandstein, a maker of malt mills
CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale (a Britain’s organization for the preservation of cask-conditioned ales)
CAP - Classic American Pilsner
CFC - Counterflow Chiller
CPBF - Counter-Pressure Bottle Filler (same as CPF)
CPF - Counter-Pressure Filler (same as CPBF)
CPVC - Chlorinated PolyVinyl Choloride
DME - Dry Malt Extract
DMS - Dimethyl Sulphide (produces cooked corn aroma in wort that isn't cooled quickly enough)
EKG - East Kent Goldings
FG - Final Gravity
FWH - First Wort Hopping
GU - Gravity Unit (the two numbers of gravity reading; 1.062 = 62 GU)
HBA - HomeBrew Adventures
HBU - Homebrew Bittering Units (Hop Ounces * Hop Alpha Acids)
HERMS - Heat Exchange Recirculation Mash System
HCWTCP<> - Hit Chug with the cattle prod<insert reason>
HLT - Hot Liquor Tank
HME - Hopped Malt Extract
HSA - Hot Side Aeration
IBU - International Bitterness Units
IC - Immersion Chiller
IIPA - Imperial India Pale Ale
IPA - India Pale Ale
L (*L) - Lovibond
LHBS - Local Homebrew Supply Store
LME - Liquid Malt Extract
LT - Lauter tun
MLT - Mash/Lauter Tun
MO - Maris Otter
MPS - Mass Produced Swill
MT - Mash Tun
NB - Northern Brewer
O2 - Oxygen
OG - Original Gravity
P - Plato (a measure of sugar)
PBW - Powdered Brewery Wash
pH - Potential Hydrogen; The Power of Hydrogen
PPM - Parts Per Million
PPPG - potential point per gallon
PVC - PolyVinyl Choloride
QD - Quick Disconnect
RDWHAHB - Relax, Don't Worry, Have A HomeBrew
RIMS - Recirculating Infusion Mash System
RO - Reverse Osmosis
SG - Specific Gravity
SRM - Standard Reverence Method (Same as Lovibond)
SS - Stainless Steel
Swill - Refers to tasteless mass-produced lager, such as Bud Miller Coors
TG - Terminal Gravity (same as Final Gravity)
UME - Un-Hopped Malt Extract
WLP - White Labs yeast (eg, WLP-001 = California Ale)
WCPA - West Coast Pale Ale

Just saying hello. I used to live in Kingston, a little south of you.

So that's what Pulling a Wilson means

For illustration, please look HERE.

Very cool. Thanks for the vocab lesson. One that stands out to me is "Pulling a Wilson" Anybody know where that originated from?

Like when I put my mixing spoon in dirty water before I am done brewing and have to scramble to sanitize it?

No, I'd say more like:
While you were taking your dirty spoon to the sink to wash it, it fell in the wort, and splashed extract all over your wife's new carpet. Then while you tried to clean it up, the wort boiled over and made a mess of the stove

Can we make sure these terms get to the wiki?

Where's the wiki?

JC - Johnson Controller

TaD - Tap-A-Draft

Not just my name, LOL

Thanks!

I was laughing out loud at the wilson commentary. classic.

I see 2-2-2 a lot. What is 2-2-2?

Two weeks in the fermenter. Two weeks carbonating at room temperature. Two weeks Cold Conditioning. Enjoy.
It was created because the standard Mr Beer instructions are not really geared toward producing great beer -just drinkable beer. Their recommended 1 week fermentation, 1 week carbonation and 24 hours Cold Conditioning really is not conducive to making the best beer possible. 2+2+2 to is a guideline to good beer. However, it is not set in stone.

2 weeks fermenting
2 weeks carbonating
2 weeks conditioning

this is the first question I knew the answer for
Thanks!!!

Yep, that's the answer. You can find that and other great info on the Mr Beerfans FAQ page.

I see there a two FAQ pages.

Both have sections about steeping grains yet the information is different.

One page (green text) says to bring water to 165°F...then steep for 30 minutes.

The other page (jkarp) says bring water to 165°F...then remove grain bag.

So...which is it?

I'm glad I stumbled on this thread. Gives me more respect for the more experienced Mr. Beer fans like Wilson. Some excellent stories.

I still don't quite understand where pulling a Wilson came from. Is it our Wilson? Didn't Dubman's original post that mentioned a Wilson come before?

Yes, it is our beloved Wilson.

Bring water to 165 degrees, steep for 30 minutes, remove grain bag.

I don't see HME on the list.

Technically HME is a Hopped LME.

SNOTG?

It's there now.

Sweet Nectar Of The Gods? SNOTG.

Would you add Crystal # to the list? I kept seeing 40 and 60 and wondered what it was.

Done

I'm just getting into this, so thanks for all the great information.

Don't forget:

SWMBO - Spouse Who Must Be Obeyed

Usually the one with the purse strings, or the person that asks the question, "You bought MORE beer stuff?"

I've always thought SWMBO was SHE...Who Must Be Obeyed.

Since when does the guy get that kind deference?
The 50s are over.

How is that brewing related?

I was being gender neutral.

It's brewing related because those of us that have to report to SWMBO on matters involving brewing use it. All the happy single people can ignore and continue on.

Good List

I just went back and read the D Rock post that had the collection of Episodes With Wilson. That is great stuff and did provide a insite into the history of the Howling Beagle Brewery.

Not all domestic lagers are SWILL. Just a vast majority are. Such as milwaukes best. God that stuff is awfull. I actually like Miller High Life, PBR, Molson XXX, and Genesse Ice.My absolute (Imported) and all time favorite beer is EKU 28. I love that stuff and it also has a very high ABV 11.9% I think. Just one gets me pretty buzzed.

Thanks for the acronyms. I real did find them helpful and Swill is amusing.

Thanks for the info....

Thanks for the list of beer terms. I have been editing on a Beer Wiki beer.wikia.com and I am always trying to expand my knowledge and vocabulary in the beer world. This is a great list for beginners.

whats BIAB

Bring in another beer.

Beer In a Bag. While doing it bring in another beer.

How is it not brewing related!

Brew in a bag. Its a way of doing an all grain beer stove top and all in the boil kettle.

I know it's brewing related in my household.

Actually I was just being a smart ace,I thought he was pointing out it was missing from the list.

How about LBK? When I started reading this forum I wasn't sure if it was French for Le Brew Keg....lol

LBK=Little Brown Keg.

BTW, the grammar Nazi in me forces me to point out that very few of these are acronyms. Nearly all of them are initialisms. An acronym is something like NATO or START, where the initials make a word (sometimes, as in the case of NATO, a new word). An initialism is something like LBK, SSN, XML, where the letters are spoken and no word is said.

ok, i'm new to the brew terms.what do you mean by "conditioning"?

newbie to newbie, conditioning is the time you let it set in the bottle after adding sugar for the co2 and time in the fridge. I have always used the 10 days to 2 weeks in the LBK and 2 weeks setting in the bottle at room temp then move to the fridge for two weeks if you can wait that long
Drinkingsticky wicky stout that has set in the fridge for two weeks and I can tell the differance from the liter i opened and drank after 6 days (could not wait)

yup, conditioning is the time when it sits in the bottle AFTER carbing, usually in the fridge. Some beers - mostly higher ABV ones - really benefit from increased conditioning time. You also might wanna try leaving a beer for a few months and trying it to see how it changed. I did that with my red ale and it was much better after 3 months than just 2-4 weeks in the fridge.

Conditioning can take away a lot of flaws but not everything. It also makes some beers (mostly wheat) taste worse. Some beers are better off young and fresh.

Hope this helped!!

adding to this, is a term you'll see we call 2-2-2 or 2 weeks in the LBK, 2 weeks carbing, and finally 2 weeks conditioning. As Cardinalsfan stated some recipes, even using Mr Beer ingredients, will require extra time to mature.

I'm rather surprised noone thought to add that before.