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- ACETIC ACID
- The primary acid in vinegar. Created by a wild bacteria (acetobacter)
which, in the presence of oxygen, metabolizes ethanol into acetic acid. The presence of this
substance in noticeable quantities spells doom for a batch of
wine or beer. It can be avoided by careful sanitation techniques
and closed fermentors with minimal air space. Wine seriously
infected with acetobacter can be made into good vinegar if the
winemaker is willing to swallow his/her pride and jazz up
his/her salads.
- ACID BLEND
- Usually a mixture of malic, tartaric, and citric acids. Used by winemakers to correct low acidity levels. In many wines, the blend is
preferred to any one acid for its roundness of flavor. Wines
made from
vinefera grapes may benefit from the use of
tartaric acid instead.
- ACIDITY
- Acidity may refer to the sourness, pH, or total titratable acid content of a wine (or beer,
especially in some Belgian styles). Acidity is a major component
of wine's flavor, and it contributes to the natural preservative
qualities of wine which extend its shelf life far beyond that of
beer.
- AEROBIC FERMENTATION
- Fermentation in the presence of oxygen. Yeast may metabolize with or without the help of
oxygen, although alcoholic fermentation is associated with anaerobic fermentation. The presence of oxygen in
the first few days of fermentation aids in the synthesis of
important structural components of yeast cells, helping the
yeast achieve appropriate population levels for active anaerobic
fermentation to begin.
- ADJUNCTS
- Any secondary source of starches and/or sugars used in brewing, the primary
source being malted barley (or wheat). Adjuncts include (but are not
limited to) flaked cereal grains, sugars, syrups, corn, and
rice. The lack of malt flavor in major American beers is due to
their use of high proportions of adjuncts, which generally add
100% fermentable sugars. These sugars are completely fermented
to alcohol during fermentation, leaving no residual flavor or
body. The similar lack of hop flavor in major American
beers is due to their use of virtually no hops.
- AIRLOCK
- Most commonly a plastic water lock which allows the carbon dioxide produced by fermentation to escape, while preventing the influx
of outside air (which may carry infectious microbes). A blow-off tube can also be used as an airlock during
primary fermentation.
- ALCOHOL
- Actually a family of organic compounds, the common term
"alcohol" refers to Ethyl Alcohol or Ethanol, CH3CH2OH.
Alcohol is poisonous by degree to lifeforms small and large,
which accounts for the preservative qualities and the hangover
potential of any alcoholic beverage.
- ALCOHOL CONTENT
- The percentage of alcohol in a wine or beer. It may be
measured as the percentage of the total volume (Alcohol By
Volume, ABV), or as the percentage of the total weight (Alcohol
by Weight, ABW). Since alcohol is less dense than wort and
water, Alcohol by Volume is the higher of the two values.
- ALKALINITY
- The opposite of acidity, alkalinity is the prevalence of ions which
neutralize H+ ions. A "base" is highly alkaline, or "basic."
Usually alkalinity is due to OH- ions which can neutralize H+
ions, although other bases can be responsible for alkalinity.
- ALL-GRAIN BREWING
- The use of raw malted barley as the primary source of malt
sugars in a brewing session, as opposed to the use of malt extracts. Since all-grain brewing requires
mashing and sparging, it is considered the "advanced" form of
homebrewing.
- AMELIORATION
- Adjustment or correction of a wine must before fermentation, usually referring to addition of sugar
or acid where lacking in the original fruit.
- ANAEROBIC FERMENTATION
- Fermentation in the absence of oxygen, whereby yeast harvest matter and energy by processing sugar
into alcohol, carbon dioxide, and
important flavor byproducts.
- APERITIF
- A fortified or high-alcohol wine intended to be
consumed before dinner.
- AROMA
- The component of flavor perceived in the nose--in fact, it's
often called the "nose." Since the tongue can only express four
attributes of flavor (sweet, salty, sour, and bitter), aroma is
extremely important in the perception of flavor. This fact is
brought to the forefront whenever a person with a stuffy nose
eats food, which in the absence of aroma seems completely devoid
of flavor. In wine jargon, aroma and bouquet are closely related.
- ASCORBIC ACID
- Also known as vitamin C. An effective agent in preventing
oxidation of a wine.
- ASTRINGENT/ASTRINGENCY
- The mouth-puckering or mouth-drying quality of a wine or
beer. Often perceived as extreme "dryness," as in Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Astringency is
related to tannins leeched from the skins of the grapes or
fruit, or secondarily from the stems and seeds or oak barrels.
The astringency of these tannins mark the major differentiation
between white and red wine, after color. Although harsh in
abundance, tannins help prevent oxidation and can extend the
complexity and aging potential of a wine. It is for this reason
that most wines suitable for long-term aging are based on highly
tannic grapes. Harsh astringency in a young red wine can be
softened somewhat by allowing the wine to "breath" before being
enjoyed.
Decanters are often used for this purpose.
- ATTENUATE / ATTENUATION
- The ability of a yeast strain to ferment the sugars in a wort or must. Attenuation is more important in brewing, where a
blend of complex wort dextrins and sugars must be broken down by the yeast
during fermentation. Variations in yeast strain attenuations and
brewing conditions will affect the dryness
and body
of the finished beer. See also, Flocculation.
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- BALLING
- Also known as "Brix." The Balling scale on a hydrometer
is commonly used by winemakers and commercial brewers in the
same way the Specific Gravity scale is used by Brewers. The Balling
scale estimates the percentage by weight of dissolved solids in
the solution. That is, a reading of 19o on the
Balling scale shows that the solution is composed of
approximately 19% solids by weight. The "solids" are almost
completely sugars, and the use of the balling scale assumes the
reading to be synonymous with sugar content. Most wines begin in
the 19o to 24o
balling range, and ferment out to just below 0o.
The Balling scale can thus be used to estimate alcohol content,
since roughly one percent of alcohol is created for each
reduction of two degrees balling. A hydrometer with a Potential Alcohol scale measures alcohol content
more precisely.
- BARREL, OAK
- Oak barrels are traditionally used to age certain wines,
imparting the flavor of oak while allowing very slow evaporation
and mild oxidation which can increase a wine's complexity and
flavor. The use of oak adds another dimension to a wine's
flavor, beneficial in most full-flavored red wines and some
whites (e.g. Chardonnay). The characteristic flavors of American
versus French oak are considered when choosing barrels. The
amount of "charring" or "toasting," where the barrel staves are
exposed to direct flames during their manufacture, is also
important to the flavor.
Oak cooperage and barrel aging add time and expense to the
winemaking process, and oak barrel use is one factor
distinguishing more expensive wine from cheaper wine. Home
winemakers can avoid the high cost of oak barrels by adding
oak chips to their secondary fermentors. However, not all of
the beneficial features of barrel aging are achieved with
this method.
Oak barrels are also involved in the fermentation of some
beer styles, including Belgian Lambics authentic English
Real Ales.
- BARREL (UNIT OF BEER VOLUME)
- A barrel, 31 U.S. gallons, is the basic unit of measurement
for commercial beer production. The kegs commonly sold to bars
and consumers are 1/2 barrel and 1/4 barrel in capacity (hence
the terms"1/2 Keg" and "1/4 Keg").
- BLOW-OFF TUBE
- Large-diameter length of tubing used to allow the escape of
the carbon dioxide
and the krausen
or cap
during active fermentation. When closed off on one end by the
fermentor, and on the other end by a pail of water, a blow-off
tube serves as an effective airlock.
- BODY
- Refers to the fullness or mouth-feel of a beverage. In beer,
body is the result of residual malt sugars, dextrins
and alcohol. In wine, body is a combination of alcohol, tannins, and other solids in the wine.
- BOUQUET
- The complex odors presented by a wine, often distinguished
from aroma
by a matter of proper aging.
- BRANDY
- Liquor produced by distilling
wine.
- BRIX
- See Balling.
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- CALCIUM CARBONATE
- Known commonly as "chalk." Calcium carbonate is used to
precipitate acids in high-acid wines. However, due to its
tendency to leave chalky residues or promote oxidation during
treatment, better steps to reduce acidity are recommended;
dilution, blending, and malo-lactic fermentation being the most important.
- CAMPDEN TABLETS
- A convenient method of adding Potassium Metabisulfite to wine, campden tablets are
clay pills containing a few grains of "Meta."
- CAP
- The mass of solids pushed to the top of a fermenting wine by
the escaping carbon dioxide
gas. The cap should be "punched down" a few times daily to
prevent the harboring of bacteria and to increase exposure of
the wine to its skins, improving color and flavor extraction.
Since white wines are generally not fermented "on the skins,"
the cap is specific to red wine and fruit wine production.
- CARAMEL MALT
- See Crystal Malt.
- CARBON DIOXIDE
- The gas byproduct of fermentation. The creation of CO2 during primary fermentation protects beer and wine from oxidation
and infection. After fermentation, residual carbon dioxide is
responsible for the "fizz" or effervescence in beer and sparkling wine.
- CARBONATE / CARBONATION
- To infuse a wine or beer with dissolved carbon dioxide
gas. CO2 produced as a major byproduct of fermentation
is responsible for the natural carbonation found in sparkling
wine and many craft beers. Beer and wine may also be "force"
carbonated by applying pressurized gas to the solution.
- CARBOY
- A fermentor in the shape of a drinking water tank, the
advantage of which is minimal surface area exposed to air
contact (which can lead to oxidation
and infection). Glass carboys are preferable to plastic due do
their impermeability to air and their ease of cleaning. Both
glass and plastic carboys are available in several sizes, the
standard size being 5 gallons.
- CITRIC ACID
- The primary acid in oranges and lemons.
- CLARIFY
- To cause or allow haze-causing particles and solids to
precipitate out of solution, with or without the help of finings, or to filter wine or beer. Clarified beer
or wine is often called "bright" or "brilliant." Usually, the
haze-causing particles have no effect on flavor, and
clarification is merely a cosmetic process.
- CONCENTRATE
- To process a wort or grape juice using boiling and/or vacuum
evaporation, or the product thus formed. Concentration of juice
and wort allows easier packaging, extends aging capabilities,
and reduces shipping costs. Concentrated wort is available to
homebrewers as malt extract, which significantly reduces the
time and equipment needed for brewing. Similarly, grape
concentrates are a convenient alternative to fresh grapes for
those who live far from a winegrowing region.
- COUNTRY WINE
- Often a derogatory term applied to wines based on fruits
other than vinifera grapes. The superiority of grapes for
winemaking stems from their natural balance of water, sugar, and
acids, which allows wine to be made directly from the fruit
juice. Most other fruits require amelioration
with sugar and/or acid before fermentation, and are thus
considered "lesser" fruits for winemaking. However, the
near-absence of fruit wine on the commercial market is not
completely justifiable. Most home winemakers know that other
fruits produce excellent wine, and some are driven to the
winemaking hobby by that very fact.
- CRAFT BREWING
- A newer, less commonly used term for "Microbrewed" beer,
since most "Microbrewed" beer is made by breweries whose output
now dwarfs the traditional definition of "Microbrewery," which
is 15,000 barrels
per year. Craft breweries generally produce all-malt beers
from quality ingredients, emphasizing flavor and individuality
rather than industrial-style costcutting and marketing gimmicks.
The term may apply to a brewery as small as your kitchen to one
as large as the Boston Beer Company (makers of Samuel Adams). It
is interesting to note that, although the craft brewing scene in
America has enjoyed remarkable growth in the last decade or so,
craft beer still commands only 3% of the beer market share in
America.
- CRYSTAL MALT
- One of the three main categories of brewing grains. Crystal
malts are created by the maltster by steeping wet grains to
achieve the production of sugars within the whole grains. When
the grains are then dried and heated in kilns, the sugars are
crystallized and caramelized to varying degrees of darkness.
Since crystal malts do not require mashing, they may be used by malt extract brewers and all-grain
brewers alike.
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- DECANT / DECANTER
- To pour the beer or wine from the bottle carefully, as not
to disturb the sediment. When a red wine is to be exposed to air
for some time before serving, it is often transferred to a
separate (often decorative) vessel for this purpose, and is then
served from this "decanter."
- DESSERT WINE
- A sweet, fortified wine usually served after dinner, when
the flavor can be matched with sugary desserts.
- DEXTRIN
- Basically a short starch
molecule. During the malting and mashing processes, starch in
the brewing grain is broken down into dextrins and malt sugars.
Residual dextrins contribute to the body
of a beer, and isolated "malto-dextrins" are available as an
additive. The name "Dextrin" also applies to a particular type
of crystal
malt (a.k.a. CaraPils) which contributes a high proportion of
these compounds to the beer.
- DISGORGING
- The removal of the yeast
sediment from the bottle neck during the making of sparkling wine or "champagne." Since sparkling
wine must undergo a
fermentation
in the bottle to produce carbonation, the bottles contain yeast in
abundance. Disgorging is a means of removing this yeast sediment
while containing the carbon dioxide within the bottle. It
usually involves freezing the bottle neck before opening the
bottle, removing the sediment, and recorking.
- DISTILL
- Distilling is a process of heating an alcoholic beverage and
condensing the high-alcohol vapors, producing a much stronger
solution by leaving behind much of the water in the original
drink. Due to the tendency to produce toxic forms of alcohol
in unknown proportions, distilling beverages in the United
States requires a commercial license.
- DRY / DRYNESS
- Referring to an alcoholic beverage, "dry" is defined as "not
sweet." Beer yeast
strains will ferment different proportions of the malt sugars
present in a wort, leading to different levels of dryness. Wine
yeast will generally ferment all of the simple sugars present in
a wine must, unless measures are taken to halt fermentation.
Home winemakers who desire a sweet wine must stabilize
their wine before sweetening, to prevent in-bottle
fermentation.
- DRY HOPS/DRY HOPPING
- "Dry hops" are any hops added to a beer during or after fermentation. Since these hops are not exposed to
boiling (or even hot) wort, the bittering acids from the hops
are not effectively extracted. However, the aromatic oils
responsible for hop aroma are extracted, and in an unadulterated
state that many feel expresses the true character of a good hop
variety. Although dry hopping is typical of many beer styles,
the technique is most commonly associated with the Pale Ale
style and all its subcategories.
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- ETHANOL / ETHYL ALCOHOL
- The common terms "ethanol" and "alcohol" refer to a specific member of the alcohol
family, CH3CH2OH, also known as Ethyl
Alcohol. It is the most important product of alcoholic fermentation
and therefore central to brewing and winemaking.
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- FALSE BOTTOM
- A raised perforated platform in a lauter tun, designed to allow for drainage of
sweet wort
during the sparge
while retaining the grain bed. False bottoms range from fitted
metal screens to perforated plastic domes to simple mesh bags.
- FERMENTATION
- The process whereby yeast
metabolizes sugars into energy, alcohol,
carbon dioxide, secondary byproducts, and
more yeast. Brewers and winemakers alike make a distinction
between primary
and secondary
fermentation.
- FERMENTATION LOCK
- See Airlock.
- FERMENTER
- Any yeast
or human who engages in fermenting sugar-laden liquids into
alcoholic drinks. As opposed to a fermentor, the container to which the human adds
the yeast and the sugar-laden liquid.
- FERMENTOR
- A container used to hold fermenting wort or must as it turns
into beer or wine, respectively. Commercially, fermentors are
usually composed of stainless steel . Home beer and winemakers
generally settle for plastic buckets or glass carboys. See also, fermenter.
- FILTRATION
- Forcing wine or beer through a porous material capable of
trapping larger particles (including yeast, haze-causing
proteins, etc.). Filtration of beer removes the yeast, requiring
either forced carbonation or the addition of more yeast for
natural carbonation. Filtration of wine is almost standard in
the commercial winemaking community, but less common in home
winemaking due to the tendency to oxidize or otherwise adversely
affect the wine. Alternatives to wine filtration are patience, clarifiers, and cold-conditioning.
- FINING / FININGS
- The use of additives which clarify wine or beer by causing
suspended particles to clump and precipitate. Also refers to the
additive itself. In the history of winemaking, finings have
included milk, eggs, ox blood, isinglass (from the stomach of
sturgeon), gelatin, clay, and small particles of charged
plastic.
- FLOCCULATION
- The tendency of a yeast strain to clump together and
precipitate from solution, thereby clarifying the beer or wine.
Ability to flocculate is an important quality of yeasts used for
brewing and winemaking (as opposed to baking yeasts).
Traditional methods developed in the Champagne region of France
require flocculant yeast strains which settle in the neck of the
overturned bottles, where they may be removed before the wine is
sold. Highly flocculant strains may produce stuck fermentations if temperatures dip below the
recommended level. See also, Attenuation.
- FORTIFY / FORTIFICATION
- To supplement the alcohol content of a wine with spirits, usually brandy. Fortified wines, usually containing 15% to
21% alcohol, include
Port
and Sherry.
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- GRAVITY
- A reference to the specific gravity of a beer or wine. Gravity may at times
refer to "Gravity Points", which are the units of the reading
which follow the decimal point. That is, a wort with a specific
gravity of 1.045 has 45 gravity points, and a wort with a
gravity of 1.105 has 105 points. Since gravity points
effectively remove the "water portion" of a specific gravity
reading (water being 1.000 in gravity), they isolate the sugar
content of the wort. This facilitates the mathematics of beer,
where the amount of sugar each ingredient adds to the wort may
be measured or predicted using points per pound per gallon
(p/p/g). This technique is the principle behind the original
gravity portion of the brewer's
calculator.
- GRIST
- In all-grain brewing, "grist" refers to the mixture of
crushed grains (and adjuncts, when used) which are the raw material for
the mash. Mashing begins when the hot liquor
is mixed with the grist.
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- HOPS
- The hops used in brewing are the flower of a tall-growing
vine of the same name. The green buds are covered with lupulin
glands, tiny sacks containing acids and aromatic oils which
provide the bitterness and aromatic qualities hops are prized
for. Along with balancing the flavor of beer and enhancing its
aroma, hops act as a preservative by inhibiting many potentially
spoiling organisms.
- HYDROMETER
- A floating graduated glass instrument which uses relative
density to measure approximate sugar content in a must
or wort. The hydrometer is useful for determining the
quality of the wort or must, monitoring the progress of fermentation, and estimating alcohol content. A "Triple-Scale" Hydrometer
will have scales for
Balling
or Brix, Specific Gravity, and Potential Alcohol.
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- KRAUSEN
- The foamy, dirty head of bubbles, yeast, and fermentation
by-products floating on the top of an actively fermenting
beer. Some believe that removal of the krausen improves the
final beer's flavor. Since the krausen has a tendency to clog airlocks
(sometimes leading to exploding fermentors),
blow-off tubes can be substituted during primary fermentation.
"Krausening" refers to the addition of freshly fermenting
wort
(that is, wort with a krausen) to a previously fermented
batch just before it is bottled. Krausening will carbonate
the packaged product, and produce a freshness of flavor not
found in artificial carbonation methods or natural priming
with residual yeast.
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- LAUTER/LAUTERING
- See Sparging
and Lauter Tun.
- LAUTER TUN
- Any vessel used to hold all-grain brewing ingredients during the lauter (sparge). Lauter tuns must contain a false bottom to allow drainage of sweet wort
while retaining the grain bed. However, anything from a
brewing kettle to nested plastic buckets will do, provided a
false bottom set-up is created. Many lauter tuns are equipped
with sprinklers above the grains to allow an even spray of
sparge water over the grain bed.
- LEES
- The sediment of a fermenting wine, usually composed of fruit
solids and/or spent yeast
cells. Long exposure of the wine to the lees can result in
off-flavors, so racking
at regular intervals is required.
- LIQUOR
- Also known as "strike water." In all-grain brewing, "liquor" refers to the hot water
mixed with the
grist
to begin the mashing
process. Liquor must be adjusted to specific temperatures to
achieve the appropriate mash-in temperatures for a particular
mashing style. At times, it is also treated to achieve the
desired water chemistry or pH.
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- MALIC ACID
- The primary acid in apples. Also significant in grape wines,
especially due to its role in malo-lactic fermentation.
- MALO-LACTIC FERMENTATION
- A process important in winemaking whereby a common bacteria
strain ferments malic acid into lactic acid (a mild acid found in
milk). Because lactic acid is a much weaker acid, this process
reduces the
acidity
of the wine. Byproducts of "M-L fermentation" are sometimes
said to add buttery overtones or additional complexity to the
wine.
- MALT
- In brewing, the noun "malt" generally refers to the sugars
extracted from malted cereal grains (usually barley or wheat).
Malt is available as a concentrated syrup or powder that most
homebrewers reconstitute to create their wort. Malt is also the term for the malted grains all-grain
brewers use to extract their wort sugars.
"Malting" itself is the process whereby the raw grains are
soaked, allowed to germinate (sprout), heated, and then
dried. This process is produced by malting companies,
commonly known as "maltsters." Malting stimulates the
creation of enzymes crucial to mashing and begins the
process of chemical breakdown necessary to create sweet,
fermentable wort from raw grains. Various malting techniques
create the three major categories of malted grains: Base or Pale Grains, Crystal or Caramel Malts, and Roasted Grains.
An "all-malt" beer, favored by home brewers and commercial
craft brewers, will be created from an all-malt wort,
rather than one including cheaper adjuncts
produced from corn or rice.
- MALT EXTRACT
- A form of concentrated
brewer's wort
used by most homebrewers as their main source of malt
sugars (as opposed to all-grain
brewing). Malt extract comes in both syrup and powder forms,
and may or may not include hop
flavoring.
- MASH/MASHING
- The first major phase of all-grain brewing (before sparging), where the crushed malted
(and occasionally unmalted) grains are soaked in water and
steeped for various times in specific temperature ranges. During
these "temperature rests", the natural enzymes present in the
barley (and active at the specific temperature) break down starches
and/or proteins. Mashing is the completion of a process begun
by the maltster, at the end of which the final sweet brewer's
wort
has been extracted from what were once raw cereal grains.
- MASH TUN
- Any vessel used to hold all-grain brewing ingredients during the mash. Mash tuns range from simple brewing kettles and
igloo coolers to combination mash/lauter
tuns equipped with false bottoms and heating devices.
- METABISULPHITE
- The primary ion used to add SO2 (sulfites) to a wine before, during, and after
fermentation. Winemakers usually use Potassium Metabisulfite for
direct additions, while Sodium Metabisulfite is a cheaper
chemical commonly used for sanitizing equipment.
- MUST
- Grape or fruit juice and solids before or during
fermentation of wine. Brewers use the analogous term wort.
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- OAK
- The wood most preferred in the making of barrels for its
qualities of cooperability and flavor. American White Oak and
French Oak are the most common forms used in wine barrels.
The trees whose bark provides the soft porous wood used in
natural corks are also oak.
- OXIDATION
- The adverse effects of exposure to oxygen, whereby oxygen transforms various wine and
beer components into compounds which taste harsh or stale. The
browning of an apple after it is bitten or cut is a good visual
example of the rapid deterioration caused by oxygen exposure.
Along with microbiological stability, reduced oxidation is the
reason carboys
and airlocks
are required for secondary fermentation of beer and wine.
Oxidation is related sometimes to "aeration" and
"oxygenation," which refer to the advantageous influx of
oxygen preceding active fermentation.
- OXYGEN
- The importance of oxygen in brewing and winemaking cannot be
overestimated. Due to oxygen's prevalence and high
electronegativity, it readily reacts with the organic compounds
found in beer and wine--usually producing irreversible damage.
Oxygen is the primary cause of "staling" in beer and "browning"
in wine. After primary fermentation, oxygen exposure should be
avoided at all costs to avoid oxidation.
- OXYGENATION
- Oxygen exposure before primary fermentation is generally advantageous,
since yeast can use oxygen
to synthesize many of the fatty acids and sterols required to
reproduce themselves. The oxygen dissolved before fermentation
by the methods of aeration
is generally consumed by the yeast or displaced by carbon dioxide
during primary fermentation.
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- PECTIC ENZYME
- Also known as Pectinase. This natural enzyme chemically
breaks down the pectins in fruits, thereby allowing for a higher
degree of juice extraction and greater wine clarity.
- pH
- A measure of the free H+ ions in a solution, with 7 (the pH
of distilled water, an equal solution of H+ and OH- ions) being
neutral. Since it is based on a negative logarithm, lower
numbers will have higher concentrations of H+, which is acidity. Higher pH numbers will have lower
concentrations of H+ and higher concentrations of OH-, or alkalinity. pH is important in all-grain brewing due its effect on enzyme activity
during the mash. In winemaking, pH is measured to assure proper
fermentation characteristics, acidity levels, and preservative
qualities. pH is not a measure of total acidity, although the two are related.
- PORT
- A sweet, fortified
wine (originally from a particular region of Portugal),
produce by the addition of brandy
during active fermentation. The high alcohol
content of the added brandy is enough to stifle the yeast's
fermentation of sugar, leaving the wine strong and sweet.
- POTASSIUM METABISULFITE
- The commonly used form of sulfite
addition in winemaking. Potassium Metabisulfite, or "Meta," is
the active ingredient in campden tablets.
- POTASSIUM SORBATE
- An additive or stabilizer
used to disable the remaining yeast in a fully fermented wine,
thus preventing refermentation in the bottle after sweetening
with sugar. Ineffective in the presence of high yeast cell
counts, this additive must be used after fermentation has
ceased.
- POTENTIAL ALCOHOL
- A scale on the hydrometer
which treats the estimated sugar content as "pre-alcohol." As
fermentation continues, the alcohol content (by volume) can be estimated by
subtracting the current potential alcohol reading from the
original one.
- PRIMARY FERMENTATION
- The most noticeably active phase of fermentation, usually beginning one to three days
after pitching the yeast. Primary fermentation is marked by the presence
of a krausen
or cap
caused by the rapid escape of carbon dioxide. Once the sugars are substantially
depleted, the activity slows and secondary fermentation begins.
- PRIMING
- Adding sugar or malt to a fermented
beer before packaging, creating a renewed fermentation in the
bottle or keg, which produces carbonation
in the finished product.
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- RACK / RACKING
- Winemaker's term for the syphoning
of wine from one fermentor
to another, removing the wine from its lees.
- ROASTED MALT / ROASTED GRAINS
- One of the three major categories of malted
grains available for brewing, along with base malts
and crystal malts. Roasted malts are kilned at high
temperatures for extended times, creating much darker colors and
coffee/burnt flavors than in other grains. Roasted grains are
most important to the darker styles like Porter and Stout. Since
roasted malts do not require mashing, they may be used by malt extract brewers as well as all-grain
brewers.
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- SACHAROMETER
- A hydrometer
as used to measure sugar content, as in the Balling
(Brix) scale.
- SECONDARY FERMENTATION
- The period of fermentation
and aging (or lagering) which follows primary fermentation. During secondary fermentation,
the remaining fermentable sugars are fermented and the beer or
wine begins to clarify and age. Secondary fermentation must be
complete before the wine or beer is packaged.
- SHERRY
- A fortified
wine (originally from a particular region in Spain) produced
by the addition of brandy
and sugar (if desired) after fermentation has ceased. It is
often made with grapes of unusually high sugar content and
special strains of yeast. See also, Port.
- SOUR / SOURNESS
- Flavor perceived on the tongue and caused by the acidity
of a wine or beer. Some acidity is as essential part of the
"backbone" or "structure" of a wine, providing a crispness of
flavor important in wine. Acidity also contributes to the aging
potential of wine. White wines are generally slightly more sour
or acidic than reds, often balanced by residual sugar. Red wines
are generally more tannic.
Sourness is also associated with some unique beer styles,
especially Belgian Lambics.
- SPARGING
- The second major phase of all-grain brewing (after mashing), where the sweet wort
is separated from the spent grains. The water already in the
mash, plus additional hot sparge water, is allowed to slowly
soak through the grain bed, absorbing the sugars from the husks
and passing them into the brewing kettle. Sparging requires a lauter tun.
- SPARKLING WINE
- Carbonated
wine, usually white or rosé. Originally referring to a
specific region of France where common winemaking methods are
agreed upon and adhered to, "Champagne" has been adopted by many
American winemakers as a generic term for sparkling wine.
- SPECIFIC GRAVITY
- The Specific Gravity scale on a hydrometer
is commonly used by brewers and some winemakers to measure the
sugar content of the wort
or must. The scale is based on density relative to water.
Pure water at the calibration temperature (usually 60o
F) measures 1.000 on the Specific Gravity scale. If exactly one
gallon of pure water was weighed next to exactly one gallon of a
solution with a S.G. of 1.048, the second gallon would weigh
1.048 times the weight of the gallon of water. Because Specific
Gravity relates to sugar content, alcohol content can be estimated from the change
in Specific Gravity caused by fermentation. A triple-scale hydrometer will have a Potential Alcohol scale for just this purpose.
- STABILIZE
- To prepare the wine for long term storage by allowing all
microbiological activity to cease or by disabling the yeast with
additives. Potassium sorbate and sulfites
are often added to the wine before bottling due to their
effectiveness in preventing renewed fermentation,
microbiological activity, and oxidation. If a wine is to be sweetened before
bottling, stabilization with Potassium Sorbate (Sorbistat K) is
required.
- STARCH
- Chemically, starch is a long molecular chain composed of
linked units of sugar. The grains used for brewing are seeds
loaded with starch as a stored source of energy. This starch
(along with protein) will be modified (broken down) in the
course of malting and mashing, creating the simple sugars which
are the main component of beer wort.
- STILL WINE
- Non-carbonated wine, as opposed to carbonated
or "sparkling wine."
- STRIKE WATER
- See Liquor.
- STUCK FERMENTATION
- A fermentation
which ceases prematurely, usually due to inappropriate
temperatures,
yeast nutrient deficiencies, or misproportioned
ingredients.
- SULFITES
- Common term for sulphur dioxide and its derivatives in wine.
Sulphur dioxide acts as a sanitizer and anti-oxidant in a must
or wine.
- SYPHON / SYPHONING
- The gravity-powered act of transferring beer or wine from
one container to another, or the equipment used to do so.
Winemakers and some brewers commonly refer to syphoning as
"racking."
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- TABLE WINE
- A wine of 10 to 15 percent alcohol created by natural
fermentation, as opposed to a fortified
wine.
- TANNIN
- A form of acid leeched from the skins and stems of fruits or
the husks of grains. Tannins produce an astringent
quality in wine or beer. They are generally avoided in brewing
and white wine making, and accepted in red wine making. Red
wines ferment "on the skins," allowing the color and tannins in
the skins to be extracted into the wine. Cabernet Sauvignon is
known as a very "tannic" grape, and it is often blended with
softer varieties like Merlot and/or Cabernet Franc. Since
tannins have a somewhat harsh flavor in young wine but can help
to preserve wine quality over time, it is usually tannic wines
which benefit from aging.
- TARTARIC ACID
- The primary acid in ripe grapes. Tartaric acid tends to
precipitate from wine when in overabundance or when exposed to
cool temperatures or extended aging, leading to crystalline
sediment in the wine bottle or around the cork. This has no
adverse effects on the wine's flavor.
- TITRATABLE ACID
- The total titratable acid of a wine is the real acid content
expressed as a percentage by weight. This is not the same as
pH because pH measures only the free H+ ions, not
accounting for the ions bound in compounds. As an acid titration
proceeds, all the acid ions are progressively freed, allowing
for a measure of the complete acidity level.
- TITRATION
- Measuring the presence of a particular chemical ion or
compound by adding a measured volume of a prepared neutralizing
solution. Titration using a highly alkaline
base and a color change indicator is used by winemakers to
measure
total acidity.
- TOTAL ACIDITY
- See Titratable Acid.
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- VARIETAL
- A wine whose name refers to the major grape variety used in
its making, instead of to a geographical area where the grapes
were grown and vinified. Varietal naming (e.g. Chardonnay,
Cabernet Sauvignon) is characteristic of non-European
winemaking. European wines are more commonly named according to
the geographical region where they were produced (e.g. Bordeaux,
Chianti).
- VINEGAR
- To most winemakers, vinegar is simply wine gone bad. Vinegar
is created by a widespread bacteria which ferments alcohol into
sour-tasting acetic acid. Although vinegar is often made from red
or white wine, it can be made from unhopped beer ("malt
vinegar") or any other previously fermented beverage. Vinegar
requires only time, acetobacter, and oxygen to be created.
- VINIFERA GRAPES
- The classification for the type of grapes specifically used
for winemaking ("wine grapes"), as opposed to common table grape
varieties. Vinifera grapes evolved in the winegrowing regions of
Europe. They are smaller and have a higher sugar content than
table grapes like Concord.
- VINTAGE
- Technically, "vintage" refers to the harvesting and
processing of wine grapes, usually occurring in early fall. A
"vintage wine" refers to any wine made in a year where the
harvest was good enough that blending with wine from other years
was not required. Because the vagaries of weather produce
vintages of variable quality from year to year, "vintage" became
an adjective referring to aged wines from superior years, and
then to cherished older things in general.
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- WATER LOCK
- See Airlock.
- WORT
- Pronounced "Wert." A brewer's term for beer before and
during fermentation. Winemakers use the analogous term must.
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- YEAST
- Single-celled ascomycetous fungi (!) used to ferment
beer and wine. Brewing and Winemaking yeast strains differ
from bread yeast in that they are selected for tolerance to
alcohol (and sulfites), tendency to attenuate
and flocculate, and flavor characteristics imparted
by the by-products they produce during fermentation. Yeast is a
good source of Vitamin B, which is why Brewer's Yeast (dead) is
sold in health food stores.
- YEAST NUTRIENT
- A mixture of various nutrients, minerals, and dead yeast
("yeast hulls" or "yeast ghosts") which provide the materials
necessary for yeast to reproduce and ferment
vigorously. Nutrients are helpful in almost any batch of beer
or wine, and required in low-nutrient broths like mead.
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- ZYMURGY
- The science of fermentation, like in that of brewing and
winemaking. One of the many perks of being brewers and vintners
is that we get the last word in the dictionary. "Zymurgy" is
also the name of a popular homebrewing magazine.
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