Alcohol
Term used for a group of compound chemicals from carbon which the OH group contains. The denommination is commonly used to designate a specific compound; ethanol is one of the principal products of the fermentation. It´s chemical formula is C2H5OH.
Ale
Word of English origin referring to a beer made through a high fermentation process.
Adjuncts
Any non-malted beer-making ingredients that produce extractable carbohydrates that do not generate from malt and that complement the malt.
Bitterness
Quantitative term (more or less bitter) to describe the flavor which is perceived with the back of the tongue. This bitter flavor comes from hops.
Carbon Dioxide
A heavy, colorless gas that is produced during fermentation. It is dissolved in water to form carbonic acid and it gives the beer a refreshing sensation, increasing its flavor.
Fermentation
A chemical and biological process produced by enzymes that produces the transformation of sugars from the wort into alcohol, due the actions of yeast.
First fermentation
First process of wort fermentation, with a duration of proximately one week. It is carried out at a temperature between 15 and 20°C for high fermentation and at 6 to 12°C for low fermentation.
Hop
A climbing plant that is harvested in cold zones. Only the female flowers, which contain the bitter substances that characterize beer, are used.
Hydrolysis
Process in which the substances are made soluble in water. In maceration, the grits becomes accessible for the enzymes to convert into sugar.
IBU´s
Bitter units. System to indicate the expected level of bitterness from the hops. The lightest beers can have 10 to 15 units of bitterness whereas the bitterest can have as many as 40.
Infusion
A way in which the grains are soaked in water. It can be done at a stable temperature or at changing temperatures.
Kraeusen
A beer fermented in the most vigorous moment of the yeast reproduction.
Kraeusening
Addition of small amounts of partially fermented wort during the resting period. This stimulates the second fermentation and gives a fresh and invigorating character.
Lager
Beer fermented using yeast of the Saccharomyces Uvarum variety. Also known as low fermentation, because the yeast is deposited at the bottom of the tank at the end of the fermentation.
Lagering
Word derived from the German meaning "storage". It refers to a resting period of many weeks at low temperatures (about 0°C). During this period the yeast sediment, the carbonation process, occurs and the ripeness of flavor is achieved.
Malt
Barley grain that has through a grinding process which consists of germination, soaking and drying. This frees the enzymes that are needed for the soaking process. Depending on the drying, the longer and warmer the process is, the drier the grains is, and the darker the beer will be. Wheat grains, barley, oats and rye can also be malted.
Pasteurization
Process to make the beer more stable from a microbiologic point of view, through heating followed by cooling.
Pitch
A term used for the process through which the yeast crop is introduced into the juice.
pH
Represents the acidity or alkalinity in a liquid. If the pH is less than 7, the liquid is acid but if it is higher than 7 and less than 14, the liquid is alkaline.
Second fermentation
Ripening process in which the sugars rot. In the low fermented beer it is done at a low temperature.
Soaking
Consists of mixing the malt and the adjuncts with water for a specific amount of time and at a particular temperature with the purpose of allowing the enzymes in the malt to transform starch into sugar. From this mixture we obtain a sweet, amber colored liquid with sugar, proteins, vitamins and minerals which is known as wort.
Starch
A substance present in the malt grain and in the adjuncts. It transforms into fermentable sugar and non fermentable dextrose during the maceration process.
Trub
A complex portein known as polifenol which is made during the boiling process of the worst. It should be removed prior to the cooling process since it can cause negative effects to the beer if it is not removed. In the tank of the warm wort, centrifugal force is used to separate the complex proteins and sediment from the boiled wort and hops, which sediments to the bottom of the tank.
