TRANSFORMING LIVES THROUGH ENTERPRISE
We assisted Asantewaa a cacao grower in Ghana make cocoa products( including beer) in England. Phase one of the venture has been a resounding success. Visit their new website to view their progress.Our website can be found at asantewaachocolat.com If you are interested in similar projects do not hesitate to contact Asantewaa Chocolat.
Visit asantewaachocolat.com and you could win a bar of chocolate
With the Braumeister, anybody can brew good beer
Never before has it been so easy to brew really good beer yourself. Thanks to the Braumeister's patented technology and its easy handling there's no fiddling about and no mess. The entire brewing process takes place in a single container and is controlled fully automatically by the control system.
Never before has it been so easy to brew really good beer yourself. Thanks to the Braumeister's patented technology and its easy handling there's no fiddling about and no mess. The entire brewing process takes place in a single container and is controlled fully automatically by the control system.
20 & 50 litre Braumeister brewing system -
The Braumeister is a compact, self-contained brewing system which allows you to make any type of beer – English ales, lagers, ‘Blonde’ beers, wheat beers – anything! It has fully automatic, programmable temperature and time functions, and an integral sparging pump. The accurate, automatic controls give you good, consistent results, and reliable replication. The Braumeister combines a hot liquor tank, mash tun and copper in one compact vessel. All models contain powerful elements for fast heating, and a pump for sparging.Available in 20 litre and 50 litre capacities for home brewers and breweries developing new beers. An optional malt pipe shortener is available to brew 20 litre batches in the 50 litre unit.
The Brewmaster can be programmed by the brewer according to the recipe for the beer being brewed, with the following programmable phases:
At each stage the precise temperature and time can be set and the Brewmaster gives appropriate prompts to the user at each stage. After hop boiling the wort
can be rapidly cooled using the optional stainless steel wort cooling coil . Simply connect to a hose and flow cool water through the coil. The beer then needs to be transferred to a fermenter for fermentation.20 litre Braumeister brewing machine
The Braumeister is a compact, self-contained brewing system which allows you to make any type of beer – English ales, lagers, ‘Blonde’ beers, wheat beers – anything! It has fully automatic, programmable temperature and time functions, and an integral sparging pump. The accurate, automatic controls give you good, consistent results, and reliable replication. The Braumeister combines a hot liquor tank, mash tun and copper in one compact vessel. All models contain powerful elements for fast heating, and a pump for sparging.Available in 20 litre and 50 litre capacities for home brewers and breweries developing new beers. An optional malt pipe shortener is available to brew 20 litre batches in the 50 litre unit.
- Extremely simple to use – takes the mystery out of brewing!
- Use to make any type of beer/ale
- Hot liquor tank, mash tun & copper in one compact vessel!
- Auto programmable temperature & time functions
- Reliable replication of results
The Brewmaster can be programmed by the brewer according to the recipe for the beer being brewed, with the following programmable phases:
- Mashing the wort
- Protein phase
- Maltose phase
- Saccharification phase
- Hop boiling
At each stage the precise temperature and time can be set and the Brewmaster gives appropriate prompts to the user at each stage. After hop boiling the wort
can be rapidly cooled using the optional stainless steel wort cooling coil . Simply connect to a hose and flow cool water through the coil. The beer then needs to be transferred to a fermenter for fermentation.20 litre Braumeister brewing machine
- Phase: Single
- Power: 230 V
- Pump Requirements: 23 Watt
- Heating Element Requirements: 2000 Watt
- Plug Type: 3-Pin UK
- Phase: Single
- Power: 230 V
- Pump Requirements: 2 x 23 Watt
- Heating Element Requirements: 3200 Watt
- Plug Type: 16A Commando 3-Pin
The Braumeister is a compact, self-contained brewing system which allows you to make any type of beer – English ales, lagers, ‘Blonde’ beers, wheat beers – anything! It has fully automatic, programmable temperature and time functions, and an integral sparging pump. The accurate, automatic controls give you good, consistent results, and reliable replication.The Braumeister combines a hot liquor tank, mash tun and copper in one compact vessel. All models contain powerful elements for fast heating, and a pump for sparging.
The 200 litre model is ideal for start-up micro breweries, especially if space is limited. This model is supplied with a lifting crane to lift the malt
cylinder, and an external cooling jacket which can be connected to the cold water supply in order to cool the wort. Stainless steel fermentation
tanks are available, with heating/cooling jackets to control fermentation and storage conditions, using temperature control
systems. Available in 200 litre and 500 litre capacities for micro-breweries, as well as 20 litre and 50 litre version for pilot brews.
The Braumeister can be programmed by the brewer according to the recipe for
the beer being brewed, with the following programmable phases:
At each stage the precise temperature and time can be set and the Braumeister gives appropriate prompts to the user at each stage. After hop boiling the wort
can be rapidly cooled using the cooling jacket connected to either cold water or a chiller unit. The beer then needs to be transferred to a tank
for fermentation
The 200 litre model is ideal for start-up micro breweries, especially if space is limited. This model is supplied with a lifting crane to lift the malt
cylinder, and an external cooling jacket which can be connected to the cold water supply in order to cool the wort. Stainless steel fermentation
tanks are available, with heating/cooling jackets to control fermentation and storage conditions, using temperature control
systems. Available in 200 litre and 500 litre capacities for micro-breweries, as well as 20 litre and 50 litre version for pilot brews.
- Extremely simple to use – takes the mystery out of brewing!
- Use to make any type of beer/ale
- Hot liquor tank, mash tun & copper in one compact vessel!
- Auto programmable temperature & time functions
- Reliable replication of results
The Braumeister can be programmed by the brewer according to the recipe for
the beer being brewed, with the following programmable phases:
- Mashing the wort
- Protein phase
- Maltose phase
- Saccharification phase
- Hop boiling
At each stage the precise temperature and time can be set and the Braumeister gives appropriate prompts to the user at each stage. After hop boiling the wort
can be rapidly cooled using the cooling jacket connected to either cold water or a chiller unit. The beer then needs to be transferred to a tank
for fermentation
LOOKING FOR DISTRIBUTORS FOR OUR SHEA BUTTER IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES-
VIETNAM,INDONESIA,SINGAPORE,MALAYSIA,POLAND,LITHUANIA,UKRAINE,CHINA,JAPAN,SOUTH KOREA,
GERMANY,HOLLAND,SWEDEN,NORWAY,DENMARK,BRAZIL,PORTUGAL,ITALY,AUSTRIA,USA,ECUADOR,
MEXICO,BOLIVIA, NICARAGUA,ANGOLA,NAMIBIA,BOTSWANA,SOUTH AFRICA,AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND.
Contact asantewaachocolat.com to express your interest.
VIETNAM,INDONESIA,SINGAPORE,MALAYSIA,POLAND,LITHUANIA,UKRAINE,CHINA,JAPAN,SOUTH KOREA,
GERMANY,HOLLAND,SWEDEN,NORWAY,DENMARK,BRAZIL,PORTUGAL,ITALY,AUSTRIA,USA,ECUADOR,
MEXICO,BOLIVIA, NICARAGUA,ANGOLA,NAMIBIA,BOTSWANA,SOUTH AFRICA,AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND.
Contact asantewaachocolat.com to express your interest.
GET STARTED BUILDING A BREW CAVE
Whether you are a beginner home brewer and require a complete set of beer brewing supplies or an experienced brewer looking for a wide variety of extract and recipe kits, we have the beer and wine making supplies you need. African Brewer's wide selection of home brewing goods has all your brewing needs covered. Our ingredients are the freshest you'll find, and our equipment can help beginners get started and outfit the most advanced brewers. Check out some of our most popular brewing items below, or dive into a category for our complete selection. At African Brewer, our goal is making home brewing as easy and rewarding a hobby as possible. While we do offer a comprehensive selection of brewing kits and recipes we also carry a host of home brewing lessons. Our top-notch fulfillment operation will have your order safely in your hands before you know it and our knowledgeable Customer Service team is here to support you every step of the way, from grain to glass. Let us show you why our preferred supplier is the company on which so many fermentation enthusiasts rely.Thinking about buying a starter kit for yourself or as a gift? Making and drinking great home brew is one of life’s simple pleasures. And, we feel that brewing should be pretty simple too. For this reason we’ve created 3 different kits to simplify the brewing process with easy-to-use equipment you don’t need chemistry to operate. Making your own beer or wine is a great hobby that is booming in popularity.
Home winemaker
African Brewer has everything for the home winemaker. Our selection of top-notch wine kits is sure to have something that catches your eye, and our equipment section has everything you need to make fantastic homemade wine. Check out some of our most popular wine making items below, or dive into a category for our complete selection.
Starter Kits The best way to enter the world of wine making is with one of Northern Brewer's starter kits. They are available in two different configurations, and each includes the specialized equipment you'll need to start making six gallon batches of wine (or mead or cider) at home.
All of us at Northern Brewer are winemakers ourselves, and our wine starter kits were created based on personal experience with the equipment and are designed for ease of use and producing quality wine.
A starter kit is probably the most important investment you will make in the course of your wine making career. Having the right equipment, information, and expertise from Day One means less frustration and better wine!
If you already have one of our beer brewing starter kits, check out our Wine Making Equipment for Brewers.
Starter Kits The best way to enter the world of wine making is with one of Northern Brewer's starter kits. They are available in two different configurations, and each includes the specialized equipment you'll need to start making six gallon batches of wine (or mead or cider) at home.
All of us at Northern Brewer are winemakers ourselves, and our wine starter kits were created based on personal experience with the equipment and are designed for ease of use and producing quality wine.
A starter kit is probably the most important investment you will make in the course of your wine making career. Having the right equipment, information, and expertise from Day One means less frustration and better wine!
If you already have one of our beer brewing starter kits, check out our Wine Making Equipment for Brewers.
The Vintner’s Best 1 Gallon Wine making Kit
Make your own unique fruit and country wine at home! This equipment kit has everything you need to get started.
The Vintner’s Best 1 Gallon Wine making Kit includes everything you need to start making small batches of your own vintage using fresh, local ingredients right at home. Whether you have your own nano-vineyard, just discovered your grandparents’ secret recipe for rhubarb wine, want to make something other than the umpteenth jar of jam from those blackberries, or are just fermentation-curious - this is the kit for you. It couldn’t be easier - you supply the fruit, some table sugar, and empty bottles - then just choose one of over 100 recipes in the included book, and use real wine making techniques on a 1-gallon scale to begin building your cellar and impressing your friends. The kit even includes wine yeast for your first batch.
The Vintner’s Best 1 Gallon Wine making Kit includes everything you need to start making small batches of your own vintage using fresh, local ingredients right at home. Whether you have your own nano-vineyard, just discovered your grandparents’ secret recipe for rhubarb wine, want to make something other than the umpteenth jar of jam from those blackberries, or are just fermentation-curious - this is the kit for you. It couldn’t be easier - you supply the fruit, some table sugar, and empty bottles - then just choose one of over 100 recipes in the included book, and use real wine making techniques on a 1-gallon scale to begin building your cellar and impressing your friends. The kit even includes wine yeast for your first batch.
- Included items:
- * 2 Gallon Fermentation Bucket with Lid
- * Three-piece Airlock
- * Campden Tablets (sodium metabisulfite)
- * Easy Clean
- * 1 Packet Dry Wine Yeast
- * Small Coarse 10"x23" Straining Bag
- * Drilled Screw Cap for Airlock
- * Mini Auto-Siphon
- * 5" of Tubing with Shut-off Clamp
- * Winemaker's Recipe Handbook
- * 1 Gallon Glass Jug
Basic wine making kit
An affordable and complete introduction to making your own wine! Includes your choice of glass or plastic carboy.An affordable introduction to wine making that still supplies you with all of the essential equipment. Our Basic Wine making kit is for making six gallon batches of wine — an ideal size for making concentrate wine kits. The primary fermenter is a large 7.9 gallon plastic bucket with a lid and airlock. It's very easy to pour concentrate, collect must or juice, or mix in additives in this vessel. The secondary is a six-gallon carboy (choose from plastic or glass) that will allow for airtight, oxygen-free aging of maturing wine. The Auto Siphon eliminates all of the siphoning difficulties home winemakers faced in the past. Also comes with all the necessary cleaning, siphoning, and bottling equipment. This kit is completely expandable; upgrade components or add more carboys at any time to increase your home winery's production capacity!
Deluxe wine making kit
Upgraded starter kit with a floor corker and extra equipment to improve procedure and product; includes your choice of glass or plastic carboy. Our best-selling wine making equipment package. Highly recommended!
With a kit like this, making wine at home is easy, even if you've never done it before. Also designed for making six-gallon batches, the Deluxe Wine making Kit has the same equipment as the Basic, but with several upgrades. The best thing about this kit is the floor corker. It's far more sturdy and efficient than hand held corkers, and can easily be operated by one person. An then there's the gadgets: a wine thief and test jar make taking and reading hydrometer samples easier and more accurate; the sanitizable plastic paddle is ideal for mixing must, stirring in additives, or degassing wine prior to bottling; a carboy handle makes it easier to move a carboy; two fermometers stick to the fermenters for constant temperature readings; and an extra fermentation lock gives the flexibility to stagger batches. The Deluxe Wine making Kit is the way to go if you will be making more than a couple of batches of wine in a year; further experience will make you glad to have the gear in this kit.
With a kit like this, making wine at home is easy, even if you've never done it before. Also designed for making six-gallon batches, the Deluxe Wine making Kit has the same equipment as the Basic, but with several upgrades. The best thing about this kit is the floor corker. It's far more sturdy and efficient than hand held corkers, and can easily be operated by one person. An then there's the gadgets: a wine thief and test jar make taking and reading hydrometer samples easier and more accurate; the sanitizable plastic paddle is ideal for mixing must, stirring in additives, or degassing wine prior to bottling; a carboy handle makes it easier to move a carboy; two fermometers stick to the fermenters for constant temperature readings; and an extra fermentation lock gives the flexibility to stagger batches. The Deluxe Wine making Kit is the way to go if you will be making more than a couple of batches of wine in a year; further experience will make you glad to have the gear in this kit.
- Contains everything in #7650 plus:
- * Carboy handle
- * 2 x Fermometer
- * Six gallon bottling bucket
- * Extra fermentation lock
- * Wine thief
- * Plastic paddle
- * Floor corker (upgrade from double lever)
- * Test jar
- * Ingredients - try a Selection or Vintners Reserve kit
- * Empty Bottles - six gallons of wine will fill approximately 30 750 ml bottles.
- NEEDED BUT NOT INCLUDED:
Wine making Equipments for brewers
Wine making Equipment for Brewers
Are you a home brewer who is interested in trying your hand at some wine kits? Most of your expertise and equipment carries over into wine making, but you'll need a few additional items. This supplementary equipment kit provides you with options for all of the essential extra pieces of equipment you will need to make wine kits at home.
The main differences with wine kits are the need to cork bottles and the larger, 6 gallon batch size, which requires a larger primary fermenter and uses a 6 gallon carboy as a secondary fermenter.
Additional items may be useful, but these basics will get you started crafting your own vintage from the comfort of your chateau.
Are you a home brewer who is interested in trying your hand at some wine kits? Most of your expertise and equipment carries over into wine making, but you'll need a few additional items. This supplementary equipment kit provides you with options for all of the essential extra pieces of equipment you will need to make wine kits at home.
The main differences with wine kits are the need to cork bottles and the larger, 6 gallon batch size, which requires a larger primary fermenter and uses a 6 gallon carboy as a secondary fermenter.
- Here's what you get:
- * 7.9 Gallon Bucket & Lid for fermenting the larger volume of must
- * Stainless Steel Mix-Stir for mixing and degassing
- * Double-lever corker for corking wine bottles
- * 30 count bag of corks
Additional items may be useful, but these basics will get you started crafting your own vintage from the comfort of your chateau.
Portuguese Floor Corker
This high-quality corker has all of the important features of a floor corker at an affordable price: locking bottle platform, iris jaws (plastic), and adjustable plunger depth.
This high-quality corker has all of the important features of a floor corker at an affordable price: locking bottle platform, iris jaws (plastic), and adjustable plunger depth. Works with 750 ml or 1.5 liter wine bottles. The feet are drilled out so you can bolt it down for more leverage.
This high-quality corker has all of the important features of a floor corker at an affordable price: locking bottle platform, iris jaws (plastic), and adjustable plunger depth. Works with 750 ml or 1.5 liter wine bottles. The feet are drilled out so you can bolt it down for more leverage.
Welcome to home brewing
Hobby, obsession, way of life! Brewing beer is fun and easy; if you can make mac and cheese from a box without help, you can make beer, and we’re going to show you how. This section will provide you with all the necessary information for you to brew your first batch of beer from an extract recipe. This section does not intend to teach you all there is to know about brewing beer, but don’t worry, there is more to come.
Objective :To brew, ferment, bottle and condition a beer from an extract kit using basic equipment.
Step One : Preparation Objective: To ensure you have the necessary equipment and ingredients to proceed with brewing.
You’ll Need: A list or knowledge of your home brewing equipment, ingredients and some sanitizer.
Directions: Success, so the saying goes, is 90% preparation and 10% inspiration, and so it is with beer. Brewing beer involves boiling malt, hops and water to create a grainy, sugary liquid.
Next, we add a fungus, yeast, to the wort, allow for time to pass and we have flat, warm beer.
Finally, we mix this warm, flat beer with a bit of sugar and bottle it, which will result in carbonated beer after a week or two.
But, let’s step back a moment. We add a fungus? Sure. Yeast is a fungus, a very special fungus, it is the crucial element to the creation of beer, it is what converts sugars into alcohol. We want to create an environment in which the yeast is happy; where the yeast is allowed to eat away at sugars without any competition. Competition means the yeast is unable to produce alcohol and even worse, competition means that some other element has entered our beer. Chances are this other element is bacteria. Bacteria will create off flavors in beer, beer that tastes, smells or feels unlike beer should, perhaps a strong smell of vinegar, a taste of cardboard, a viscous feel. Yuck.
To prevent the introduction of such odd elements, we clean and sanitize. It is the most important task of the entire brewing process. You must clean well everything that your beer may come in contact with, and just before use you must sanitize this equipment as well. Your brew kettle will not need to be sanitized as the boiling wort will accomplish this, but you will want the kettle clean.
There are many sanitizing solutions on the market, each with their own direction. Most are quick and easy to use. For example, Easy Clean: 1-Tablespoon Cleanser per 1-Gallon warm water and 2 minutes of contact time. No rinsing required.
Equipment:Equipment: Sanitizer: Sanitizer keeps your equipment clean and prevents infection.
Boil Kettles: Used for boiling your wort.
Fermentation Vessel: A container used to ferment your beer.
Fermentation Lock: Keeps your beer from being oxidized during fermentation.
Spoon: Used for whirlpooling and helps prevent boilovers.
Hydrometer: Use the hydrometer to figure out your original and final gravity.
Bottles: Once your beer has fermented, bottle it for serving.
Auto Siphon: The auto siphon to transfers beer between fermentation vessels.
Bottle Cappers: An essential piece of equipment, fastens caps to the bottle.
Bottle Caps: We have a variety of closures that work with many different bottles.
Starter Kits: Choose a variety of Starter Kits to begin brewing!
Ingredients: All Northern Brewer Recipe Kits and for that matter nearly all beer will have four basic ingredients: Malt, Hops, Yeast and water. Don’t be fooled by the length of this list; there is enormous variety within each of these categories, enough to produce the wondrous array of beers available today, from the palest pilsner to the blackest stout and everything in between.
Some recipes and kits may also include specialty grains, sugars or spices.
You provide the most basic ingredient for your beer, water. Water chemistry can make a dramatic difference in your beer, but if your water tastes good to drink, it is fit for brewing. Malt: Beer is brewed by fermenting the sugars of malted barley and other cereal grains. Brewers utilize the process of malting, wherein seeds are prompted to sprout, after which growth is stopped through kiln drying, to eventually access these sugars. Malting stimulates amylase enzyme production within the grain. Brewers crush the malted grain and soak it in hot water in a process known as “mashing.” This activates the enzymes, which convert the grain’s starch into sugars. These sugars are then rinsed from the grain and the resulting liquid, known as “wort”, is boiled with hops and other ingredients. After boiling and cooling the wort yeast is added to ferment the substance and produce delicious beer.
Most new brewers prefer not to perform the mashing step themselves. Liquid malt extract and dry malt extract are the concentrated results of this process, malt sugars that have been produced by mashing and packaged for later use. Extract brewers then steep a small amount (usually about 1 pound) of specialty grains to provide specific malt flavors and color in the finished beer.
Hops: Hops are the cone-shaped flower of the perennial Humulus lupulus plant. Hops are added to wort to impart a bitterness perfect to balance the sweetness of malt and to provide a wide variety of flavors and aromas. In addition to the bittering, flavoring and aromatic qualities that hops bring to beer, they also serve as a stability agent, preventing spoilage, contribute to head retention and act as a natural clarifier. While the use of hops in brewing is the norm today, it wasn’t until the eleventh century that hop use was first documented in Germany and not until the sixteenth century the use of hops became common to British brewers. Prior to this introduction beers were flavored and preserved with plants such as heather, rosemary, anise, spruce and wormwood; adventurous brewers still use these ingredients today. Particular hop varieties are often associated with particular beer styles, regions or even a particular brewery’s signature style.
Hops are grown in countless varieties. All hops contain alpha and beta acids, it is these acids that contribute to the stability and bitterness of the beer. Hops also contain a host of essential oils which can boil off if added early in the boiling process but which lend characteristic flavor and aroma when added later in the boil or even after fermentation. Each hop varietal can contribute dramatically different qualities of bitterness, flavor and aroma to beer. These flavors and aromas are often described as grassy, floral, citrusy, flowery, spicy, earthy, etc.
Hops are often found as pellets, plugs or whole leaf. A staple of homebrew stores, you can also grow your own!
Yeast: In 1516, The Reinheitsgebot, or German Beer Purity Law, listed the only allowable ingredients for brewing beer to be malt, hops and water. As you can see, at one time, yeast was an unknown element, the primary agent of fermentation being completely mysterious! The Vikings found that if they reused the stick used to stir their beer, it would help start the next fermentation process. These ‘magic sticks’ were so valuable they were often family heirlooms passed from generation to generation. In truth we now know that these sticks carried the family yeast culture, the crucial element in fermenting wort to create beer. Fortunately for German brewers the Reinheitsgebot was amended rightly to include yeast after the microorganisms were discovered.
There is an old saying: brewers make wort, yeast makes beer.
So just what is yeast?
Yeast is a type of fungus. An organism that reproduces asexually, it is unusual in that it can live with or without oxygen. In a low oxygen environment yeast cells consume sugars and in return produce carbon dioxide and alcohol as waste products. This process is fermentation. Yeast is used in making wine, mead and cider as well as beer.
Brewing yeast tends to be classified as either “top fermenting” or “bottom fermenting”. As the names indicate, the yeast strains tend to be most active towards the top and bottom of the wort respectively, though the cells are dispersed throughout. Top fermenting yeasts produce an ale style beer, bottom fermenting a lager style beer. These yeast strains are actually two different species, differentiated by temperature tolerance as well as a few other factors. Ale strains prefer warmer temperatures while lager strains ferment best at cooler temperatures.
Objective :To brew, ferment, bottle and condition a beer from an extract kit using basic equipment.
Step One : Preparation Objective: To ensure you have the necessary equipment and ingredients to proceed with brewing.
You’ll Need: A list or knowledge of your home brewing equipment, ingredients and some sanitizer.
Directions: Success, so the saying goes, is 90% preparation and 10% inspiration, and so it is with beer. Brewing beer involves boiling malt, hops and water to create a grainy, sugary liquid.
Next, we add a fungus, yeast, to the wort, allow for time to pass and we have flat, warm beer.
Finally, we mix this warm, flat beer with a bit of sugar and bottle it, which will result in carbonated beer after a week or two.
But, let’s step back a moment. We add a fungus? Sure. Yeast is a fungus, a very special fungus, it is the crucial element to the creation of beer, it is what converts sugars into alcohol. We want to create an environment in which the yeast is happy; where the yeast is allowed to eat away at sugars without any competition. Competition means the yeast is unable to produce alcohol and even worse, competition means that some other element has entered our beer. Chances are this other element is bacteria. Bacteria will create off flavors in beer, beer that tastes, smells or feels unlike beer should, perhaps a strong smell of vinegar, a taste of cardboard, a viscous feel. Yuck.
To prevent the introduction of such odd elements, we clean and sanitize. It is the most important task of the entire brewing process. You must clean well everything that your beer may come in contact with, and just before use you must sanitize this equipment as well. Your brew kettle will not need to be sanitized as the boiling wort will accomplish this, but you will want the kettle clean.
There are many sanitizing solutions on the market, each with their own direction. Most are quick and easy to use. For example, Easy Clean: 1-Tablespoon Cleanser per 1-Gallon warm water and 2 minutes of contact time. No rinsing required.
Equipment:Equipment: Sanitizer: Sanitizer keeps your equipment clean and prevents infection.
Boil Kettles: Used for boiling your wort.
Fermentation Vessel: A container used to ferment your beer.
Fermentation Lock: Keeps your beer from being oxidized during fermentation.
Spoon: Used for whirlpooling and helps prevent boilovers.
Hydrometer: Use the hydrometer to figure out your original and final gravity.
Bottles: Once your beer has fermented, bottle it for serving.
Auto Siphon: The auto siphon to transfers beer between fermentation vessels.
Bottle Cappers: An essential piece of equipment, fastens caps to the bottle.
Bottle Caps: We have a variety of closures that work with many different bottles.
Starter Kits: Choose a variety of Starter Kits to begin brewing!
Ingredients: All Northern Brewer Recipe Kits and for that matter nearly all beer will have four basic ingredients: Malt, Hops, Yeast and water. Don’t be fooled by the length of this list; there is enormous variety within each of these categories, enough to produce the wondrous array of beers available today, from the palest pilsner to the blackest stout and everything in between.
Some recipes and kits may also include specialty grains, sugars or spices.
You provide the most basic ingredient for your beer, water. Water chemistry can make a dramatic difference in your beer, but if your water tastes good to drink, it is fit for brewing. Malt: Beer is brewed by fermenting the sugars of malted barley and other cereal grains. Brewers utilize the process of malting, wherein seeds are prompted to sprout, after which growth is stopped through kiln drying, to eventually access these sugars. Malting stimulates amylase enzyme production within the grain. Brewers crush the malted grain and soak it in hot water in a process known as “mashing.” This activates the enzymes, which convert the grain’s starch into sugars. These sugars are then rinsed from the grain and the resulting liquid, known as “wort”, is boiled with hops and other ingredients. After boiling and cooling the wort yeast is added to ferment the substance and produce delicious beer.
Most new brewers prefer not to perform the mashing step themselves. Liquid malt extract and dry malt extract are the concentrated results of this process, malt sugars that have been produced by mashing and packaged for later use. Extract brewers then steep a small amount (usually about 1 pound) of specialty grains to provide specific malt flavors and color in the finished beer.
Hops: Hops are the cone-shaped flower of the perennial Humulus lupulus plant. Hops are added to wort to impart a bitterness perfect to balance the sweetness of malt and to provide a wide variety of flavors and aromas. In addition to the bittering, flavoring and aromatic qualities that hops bring to beer, they also serve as a stability agent, preventing spoilage, contribute to head retention and act as a natural clarifier. While the use of hops in brewing is the norm today, it wasn’t until the eleventh century that hop use was first documented in Germany and not until the sixteenth century the use of hops became common to British brewers. Prior to this introduction beers were flavored and preserved with plants such as heather, rosemary, anise, spruce and wormwood; adventurous brewers still use these ingredients today. Particular hop varieties are often associated with particular beer styles, regions or even a particular brewery’s signature style.
Hops are grown in countless varieties. All hops contain alpha and beta acids, it is these acids that contribute to the stability and bitterness of the beer. Hops also contain a host of essential oils which can boil off if added early in the boiling process but which lend characteristic flavor and aroma when added later in the boil or even after fermentation. Each hop varietal can contribute dramatically different qualities of bitterness, flavor and aroma to beer. These flavors and aromas are often described as grassy, floral, citrusy, flowery, spicy, earthy, etc.
Hops are often found as pellets, plugs or whole leaf. A staple of homebrew stores, you can also grow your own!
Yeast: In 1516, The Reinheitsgebot, or German Beer Purity Law, listed the only allowable ingredients for brewing beer to be malt, hops and water. As you can see, at one time, yeast was an unknown element, the primary agent of fermentation being completely mysterious! The Vikings found that if they reused the stick used to stir their beer, it would help start the next fermentation process. These ‘magic sticks’ were so valuable they were often family heirlooms passed from generation to generation. In truth we now know that these sticks carried the family yeast culture, the crucial element in fermenting wort to create beer. Fortunately for German brewers the Reinheitsgebot was amended rightly to include yeast after the microorganisms were discovered.
There is an old saying: brewers make wort, yeast makes beer.
So just what is yeast?
Yeast is a type of fungus. An organism that reproduces asexually, it is unusual in that it can live with or without oxygen. In a low oxygen environment yeast cells consume sugars and in return produce carbon dioxide and alcohol as waste products. This process is fermentation. Yeast is used in making wine, mead and cider as well as beer.
Brewing yeast tends to be classified as either “top fermenting” or “bottom fermenting”. As the names indicate, the yeast strains tend to be most active towards the top and bottom of the wort respectively, though the cells are dispersed throughout. Top fermenting yeasts produce an ale style beer, bottom fermenting a lager style beer. These yeast strains are actually two different species, differentiated by temperature tolerance as well as a few other factors. Ale strains prefer warmer temperatures while lager strains ferment best at cooler temperatures.
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Welcome to home brewing
Step Two: Let’s Brew Objective: To prepare “wort” by boiling malt and hops, chill the wort and pitch the yeast.
You’ll Need: Your kettle, fermenter, funnel (optional), sanitizer, hydrometer and ingredient kit.
Directions: Brewing is a process. The process involves boiling and chilling, a period of fermentation and finally bottling and storage.
Pre Boil Preparation Objective: To ensure you have the necessary equipment and ingredients to proceed with brewing.
You’ll Need: A list or knowledge of your equipment, ingredients and some sanitizer.
Yeast Preparation:
You may be using liquid yeast or dry yeast. If using liquid yeast, a Wyeast ‘smack pack’. You will activate the pack by breaking the inner pouch with a firm smack. Let the pack incubate at room temp for a least three hours. The best way to use Wyeast is to smack it a few hours before (or the night before) you plan to start brewing, and make sure that it inflates before you start the process. If you have dry yeast, simply allow the yeast to warm to room temperature. We will be using the yeast later on, set aside.
Water:
Fill your brew kettle with 2.5 gallons of water. Any good quality drinking water is fine to use.
Steep Specialty Grains:
Not all recipes or kits involve specialty grains. If your recipe grain does not involve specialty grains, proceed to step 4. Specialty grains add extra color and flavor to your finished beer. Specialty grains are steeped as you would a tea bag in hot water. Add grains to your muslin bag, soaking in the heating water for about twenty minutes or until the temperature of the water reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not steep the grains in water over 170 degrees, as this will result in a bitter flavor.
Adding Malt As you boil your malt, you will notice some changes in your brew kettle. A foamy substance will slowly rise and cover your kettle surface. The foam is a product of the proteins present in the malt. These proteins begin to coagulate during the boiling process and rise to the surface, when clumped together, the proteins will become heavy and drop to the bottom of your pot again. This process may take anywhere from five to twenty five minutes. This is referred to as the “hot break”. Many brewers will await the hot break before beginning their hop additions and timing their 60 minute boil. It is not, however, required.
To cover or not to cover, that is the question, and a good question at that. Covering your brew kettle will help achieve a quicker boil, but it if the cover is left on during the boil it can also contribute to an off-flavor in your finished product. When you boil your malt, you boil off sulfur compounds. Without the lid, the compounds boil off as vapor, with the lid on, they may reappear as condensate, dripping back into your kettle and creeping into your finished beer. Once you have the liquid boiling, leave the cover off.
We now have wort! Wort (pronounced ‘wert’) is the combination of liquid grain sugars and water. This sweet wort will be transformed as we add hops in our boiling period and later when we add yeast to begin our fermentation process during which the wort finally becomes beer.
Adding Hops Hop additions are typically performed according to what is called a hop schedule. The schedule is the order that the hops are added. While some brews may only call for one type of hop added at one time, typically there are more. Usually, the hop added earliest in the boil is the varietal responsible for making the beer bitter, while those added towards the end of the boil contribute to flavoring and aroma. Hops are added with the amount of time they need to boil in mind, therefore times referenced are always those prior to the end of boil.
REFER TO HOP ADDITION CHART BELOW.
In this schedule, add the Goldings at the very start of the boil, which lasts 60 minutes. Add the Liberty 10 minutes before the end of the boil so as to boil for 10 minutes. Add the Willamette 5 minutes before the end of the boil so as to boil for 5 minutes.
Variances in hop additions can dramatically alter a beer recipe. If you are new to brewing and want assured results, follow the hop addition schedule in your recipe kit. As you become more experienced, play around with your hop additions, you may find you like the results! Recipes may call for other additions like spices, sugars or more malt. Treat these just like hops and add them to the kettle at their specified times.
WARNING! The watched pot never boils, but the unwatched pot always boils over. If the wort starts to froth up dramatically towards the top of your kettle, immediately cut the heat and stir. Boil overs will leave your nice stove top a sticky, scorched and perhaps damaged mess. Stay in the brew house, not the doghouse!
Chilling Yeast is highly temperature specific. Yeast varieties not only thrive in particular temperature, they can only exist in particular temperatures ranges. Temperatures too cold and too hot will kill your yeast.
Remember, No Yeast = No Beer
The extreme heat of the boil will surely kill your yeast. Before we even think to add our yeast we must make sure our wort is within a tolerable temperature range. The easiest way to do so is to use a cold water bath. Simply put your brew kettle in this cold water, replacing the water as necessary to ensure the temperature decreases quickly. You may even add ice cubes to this water bath.
During this water bath, you will want to keep your brew kettle covered almost all the way to protect the wort from any airborne microbes. Have you sanitized your fermenting equipment? Now is the perfect time. If you think back to discussion of preparation we noted the most important aspect of the brewing process was to clean and sanitize our equipment. Anything that may come into contact with our brewed wort must be sanitized. Brewers go through a lot of trouble to make sure yeast will thrive to transform our wort into beer. Any other elements introduced to the wort will compete with the yeast and may result in off flavors and an undrinkable beer.
When the temperature of the wort has fallen below 100 degrees Fahrenheit you can top it up with cold water to bring the temperature down to the appropriate range for your yeast. Then it’s time to get ready for fermentation.
Transferring Slow and steady wins the race. Slow and steady also prevents precious beer spillage and tedious cleanup after brew day. Now that you have cooled your wort, you will need to transfer it to a fermentation vessel. Remember, this may be a bucket, this may be a carboy, but either one should be sanitized.
Pitching Yeast Patience is a Virtue:
The fermentation process, the process that converts our wort to beer, begins on brew day and ends a week or two later.
Pitch the Yeast:
The brewing term for adding yeast to wort is pitching. Early on in our brew day instructions, step number one in fact, we prepared our yeast for this moment. You either gave a good whack to your Wyeast Smack Pack or you brought your dry yeast out of refrigeration to warm to room temperature. Go ahead and sanitize a pair of scissors and sanitize the area you will cut on the actual yeast package. Remember, odd elements, bacteria and the like can destroy our beer. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. Open your packet, if you have liquid yeast, go ahead and pour it directly into the wort, if you have dry yeast, sprinkle it on the surface of the wort.
Seal Your Lid:
Seal the lid of your fermentation vessel, fill the airlock with some of your sanitizer solution and move your vessel into a dark, quiet spot. Basements and closets are great places to store your beer during the fermentation process. The temperature of your brew will typically remain somewhat steady and your brew will encounter little exposure to light. You may want to store your brew in an area that is easily cleaned, a particularly violent fermentation could cause a bit of a mess.
You’ll Need: Your kettle, fermenter, funnel (optional), sanitizer, hydrometer and ingredient kit.
Directions: Brewing is a process. The process involves boiling and chilling, a period of fermentation and finally bottling and storage.
Pre Boil Preparation Objective: To ensure you have the necessary equipment and ingredients to proceed with brewing.
You’ll Need: A list or knowledge of your equipment, ingredients and some sanitizer.
Yeast Preparation:
You may be using liquid yeast or dry yeast. If using liquid yeast, a Wyeast ‘smack pack’. You will activate the pack by breaking the inner pouch with a firm smack. Let the pack incubate at room temp for a least three hours. The best way to use Wyeast is to smack it a few hours before (or the night before) you plan to start brewing, and make sure that it inflates before you start the process. If you have dry yeast, simply allow the yeast to warm to room temperature. We will be using the yeast later on, set aside.
Water:
Fill your brew kettle with 2.5 gallons of water. Any good quality drinking water is fine to use.
Steep Specialty Grains:
Not all recipes or kits involve specialty grains. If your recipe grain does not involve specialty grains, proceed to step 4. Specialty grains add extra color and flavor to your finished beer. Specialty grains are steeped as you would a tea bag in hot water. Add grains to your muslin bag, soaking in the heating water for about twenty minutes or until the temperature of the water reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit. Do not steep the grains in water over 170 degrees, as this will result in a bitter flavor.
Adding Malt As you boil your malt, you will notice some changes in your brew kettle. A foamy substance will slowly rise and cover your kettle surface. The foam is a product of the proteins present in the malt. These proteins begin to coagulate during the boiling process and rise to the surface, when clumped together, the proteins will become heavy and drop to the bottom of your pot again. This process may take anywhere from five to twenty five minutes. This is referred to as the “hot break”. Many brewers will await the hot break before beginning their hop additions and timing their 60 minute boil. It is not, however, required.
To cover or not to cover, that is the question, and a good question at that. Covering your brew kettle will help achieve a quicker boil, but it if the cover is left on during the boil it can also contribute to an off-flavor in your finished product. When you boil your malt, you boil off sulfur compounds. Without the lid, the compounds boil off as vapor, with the lid on, they may reappear as condensate, dripping back into your kettle and creeping into your finished beer. Once you have the liquid boiling, leave the cover off.
We now have wort! Wort (pronounced ‘wert’) is the combination of liquid grain sugars and water. This sweet wort will be transformed as we add hops in our boiling period and later when we add yeast to begin our fermentation process during which the wort finally becomes beer.
Adding Hops Hop additions are typically performed according to what is called a hop schedule. The schedule is the order that the hops are added. While some brews may only call for one type of hop added at one time, typically there are more. Usually, the hop added earliest in the boil is the varietal responsible for making the beer bitter, while those added towards the end of the boil contribute to flavoring and aroma. Hops are added with the amount of time they need to boil in mind, therefore times referenced are always those prior to the end of boil.
REFER TO HOP ADDITION CHART BELOW.
In this schedule, add the Goldings at the very start of the boil, which lasts 60 minutes. Add the Liberty 10 minutes before the end of the boil so as to boil for 10 minutes. Add the Willamette 5 minutes before the end of the boil so as to boil for 5 minutes.
Variances in hop additions can dramatically alter a beer recipe. If you are new to brewing and want assured results, follow the hop addition schedule in your recipe kit. As you become more experienced, play around with your hop additions, you may find you like the results! Recipes may call for other additions like spices, sugars or more malt. Treat these just like hops and add them to the kettle at their specified times.
WARNING! The watched pot never boils, but the unwatched pot always boils over. If the wort starts to froth up dramatically towards the top of your kettle, immediately cut the heat and stir. Boil overs will leave your nice stove top a sticky, scorched and perhaps damaged mess. Stay in the brew house, not the doghouse!
Chilling Yeast is highly temperature specific. Yeast varieties not only thrive in particular temperature, they can only exist in particular temperatures ranges. Temperatures too cold and too hot will kill your yeast.
Remember, No Yeast = No Beer
The extreme heat of the boil will surely kill your yeast. Before we even think to add our yeast we must make sure our wort is within a tolerable temperature range. The easiest way to do so is to use a cold water bath. Simply put your brew kettle in this cold water, replacing the water as necessary to ensure the temperature decreases quickly. You may even add ice cubes to this water bath.
During this water bath, you will want to keep your brew kettle covered almost all the way to protect the wort from any airborne microbes. Have you sanitized your fermenting equipment? Now is the perfect time. If you think back to discussion of preparation we noted the most important aspect of the brewing process was to clean and sanitize our equipment. Anything that may come into contact with our brewed wort must be sanitized. Brewers go through a lot of trouble to make sure yeast will thrive to transform our wort into beer. Any other elements introduced to the wort will compete with the yeast and may result in off flavors and an undrinkable beer.
When the temperature of the wort has fallen below 100 degrees Fahrenheit you can top it up with cold water to bring the temperature down to the appropriate range for your yeast. Then it’s time to get ready for fermentation.
Transferring Slow and steady wins the race. Slow and steady also prevents precious beer spillage and tedious cleanup after brew day. Now that you have cooled your wort, you will need to transfer it to a fermentation vessel. Remember, this may be a bucket, this may be a carboy, but either one should be sanitized.
- Add two gallons of cool water to your fermenter. It is handy to have a gallon water jug around to avoid ‘eyeballing’ your gallons.
- Next, pour in the cooled wort. Leave behind any thick sludge in the bottom of your kettle.
- Add more cool water. This brings the total volume of your fermentation vessel to five gallons.
- Finally, seal the fermenter. Gently rock the wort back and forth for a few minutes to aerate for fermentation.
Pitching Yeast Patience is a Virtue:
The fermentation process, the process that converts our wort to beer, begins on brew day and ends a week or two later.
Pitch the Yeast:
The brewing term for adding yeast to wort is pitching. Early on in our brew day instructions, step number one in fact, we prepared our yeast for this moment. You either gave a good whack to your Wyeast Smack Pack or you brought your dry yeast out of refrigeration to warm to room temperature. Go ahead and sanitize a pair of scissors and sanitize the area you will cut on the actual yeast package. Remember, odd elements, bacteria and the like can destroy our beer. Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize. Open your packet, if you have liquid yeast, go ahead and pour it directly into the wort, if you have dry yeast, sprinkle it on the surface of the wort.
Seal Your Lid:
Seal the lid of your fermentation vessel, fill the airlock with some of your sanitizer solution and move your vessel into a dark, quiet spot. Basements and closets are great places to store your beer during the fermentation process. The temperature of your brew will typically remain somewhat steady and your brew will encounter little exposure to light. You may want to store your brew in an area that is easily cleaned, a particularly violent fermentation could cause a bit of a mess.
Small Batch Starter Kit
No Space? No Experience? No Time? No Problem. GETTING STARTED JUST GOT EVEN EASIER We’ve spent countless hours in the Brew Lab eliminating every obstacle that stands between beginning brewers and the perfect home brew. We got rid of the mess, the mystery, and every possible brew day mishap. And when we were done, what was left was a small but revolutionary box containing everything you need to create the perfect brew…our Small Batch Starter Kit. Just follow the simple instructions in the FREE instructional DVD included with every kit, and within just a couple of weeks, you’ll yield a gallon of homemade, handcrafted beer (approximately 8-10 12 oz. bottles)…more than enough to make an unforgettable impression at your next party.
Kit includes:
Kit includes:
- Home brewing 101 DVD
- One of 3 Northern Brewer Foolproof Recipes
- 1 gallon fermentation jug with cap and airlock
- Mini Auto-siphon and tubing
- Bottle filler
- Bottle caper
- 8 oz. Easy Clean cleanser
- Complete Brewing Instructions
- 2 gallon kettle
- Approx. 1 dozen pry-off 12 oz beer bottles
Welcome to home brewing
Step Three: Fermenting Objective: To provide an environment in which the yeast can accomplish a healthy and clean fermentation.
You’ll Need: Your primary fermenter, blow-off assembly, siphon, sanitizer and secondary fermenter (optional).
*Note: Checking Your Gravity
While your specific gravity will begin to drop during the fermentation period, this is an aspect you should trust and not necessarily test. You want your beer to be exposed to as little possible contamination as possible. Every time you unseal the airlock, this exposure occurs. A good rule of thumb, measure your original gravity prior to pitching your yeast, then at any time you might transfer your beer, either to another container or, finally, during bottling / kegging.
Directions: Primary Fermentation Within a day or two of brew day, fermentation begins. As the yeast convert malt sugars into CO2 and alcohol you will see bubbles come through the airlock. The specific gravity will steadily drop and a cap of thick tannish foam called krauesen forms above the beer.You may want to store your brew in an area that is easily cleaned, a particularly violent fermentation could cause a bit of a mess. Violent? Yes, violent. As with anything that builds with increasing gas levels, explosions can occur. Explosions are most common if your airlock fills with gunk essentially stopping the flow of gas out of the carboy. If your krauesen starts filling your airlock. You may want to initiate a blowoff set up. Roughly one to two weeks from brew day, fermentation ends. Bubbles coming through the airlock become very slow or stop entirely, the specific gravity is stable and the cap of foam starts to subside.
Secondary Fermentation During our fermentation process, we see a layer of krausen form atop our beer, where does it go? That krausen normally dissipates over time and any remaining grain particles, hop particles and dead yeast cells will accumulate instead at the bottom of your fermenter in a mass known as “trub”.While sitting on this trub for a short while can impart flavors we want to see in a beer, letting our brew sit atop this trub for too long can create flavors we don’t want. To avoid these flavors setting in, we will “rack” (siphon) the brew out of the first fermenter, careful to leave the trub behind and into a new, clear and clean fermenter. Doing so allows the brew to settle out and condition in flavor. It also give the brewer an opportunity to clear out the beer, after racking the beer into a secondary fermenter, still more trub may form, but when racked into bottles during the final stage the beer should be less hazy and more clear than it started off. Remember, when racking into a new, secondary fermenter, it is equally important that this vessel is clean and sanitary. Be sure to sanitize your auto-siphon, your carboy, your airlock and stopper and any tubing that may come in contact with the brew.
You’ll Need: Your primary fermenter, blow-off assembly, siphon, sanitizer and secondary fermenter (optional).
*Note: Checking Your Gravity
While your specific gravity will begin to drop during the fermentation period, this is an aspect you should trust and not necessarily test. You want your beer to be exposed to as little possible contamination as possible. Every time you unseal the airlock, this exposure occurs. A good rule of thumb, measure your original gravity prior to pitching your yeast, then at any time you might transfer your beer, either to another container or, finally, during bottling / kegging.
Directions: Primary Fermentation Within a day or two of brew day, fermentation begins. As the yeast convert malt sugars into CO2 and alcohol you will see bubbles come through the airlock. The specific gravity will steadily drop and a cap of thick tannish foam called krauesen forms above the beer.You may want to store your brew in an area that is easily cleaned, a particularly violent fermentation could cause a bit of a mess. Violent? Yes, violent. As with anything that builds with increasing gas levels, explosions can occur. Explosions are most common if your airlock fills with gunk essentially stopping the flow of gas out of the carboy. If your krauesen starts filling your airlock. You may want to initiate a blowoff set up. Roughly one to two weeks from brew day, fermentation ends. Bubbles coming through the airlock become very slow or stop entirely, the specific gravity is stable and the cap of foam starts to subside.
Secondary Fermentation During our fermentation process, we see a layer of krausen form atop our beer, where does it go? That krausen normally dissipates over time and any remaining grain particles, hop particles and dead yeast cells will accumulate instead at the bottom of your fermenter in a mass known as “trub”.While sitting on this trub for a short while can impart flavors we want to see in a beer, letting our brew sit atop this trub for too long can create flavors we don’t want. To avoid these flavors setting in, we will “rack” (siphon) the brew out of the first fermenter, careful to leave the trub behind and into a new, clear and clean fermenter. Doing so allows the brew to settle out and condition in flavor. It also give the brewer an opportunity to clear out the beer, after racking the beer into a secondary fermenter, still more trub may form, but when racked into bottles during the final stage the beer should be less hazy and more clear than it started off. Remember, when racking into a new, secondary fermenter, it is equally important that this vessel is clean and sanitary. Be sure to sanitize your auto-siphon, your carboy, your airlock and stopper and any tubing that may come in contact with the brew.
Welcome to home brewing
Step Four: Bottling Objective: To maintain sanitation and successfully prime, bottle and condition your beer.
You’ll Need: Bottles, caps, capper, bottling bucket, priming sugar, siphon, bottle filler and sanitizer.
Preparation You have been away from your brew and equipment for some time now. Do you remember when it was stated, “sanitation is the most important task of the entire brewing process”? It is worth stating again here. Prior to bottling your brew, you will need to sanitize anything that will come in contact with your beer.
Equipment to be sanitized and used in bottling:
You will have noticed your brew is now sitting atop a layer of trub, This sediment is made up of hop pieces, dead yeast and malt brewing materials. While not harmful to consume, it is not pleasant. Racking is the process of carefully moving beer off of the trub. We rack beer from primary to secondary fermenter and from fermenter to bottling bucket. Raking to a bottling bucket allows you to fully mix your priming solution and beer. Mixing in the priming sugar will allow the yeast to carbonate your beer in the bottle.
Gravity is Your Friend: When racking, your filled container must be at least several feet higher than the empty vessel which you intend to fill.
Siphoning and Priming Add your priming solution to the bottom of your empty bottling bucket:
Make sure the bottle bucket valve is closed.
Insert your auto-siphon into your carboy:
Your siphon should be deep enough so as to actually begin to siphon yet not so deep as to disturb and begin to move the trub. Start with your siphon about 3 inches deep into your beer and slowly move deeper as your liquid is displaced into the bottling bucket. When close to the trub watch closely, you will want to stop siphoning prior to pulling any sediment. Siphon Smart!
Move your carboy and siphon off to the side, you will now focus on your bottling bucket:
You may need to reposition this bucket so that you can open the valve and insert a beer bottle.
How Long is Your Tube? Have enough tubing to allow the tube to rest within your bottling bucket, this way, your beer won’t splash as it enters the bucket.
Filling and Capping Fill your bottles:
The best way to bottle is to use a bottle filler attached by a short length of tubing to your bottling bucket’s spigot. Fill your bottles so as to leave about 3/4 inch of headroom at the top of your bottle.
Cap your bottles:
Carefully place your cap onto the bottle, then position the capper atop both and with equal pressure on the capper handles pull down to the side of the bottle, crimping the cap to the bottle.
Condition/Storage Why we carbonate beer:
The same reason that you may not want to drink a flat Coke product. For most, carbonated beer simply tastes better, the carbonation imparts a wonderful means of rounding out flavors and quenching your thirst. As a matter of fact, different beer styles call for different levels of carbonation. Some brews are force carbonated through kegging but many that homebrewers work with are ‘bottle conditioned’. Bottle conditioning involves adding a measured dose of sugar to your brew that will cause a small, controlled fermentation in the bottle. The CO2 that is released from this mini-fermentation will carbonate the beer. We create this mini-fermentation by adding a priming solution to our beer prior to bottling.
Use the right bottle:
Capping our bottles assures we protect our brew from any errant bacteria and it is vital that our caps, just like any of our other equipment, are sanitized and in good condition. You can cap any bottle that is a pry off style.Screw top bottles are not compatible, often missing the lip required by the capper and presenting an uneven sealing surface which can lead to breakage. Broken glass in our new brew = no brew. The Wait is Over You began a few weeks ago. Your brew day started the process of making wort. Your fermentation process made that wort into beer. You have carefully capped your bottles and primed them with sugar. After capping, you waited for the carbonation level to be just right. Today is the day.
Go ahead and chill your bottle and open just as you would any other beer. Carefully pour your beer into a glass to inspect color, carbonation, smell. Keep in mind this is a homebrew, you may find a small amount of yeast sediment at the bottom of your bottle. This is residual from the use of priming sugar, it is what brewers call ‘bottle conditioned’. Stop pouring just prior to this sediment and discard.
Ready to brew your next batch? Northern Brewer has plenty of kits to choose from!
You’ll Need: Bottles, caps, capper, bottling bucket, priming sugar, siphon, bottle filler and sanitizer.
Preparation You have been away from your brew and equipment for some time now. Do you remember when it was stated, “sanitation is the most important task of the entire brewing process”? It is worth stating again here. Prior to bottling your brew, you will need to sanitize anything that will come in contact with your beer.
Equipment to be sanitized and used in bottling:
- Bottling Bucket
- Beer Bottles
- Bottle Caps
- Auto-Siphon
- Priming Sugar
You will have noticed your brew is now sitting atop a layer of trub, This sediment is made up of hop pieces, dead yeast and malt brewing materials. While not harmful to consume, it is not pleasant. Racking is the process of carefully moving beer off of the trub. We rack beer from primary to secondary fermenter and from fermenter to bottling bucket. Raking to a bottling bucket allows you to fully mix your priming solution and beer. Mixing in the priming sugar will allow the yeast to carbonate your beer in the bottle.
Gravity is Your Friend: When racking, your filled container must be at least several feet higher than the empty vessel which you intend to fill.
Siphoning and Priming Add your priming solution to the bottom of your empty bottling bucket:
Make sure the bottle bucket valve is closed.
Insert your auto-siphon into your carboy:
Your siphon should be deep enough so as to actually begin to siphon yet not so deep as to disturb and begin to move the trub. Start with your siphon about 3 inches deep into your beer and slowly move deeper as your liquid is displaced into the bottling bucket. When close to the trub watch closely, you will want to stop siphoning prior to pulling any sediment. Siphon Smart!
Move your carboy and siphon off to the side, you will now focus on your bottling bucket:
You may need to reposition this bucket so that you can open the valve and insert a beer bottle.
How Long is Your Tube? Have enough tubing to allow the tube to rest within your bottling bucket, this way, your beer won’t splash as it enters the bucket.
Filling and Capping Fill your bottles:
The best way to bottle is to use a bottle filler attached by a short length of tubing to your bottling bucket’s spigot. Fill your bottles so as to leave about 3/4 inch of headroom at the top of your bottle.
Cap your bottles:
Carefully place your cap onto the bottle, then position the capper atop both and with equal pressure on the capper handles pull down to the side of the bottle, crimping the cap to the bottle.
Condition/Storage Why we carbonate beer:
The same reason that you may not want to drink a flat Coke product. For most, carbonated beer simply tastes better, the carbonation imparts a wonderful means of rounding out flavors and quenching your thirst. As a matter of fact, different beer styles call for different levels of carbonation. Some brews are force carbonated through kegging but many that homebrewers work with are ‘bottle conditioned’. Bottle conditioning involves adding a measured dose of sugar to your brew that will cause a small, controlled fermentation in the bottle. The CO2 that is released from this mini-fermentation will carbonate the beer. We create this mini-fermentation by adding a priming solution to our beer prior to bottling.
Use the right bottle:
Capping our bottles assures we protect our brew from any errant bacteria and it is vital that our caps, just like any of our other equipment, are sanitized and in good condition. You can cap any bottle that is a pry off style.Screw top bottles are not compatible, often missing the lip required by the capper and presenting an uneven sealing surface which can lead to breakage. Broken glass in our new brew = no brew. The Wait is Over You began a few weeks ago. Your brew day started the process of making wort. Your fermentation process made that wort into beer. You have carefully capped your bottles and primed them with sugar. After capping, you waited for the carbonation level to be just right. Today is the day.
Go ahead and chill your bottle and open just as you would any other beer. Carefully pour your beer into a glass to inspect color, carbonation, smell. Keep in mind this is a homebrew, you may find a small amount of yeast sediment at the bottom of your bottle. This is residual from the use of priming sugar, it is what brewers call ‘bottle conditioned’. Stop pouring just prior to this sediment and discard.
Ready to brew your next batch? Northern Brewer has plenty of kits to choose from!
Essential Brewing Starter Kit
Choose Essential Brewing Starter Kit if you would like to “dip a toe” into the world of home brewing (note: don’t actually put your foot in your beer). This kit is ideal for anyone who prefers a simple process and want good beer with the fewest steps. Kit includes: Home brewing 101 DVD
- One of 3 Northern Brewer Foolproof Recipes
- 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket with lid
- 6.5 gallon fermenting bucket with spigot
- Fermentation Lock
- Siphon Tubing
- Bottle filler
- Bottle brush
- Auto Siphon
- Bottle caper
- 60 bottle caps
- 4 oz. Star San Sanitizer
- 2 oz. PBW Cleaner
- Complete Brewing Instructions
- Two final pieces of equipment you’ll need: a boil kettle and bottles. If you have a stock pot that can hold at least 3 gallons, that will work fine. Otherwise you’ll want to pick up a 5 gallon kettle, which is an inexpensive option that works great for the beginning brewer. You’ll also need some empty bottles to put all that beer in. If you can get and clean 48 used beer bottles (the pry-off style, not the twist-off) then you’re in business. We also sell 12 oz beer bottles and 22 oz beer bottles; two cases of either will be enough for your first batch.
Folks tend to become very passionate about home brewing after a batch or two, but we’ve also seen a lot of new brewers fall in love even before embarking upon their first fermentation. For those of you who, like us, are already passionate about hand- crafted beer, here’s the Deluxe Brewing Starter Kit.
Our Deluxe kit uses a pair of large bottles called carboys—your choice of glass or plastic—as vessels in a two-stage fermentation process. The additional equipment and extra steps taken with the Deluxe Starter Kit reward the brewer with clearer, cleaner- tasting beer as well as the ability to brew a wider range of styles as your confidence grows and sudsy repertoire expands!
To help speed you on your way, we’ve hand-picked three great beer recipe kits for you to choose from (see their descriptions below). And when you brew with Northern Brewer you never brew alone—you’ll also get a copy of our FREE Getting Started In Home brewing DVD, plus a laminated step-by-step instruction sheet for brew day.
HERE’S THE FUN PART! Every starter kit comes complete with your choice of recipe kits. Just pick one of the three classic Northern Brewer recipes below and you’ll have all the ingredients you need to take your new gear out for a test drive.
Caribou Slobber Brown Ale Like your brews tall, dark and drinkable? Then try Caribou Slobber Brown Ale. Perfect for fans of substantial craft beer, this ale is full-bodied and smooth, deliciously dark without a hint of bitterness. Guaranteed to become your new favorite session beer.
Irish Red Ale If you’re looking for a perfectly-balanced, crowd pleasing pint, you can’t go wrong with our Irish Red Ale. There’s a reason this kit is our best-seller. Actually, three reasons: great, medium-bodied taste, rich coppery color and enticingly low aging requirements.
American Wheat Beer Or keep it clean and crisp with our American Wheat — a spritzy and refreshing warm-weather brew, light in color and body, with a subtle but- heady dose of West Coast hoppiness. Deliciously drinkable.
Contains:
Our Deluxe kit uses a pair of large bottles called carboys—your choice of glass or plastic—as vessels in a two-stage fermentation process. The additional equipment and extra steps taken with the Deluxe Starter Kit reward the brewer with clearer, cleaner- tasting beer as well as the ability to brew a wider range of styles as your confidence grows and sudsy repertoire expands!
To help speed you on your way, we’ve hand-picked three great beer recipe kits for you to choose from (see their descriptions below). And when you brew with Northern Brewer you never brew alone—you’ll also get a copy of our FREE Getting Started In Home brewing DVD, plus a laminated step-by-step instruction sheet for brew day.
HERE’S THE FUN PART! Every starter kit comes complete with your choice of recipe kits. Just pick one of the three classic Northern Brewer recipes below and you’ll have all the ingredients you need to take your new gear out for a test drive.
Caribou Slobber Brown Ale Like your brews tall, dark and drinkable? Then try Caribou Slobber Brown Ale. Perfect for fans of substantial craft beer, this ale is full-bodied and smooth, deliciously dark without a hint of bitterness. Guaranteed to become your new favorite session beer.
Irish Red Ale If you’re looking for a perfectly-balanced, crowd pleasing pint, you can’t go wrong with our Irish Red Ale. There’s a reason this kit is our best-seller. Actually, three reasons: great, medium-bodied taste, rich coppery color and enticingly low aging requirements.
American Wheat Beer Or keep it clean and crisp with our American Wheat — a spritzy and refreshing warm-weather brew, light in color and body, with a subtle but- heady dose of West Coast hoppiness. Deliciously drinkable.
Contains:
- 6 Gallon Primary Fermentor, Fermometer Bung, Airlock, Blow off Assembly
- 5 Gallon Secondary Fermentor, Fermometer, Bung, Airlock
- 6.5 Gallon Bottling Bucket, Bottling Spigot, Bottle Filler, Bottling Tubing
- Auto-Siphon, Siphon Tubing
- Beer Bottle Brush, Bottle Capper, 60 Caps
- Instructional DVD, PBW Cleaner, Star-San Sanitizer, Carboy Brush (Glass Only)
Note: Testing the specific gravity of your batch is the best way to keep tabs on fermentation, and for us to help troubleshoot by phone or email. We highly recommend adding our Mad Brewer Upgrade Kit or Brewery Essentials Gravity Testing Kit.
Fresh Start Upgrade Kit
Skip the hassle and treat yourself to our Fresh Start Upgrade Kit, which includes a state-of-the-art 5-gallon brew kettle, 48 brown glass bottles, a heavy-duty double-mesh strainer and a stainless steel spoon. No muss. No fuss. Just fresh, clean equipment, delivered to your doorstep. Complete with bonus peace of mind.
- Kit components à la carte:
- 5 Gallon Brew Kettle
- Brown Glass Bottles
- Stainless Steel Spoon
Colonna Capper/Corker
Caps beer bottles and corks wine bottles. Accommodates 12 or 22 oz crown-cap beer bottles, and includes 26 mm and 29 mm bells; also accommodates 187, 375, 750, and 1500 ml wine bottles.
The brew house compact concept
The analysis of the brewing behaviour and the brewing capacity of medium-sized breweries has resulted in the demand for brewing plants of quantities between 40 and 100 hl. Building large brew houses only smaller was not an issue for GEA. The CIP saves production time.
The basic configuration COMPACT-STAR™ consists of a mash tun kettle, a lauter tun and a Whirlpool/wort kettle. With this combination up to five brews per day and a cast-out cycle of four brews per shift are possible. Either dry milling and wet milling with the MILLSTAR™ can be used. An infusion and decoction mashing process is available as standard.
The brewing plant, including product pipes, is cleaned using a consumption optimised CIP concept from GEA Brewery Systems. If the brewery does not want to use the conventional day caustic brew or requiring a separate cleaning day, it’s possible to use highly-developed CIP systems commonly installed on bigger plants. These processes ensure reliable cleaning of the pipes while production continues in the downstream vessel.
Cost-effective pre-fabrication
COMPACT-STAR™ is provided largely pre-piped, pre-wired and in a modular design or for open installation without a frame. As a consequence, installation periods are reduced and so too are the costs on site. In addition, there are no limits in relation to vessel finish and vessel appearance.
COMPACT-STAR™ is rounded off by the OTAS™ automation and visualization system from GEA Brewery Systems – a well-proven solution for the user-friendly control and monitoring of medium-sized plants.
Future expansion of the brewing plant is possible easily. For example, by integrating a pre-run tank, installing a separate Whirlpool or adding a MILLSTAR™, the brewing sequence can be increased to 12 brews per day.
Concept versions at a glance: Basic configuration start with 3 vessels giving 5 brews per day.This can be upgraded with a pre-run tank giving 7 brews per day. There is a further upgrade available with a Whirlpool giving 9 brews per day culminating with an upgrade with a MILLSTAR™ 12 brews per day.
The basic configuration COMPACT-STAR™ consists of a mash tun kettle, a lauter tun and a Whirlpool/wort kettle. With this combination up to five brews per day and a cast-out cycle of four brews per shift are possible. Either dry milling and wet milling with the MILLSTAR™ can be used. An infusion and decoction mashing process is available as standard.
The brewing plant, including product pipes, is cleaned using a consumption optimised CIP concept from GEA Brewery Systems. If the brewery does not want to use the conventional day caustic brew or requiring a separate cleaning day, it’s possible to use highly-developed CIP systems commonly installed on bigger plants. These processes ensure reliable cleaning of the pipes while production continues in the downstream vessel.
Cost-effective pre-fabrication
COMPACT-STAR™ is provided largely pre-piped, pre-wired and in a modular design or for open installation without a frame. As a consequence, installation periods are reduced and so too are the costs on site. In addition, there are no limits in relation to vessel finish and vessel appearance.
COMPACT-STAR™ is rounded off by the OTAS™ automation and visualization system from GEA Brewery Systems – a well-proven solution for the user-friendly control and monitoring of medium-sized plants.
Future expansion of the brewing plant is possible easily. For example, by integrating a pre-run tank, installing a separate Whirlpool or adding a MILLSTAR™, the brewing sequence can be increased to 12 brews per day.
Concept versions at a glance: Basic configuration start with 3 vessels giving 5 brews per day.This can be upgraded with a pre-run tank giving 7 brews per day. There is a further upgrade available with a Whirlpool giving 9 brews per day culminating with an upgrade with a MILLSTAR™ 12 brews per day.
Microbrewing
The following diagram illustrates the process of microbrewing.
The following diagram illustrates the process of microbrewing.
ASANTEWAACHOCOLAT.COM
Glossary of Brewing and Packaging Terms:-
Absorption - Where chemical compounds are removed from a liquid by being retained on a solid surface – examples – proteins adsorbed by silica gel or organic compounds adsorbed by activated carbon.
ABV - Measure of alcohol content by volume - expressed as % alcohol by volume
Acetaldehyde - A flavour compound produced during fermentation – tastes of “raw apple skins”
Acetic Acid- Acid (Vinegar) produced by bacteria under aerobic conditions. Usually indicates the presence of Beer spoilage organisms.
Acetobacter - An aerobic bacteria produces an off flavour of acetic acid and turbidity in beer.
Adjunct - An addition source of extract (starch or sugar) which is not malted barley.
Aeration - Cool wort is aerated/oxygenated to provide oxygen for yeast growth.
Alcohol - Waste product produced by yeast during fermentation to be consumed and enjoyed by the customer.
Ale - Originally a term for un-hopped beer. Now used to describe most darker beers (top fermented) with ale yeast. (common in UK and Belgium)
Alpha acid - A natural hop resin which is isomerised to iso alpha acid during wort boiling and to give beer its bitterness.
Amber Malt - A medium brown grade of malt made by higher temperatures during the later stages of kilning. It provides beer with a crisp biscuit taste and aroma.
Amino Acids - Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids. Amino acids are produced by the enzymic breakdown of proteins during malting & mashing. They are required as essential nutrients for yeast growth.
Amylase - A general name for the enzymes that breaks down starch. • Alpha amylase is an endo enzymes which liquefies starch by breaking long starch chains in smaller polysaccharides. • Beta amylase is an exo enzyme which is a saccharifying enzyme by breaking pairs of sugars off from the non reducing end of starch and polysaccharide molecules to form maltose.
Astringency - A mouth drying/bitter harsh after tastes which are often produced by polyphenols derived from malt and hops.
Attemperation - A term used for controlling or cooling beer during fermentation
Attenuation - Limit A measure of the fermentability of wort tested by fermenting with an excess of yeast. It represents the amount of non-fermentable carbohydrates left in beer.
Auxiliary finings - Liquid finings made from alginate or silicate which helps to settle protein. It usually works best when added sequentially in combination with isinglass finings.
Bacteria - Small living organisms which lives by breaking down organic matter such as beer. Specific bacterial species infect wort and beer producing off flavours and turbidity.
Barley - A cereal a member of the grass family grows in temperate regions of the world. Barley is the most common cereal used to produce malt for beer. It has a thick husk which makes it robust in the malting process, and the husk forms a filter bed during mash separation.
Barrel - A traditional volume for measuring beer. The UK standard barrel contains 36 gallons of beer. Barrels are still used in measuring capacity but few full barrel containers (36 gallon casks) are still in use. Beer A drink produced by the fermentation of sugars derived from malted barley flavoured with hops Beta Glucan A gummy material which comes from barley cell walls. It is largely degraded during malting, but if present in wort or beer can cause filtration problems.
Bicarbonate An soluble salt which produces “temporary hardness” reducing the fall in acidity (pH), and generally has to be reduced in waters used for brewing. Bicarbonates decompose to form carbonates which form a scale on heating surfaces.
Bitterness A taste associated usually associate with iso-alpha acids in beer (isomerised alpha acids from hop). Some traditional ales were bitter and hence the term is also used to describe types of ales with a high hop rate
Black Malt Is made from pale malt which is then roasted in a malt drum. It gives beer a black colour and strong burnt flavour.
Blending The mixing of beers to achieve quality or in high gravity beer.
Bloom A deposit on bottles often due to carbonates in the water
BOD BOD is the measure of the amount of oxygen in milligrams per litre of sample which is utilised over a five day period in the biological oxidation of the sample after suitable dilution. It is often written as BOD5 to reflect the 5 day duration of the test. BOD is an indication of the amount of oxygen which will be taken up from a watercourse due to microbial growth on discharge of the sample.
Body Feed Filter powder added to the beer flow in line to improve solids loading and to aid filtration
Boiling Wort A stage in the brewhouse process when clarified wort from mash separation is boiled to stabilise the wort, remove unwanted aromas and isomerise the alpha acids from the hops.
Bottom Fermentation For a successful fermentation yeast has to be in suspension in the wort. Once the fermentation is complete (the final gravity is achieved) lager strains of yeast clump together or flocculate and sink and settle to the bottom of the fermentation vessel.
Break This is the term given to protein/polpeptide molecules which for insoluble solids and settle to the bottom of the vessel. Hot Break or trub forms after wort boiling and also contains hop debris. Cold break forms in cooled wort and can often be collected at the bottom of fermentation vesses.
Bright Beer Beer that has been through filter to remove visible haze and most microorganisms in preparation for packaging.
Brown Malt A roasted malt which produces a reddy brown colour and gives beer a rich malty, biscuit flavour.
Buffer Tank Is any vessel used as a break between two processes eg between maturation vessel and filter is the filter inlet buffer tank.
Calcium It is an important metal ion which is added to mash and has a number of beneficial effects in brewing – particularly in help to drop pH which is necessary for many enzyme activities and yeast growth and flocculation.
Calorie A measure of energy. Beer has quite a low level of calories typically around 450 kcal or 1870 kJ per litre. Most of the calories in beer come from alcohol, hence the higher the % alacohol the greater the number of calories.
Candle Filter Is a design of primary filter where rods or candles are used to support the filter aid.
Caramel Dark burnt sugar which is usually added to beer to adjust colour.
Carapils A continental darker malt used to add some colour but principally mouthfeel and texture to lagers.
Carbohydrate Complex sugars which are generally found as a energy store in plants such as barley endosperm.
Carbon Dioxide A gas which is produced during fermentation, under pressure it combines with water to form carbonic acid. A level of carbon dioxide is present in all beer and it proves beer with its “ fizz”.
Carbonate A salt which dissolved in hot water but tends to precipitate in cold water producing a hard coat of scale or beer stone.
Cask Conditioned Beer Beer that that remains unfiltered at the end of fermentation is conditioned and matured in a cask. It is usually clarified in trade through the addition of isinglass finings.
Centrifuge Equipment for clarifying beer by spinning it at high velocity separating the solids from the liquid. It is able to remove most yeast from beer in a matter of seconds.
Cereal Cooker A separate vessel used to prepare cereal adjuncts by heating (boiling) to gelatinise the starch (used for adjuncts which have a gelatinisation temperature greater than malt).
Colloidal stability Haze causing colloids such as proteins and tannin must be removed from beer. This is done through good brewing practice and chilling the beer prior to filtration For beers which require a long shelf life adsorption stabilization agents which are insoluble in beer are used to reduce the haze forming compounds (principally protein and ployphenol) prior to filtration.
Chloride Is a anion often added as Calcium Chloride and gives beer smooth full palate. This is characteristic of many lagers and mild beers.
Chocolate malt A dark roast malt used in dark beers and stouts
CIP Cleaning in Place Automated system of vessel and line cleaning – Cleaning In Place.
Clarification Separating suspended solids from wort or beer.
Cling Where beer foam adherers to a glass
Coagulation The attraction of solid (often protein) to each other resulting in the formation of solids during boiling
COD A chemical method of measuring BOD used to look at the biological load in effluent.
Collagen A protein also known as finings – usually derived from Isinglass and is added to clarify beer.
Conditioning (Maturation) Is the process during which the raw flavours of fermentation are removed and
CO2 is formed which helps to carbonate the beer. Conversion A term used to describe the breakdown of starch into sugar in the brewhouse.
Coolant A liquid used to cool beer or wort
Copper (Kettle) A vessel used for boiling wort
Copper (kettle) finings Material (usually Irish Moss) added to the copper kettle to aid coagulation and clarification of trub.
COSHH Regulations for handling hazardous material
Crown Cork A cap for sealing bottles
Crystal Malt A malt prepared by stewing on the kiln to produce crystallised sugars. It adds colour and flavour to beer.
Customs & Excise The regulatory body for collection of Excise duty.
De-palletiser Equipment for offloading bottles, cans or kegs delivered on pallets
Deaerated Liquor/Water Water where the dissolved oxygen stripped out or removed
Decoction Mashing A method of heating the mash where part is taken out into a separate cooker and boiled before being added back to the mash to raise the temperature by a required amount.
Detergent A liquid which is capable of dissolving soil (dirt) used for vessel and line cleaning.
Dextrin Unfermentable sugar often left in mash because of the incomplete breakdown of amylopectin which has branched chains.
Diacetyl Diacetyl is a by-product of the metabolism of yeast during the fermentation process. The majority is removed by well controlled secondary fermentation. Small amounts of diacetyl in beer cause an unpleasant odour and taste of “butterscotch”. Diastase General name given to enzymes that break down starch. In Brewing these are mainly alpha and beta amylase.
Diatomaceous Earth A powder made up of the mined skeletal remains of diatoms which is used as a filter aid in beer filtration.
Dissolved Oxygen A measure of oxygen dissolved in beer
DMS Dimethyl Sulphide A flavour compound derived from malt which gives a “sweetcorn” character.
Dormancy A natural delay in the onset of barley germination
Draught Beer Beer served from large containers (casks or kegs)
Dry Hopping The process of adding hops to casks beer to provide hop aroma
EBU (also called IBU) A measure of beer bitterness (based on the European Brewery Convention)
Effluent Process waste stream which leaves the brewery – either for in house treatment or to municipal treatment (Sewage Works)
Endosperm The starch food store of the barley corn which provides the extract for brewing.
Esters A group of flavour compounds found in beer – generally produced during fermentation through the combination of acids and alcohols. They give beer strong fruity aromas and taste.
Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) The main alcohol produced by fermentation. This is an important property which determines the “strength” of the beer.
Extract A measure of sugar potential or yield from the raw materials. Most extract comes from the malted barley but additional extract can be added in the form of adjuncts.
False Bottom The slotted base of a mash or lauter tun
Fermentation The process when yeast metabolises simple sugars to produce alcohol abd carbon dioxide (and some heat) under anaerobic conditions.
Filtration The process of using a porous surface medium to hold back solids thus separating solids from the liquid beer.
Finings A changed material added either as liquids or solids and used aggregate suspended particles in the beer to aid clarification. (eg Kettle finings, auxiliary finings and isinglass finings)
Firkin A container or cask which holds 9 gallons capacity
Flash Pasteurisation Pasteurisation (heating) through a plate heat exchanger to kill/reduce live micro-organisms
Flavour Stability The extent to which a beer tastes as good on ageing as it did fresh when packaged.
Foam The stable head/bubbles on beer formed by protein coating bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. Beer is the only beverage with a stable foam.
Fob Excessive or uncontrolled foam
Forcing Test A procedure for heating and holding samples at a higher temperature to check for flavour or microbiological stability.
Gelatinisation The initial process in mashing when the starch has to unwind from its crystalline structure in order to make it accessible to enzyme degradation.
German Purity Laws The German Beer Purity Law or Reinheitsgebot is the world's oldest food law purity law. It was decreed by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria in 1516. The decree states that only barley, hops and water may be used in the brewing of beer. Yeast was added subsequently but had not been identified as essential for fermentation in 1516 and natural "wild" yeast produced the necessary fermentation.
Germination The growth or sprouting of the grain – second stage in the malting process.
Glucose A simple sugar which forms the base unit of starch
Gram Stain A procedure for differentiating between different species of bacteria. It relies on the structure of the bacterial cell wall.
Green Beer Immature beer at the end of fermentation before it has been matured.
Green Malt Germinated barley before it is kilned
Grist A term for milled crushed malt ready for mashing.
Gypsum Calcium Sulphate present in some brewing water such as Burton on Trent, and often added as a salt to water or mash as part of water treatment. It contributes to permanent hardness bringing out the dryer, bitter flavours in a beer.
Haze Beer should be clear. Haziness or cloudiness in beer occurs because of suspended material which can be organic chemicals – colloidal haze or microorganisms – biological haze.
Head Retention A measure of the foam stability of the head on beer (common methods used to assess foam are direct observation or instruments like Rudin & Nibem )
Headspace The volume of gas above the beer in a bottle. Part of this gas can be air or oxygen which contributes to beer staling.
Hectolitre The usually volume of measurement in most breweries One hectolitre = 100 litres
High Gravity Brewing Many beers are brewed with an original gravity (OG) higher than sales producing beers with higher levels of ethanol. After processing the beer is dilutee to sales gravity using de aerated water, usually post filtration.
Hogshead Is an oversize barrel or cask which holds 54 gallons. Few if any are still in use.
Hop Back A vessel used for hot wort clarification after wort boiling when using whole (cone) hops which are used as the filter medium.
Hop Extract An extract of the bitter and some times the aroma components of hops
Hop Oil An extract of the hop aroma compounds
Hops A perennial plant which produces hop cones in the female plant which contain bitter substances (alpha acids) and aromas and used to ‘bitter’ and add aroma/flavour to beer
Horizontal Leaf Filter A beer filter with horizontal screens on which the filter aid is deposited and then used to filter rough beer.
Ice Beer Beer where the contents is partially frozen – ice is formed – to produce a smother flavour.
Infusion A term for single temperature mashing traditionally used in mash tuns
Ion Exchange A method of treating water to remove un wanted mineral ions.
Isinglass Collagen, the active ingredient in finings made from the swim of selected fish
Isohumulone Isomerised hop bitterness compounds iso-alpha acid is also called iso humulone. This is derived from alpha acids or humulone
Jetting A small jet of hot water is often fired into a bottle after filling to cause it to froth up so that it is capped on foam to reduce dissolved oxygen.
Keg A metal container for holding beer (usually 11 gallon 50 litre or 22 gallon 100 litre – some are as large as 36 gallons or a UK barrel)
Kettle / Copper The name given to the vessel used for boiling wort
Keystone A bung which holds the tap in a cask of beer
Kieselguhr A filter aid made up skeletal diatoms used in beer filtration
Kilderkin (Kil) A cask holding 18 gallons (half a barrel)
Kilning The last stage in malting where the moisture is driven off to produce a stable malt with increase colour and flavour compounds.
Krausening The process of enhancing warm maturation (secondary fermentation) by adding fermenting wort from a subsequent brew to the maturation tank of a beer on completion of primary fermentation.
Labeller Equipment for labelling bottles
Lacing The effect of foam clinging to a glass of beer as it empties
Lactic Acid An acid produced by certain bacteria (lactic bacteria) which can effect the beer flavour
Lactobacillus Species of lactic acid bacteria which produce acid and turbidity
Lag Phase The stage at the start of a fermentation before the yeast start to replicate (bud)
Lager Beer brewed using traditional ‘Continental’ methods (usually typified by using bottom cropping yeast and pale lager malt)
Lagering The process of maturing lager beer traditionally the beer was stored for several months at zero or below.
Absorption - Where chemical compounds are removed from a liquid by being retained on a solid surface – examples – proteins adsorbed by silica gel or organic compounds adsorbed by activated carbon.
ABV - Measure of alcohol content by volume - expressed as % alcohol by volume
Acetaldehyde - A flavour compound produced during fermentation – tastes of “raw apple skins”
Acetic Acid- Acid (Vinegar) produced by bacteria under aerobic conditions. Usually indicates the presence of Beer spoilage organisms.
Acetobacter - An aerobic bacteria produces an off flavour of acetic acid and turbidity in beer.
Adjunct - An addition source of extract (starch or sugar) which is not malted barley.
Aeration - Cool wort is aerated/oxygenated to provide oxygen for yeast growth.
Alcohol - Waste product produced by yeast during fermentation to be consumed and enjoyed by the customer.
Ale - Originally a term for un-hopped beer. Now used to describe most darker beers (top fermented) with ale yeast. (common in UK and Belgium)
Alpha acid - A natural hop resin which is isomerised to iso alpha acid during wort boiling and to give beer its bitterness.
Amber Malt - A medium brown grade of malt made by higher temperatures during the later stages of kilning. It provides beer with a crisp biscuit taste and aroma.
Amino Acids - Proteins are made up of long chains of amino acids. Amino acids are produced by the enzymic breakdown of proteins during malting & mashing. They are required as essential nutrients for yeast growth.
Amylase - A general name for the enzymes that breaks down starch. • Alpha amylase is an endo enzymes which liquefies starch by breaking long starch chains in smaller polysaccharides. • Beta amylase is an exo enzyme which is a saccharifying enzyme by breaking pairs of sugars off from the non reducing end of starch and polysaccharide molecules to form maltose.
Astringency - A mouth drying/bitter harsh after tastes which are often produced by polyphenols derived from malt and hops.
Attemperation - A term used for controlling or cooling beer during fermentation
Attenuation - Limit A measure of the fermentability of wort tested by fermenting with an excess of yeast. It represents the amount of non-fermentable carbohydrates left in beer.
Auxiliary finings - Liquid finings made from alginate or silicate which helps to settle protein. It usually works best when added sequentially in combination with isinglass finings.
Bacteria - Small living organisms which lives by breaking down organic matter such as beer. Specific bacterial species infect wort and beer producing off flavours and turbidity.
Barley - A cereal a member of the grass family grows in temperate regions of the world. Barley is the most common cereal used to produce malt for beer. It has a thick husk which makes it robust in the malting process, and the husk forms a filter bed during mash separation.
Barrel - A traditional volume for measuring beer. The UK standard barrel contains 36 gallons of beer. Barrels are still used in measuring capacity but few full barrel containers (36 gallon casks) are still in use. Beer A drink produced by the fermentation of sugars derived from malted barley flavoured with hops Beta Glucan A gummy material which comes from barley cell walls. It is largely degraded during malting, but if present in wort or beer can cause filtration problems.
Bicarbonate An soluble salt which produces “temporary hardness” reducing the fall in acidity (pH), and generally has to be reduced in waters used for brewing. Bicarbonates decompose to form carbonates which form a scale on heating surfaces.
Bitterness A taste associated usually associate with iso-alpha acids in beer (isomerised alpha acids from hop). Some traditional ales were bitter and hence the term is also used to describe types of ales with a high hop rate
Black Malt Is made from pale malt which is then roasted in a malt drum. It gives beer a black colour and strong burnt flavour.
Blending The mixing of beers to achieve quality or in high gravity beer.
Bloom A deposit on bottles often due to carbonates in the water
BOD BOD is the measure of the amount of oxygen in milligrams per litre of sample which is utilised over a five day period in the biological oxidation of the sample after suitable dilution. It is often written as BOD5 to reflect the 5 day duration of the test. BOD is an indication of the amount of oxygen which will be taken up from a watercourse due to microbial growth on discharge of the sample.
Body Feed Filter powder added to the beer flow in line to improve solids loading and to aid filtration
Boiling Wort A stage in the brewhouse process when clarified wort from mash separation is boiled to stabilise the wort, remove unwanted aromas and isomerise the alpha acids from the hops.
Bottom Fermentation For a successful fermentation yeast has to be in suspension in the wort. Once the fermentation is complete (the final gravity is achieved) lager strains of yeast clump together or flocculate and sink and settle to the bottom of the fermentation vessel.
Break This is the term given to protein/polpeptide molecules which for insoluble solids and settle to the bottom of the vessel. Hot Break or trub forms after wort boiling and also contains hop debris. Cold break forms in cooled wort and can often be collected at the bottom of fermentation vesses.
Bright Beer Beer that has been through filter to remove visible haze and most microorganisms in preparation for packaging.
Brown Malt A roasted malt which produces a reddy brown colour and gives beer a rich malty, biscuit flavour.
Buffer Tank Is any vessel used as a break between two processes eg between maturation vessel and filter is the filter inlet buffer tank.
Calcium It is an important metal ion which is added to mash and has a number of beneficial effects in brewing – particularly in help to drop pH which is necessary for many enzyme activities and yeast growth and flocculation.
Calorie A measure of energy. Beer has quite a low level of calories typically around 450 kcal or 1870 kJ per litre. Most of the calories in beer come from alcohol, hence the higher the % alacohol the greater the number of calories.
Candle Filter Is a design of primary filter where rods or candles are used to support the filter aid.
Caramel Dark burnt sugar which is usually added to beer to adjust colour.
Carapils A continental darker malt used to add some colour but principally mouthfeel and texture to lagers.
Carbohydrate Complex sugars which are generally found as a energy store in plants such as barley endosperm.
Carbon Dioxide A gas which is produced during fermentation, under pressure it combines with water to form carbonic acid. A level of carbon dioxide is present in all beer and it proves beer with its “ fizz”.
Carbonate A salt which dissolved in hot water but tends to precipitate in cold water producing a hard coat of scale or beer stone.
Cask Conditioned Beer Beer that that remains unfiltered at the end of fermentation is conditioned and matured in a cask. It is usually clarified in trade through the addition of isinglass finings.
Centrifuge Equipment for clarifying beer by spinning it at high velocity separating the solids from the liquid. It is able to remove most yeast from beer in a matter of seconds.
Cereal Cooker A separate vessel used to prepare cereal adjuncts by heating (boiling) to gelatinise the starch (used for adjuncts which have a gelatinisation temperature greater than malt).
Colloidal stability Haze causing colloids such as proteins and tannin must be removed from beer. This is done through good brewing practice and chilling the beer prior to filtration For beers which require a long shelf life adsorption stabilization agents which are insoluble in beer are used to reduce the haze forming compounds (principally protein and ployphenol) prior to filtration.
Chloride Is a anion often added as Calcium Chloride and gives beer smooth full palate. This is characteristic of many lagers and mild beers.
Chocolate malt A dark roast malt used in dark beers and stouts
CIP Cleaning in Place Automated system of vessel and line cleaning – Cleaning In Place.
Clarification Separating suspended solids from wort or beer.
Cling Where beer foam adherers to a glass
Coagulation The attraction of solid (often protein) to each other resulting in the formation of solids during boiling
COD A chemical method of measuring BOD used to look at the biological load in effluent.
Collagen A protein also known as finings – usually derived from Isinglass and is added to clarify beer.
Conditioning (Maturation) Is the process during which the raw flavours of fermentation are removed and
CO2 is formed which helps to carbonate the beer. Conversion A term used to describe the breakdown of starch into sugar in the brewhouse.
Coolant A liquid used to cool beer or wort
Copper (Kettle) A vessel used for boiling wort
Copper (kettle) finings Material (usually Irish Moss) added to the copper kettle to aid coagulation and clarification of trub.
COSHH Regulations for handling hazardous material
Crown Cork A cap for sealing bottles
Crystal Malt A malt prepared by stewing on the kiln to produce crystallised sugars. It adds colour and flavour to beer.
Customs & Excise The regulatory body for collection of Excise duty.
De-palletiser Equipment for offloading bottles, cans or kegs delivered on pallets
Deaerated Liquor/Water Water where the dissolved oxygen stripped out or removed
Decoction Mashing A method of heating the mash where part is taken out into a separate cooker and boiled before being added back to the mash to raise the temperature by a required amount.
Detergent A liquid which is capable of dissolving soil (dirt) used for vessel and line cleaning.
Dextrin Unfermentable sugar often left in mash because of the incomplete breakdown of amylopectin which has branched chains.
Diacetyl Diacetyl is a by-product of the metabolism of yeast during the fermentation process. The majority is removed by well controlled secondary fermentation. Small amounts of diacetyl in beer cause an unpleasant odour and taste of “butterscotch”. Diastase General name given to enzymes that break down starch. In Brewing these are mainly alpha and beta amylase.
Diatomaceous Earth A powder made up of the mined skeletal remains of diatoms which is used as a filter aid in beer filtration.
Dissolved Oxygen A measure of oxygen dissolved in beer
DMS Dimethyl Sulphide A flavour compound derived from malt which gives a “sweetcorn” character.
Dormancy A natural delay in the onset of barley germination
Draught Beer Beer served from large containers (casks or kegs)
Dry Hopping The process of adding hops to casks beer to provide hop aroma
EBU (also called IBU) A measure of beer bitterness (based on the European Brewery Convention)
Effluent Process waste stream which leaves the brewery – either for in house treatment or to municipal treatment (Sewage Works)
Endosperm The starch food store of the barley corn which provides the extract for brewing.
Esters A group of flavour compounds found in beer – generally produced during fermentation through the combination of acids and alcohols. They give beer strong fruity aromas and taste.
Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) The main alcohol produced by fermentation. This is an important property which determines the “strength” of the beer.
Extract A measure of sugar potential or yield from the raw materials. Most extract comes from the malted barley but additional extract can be added in the form of adjuncts.
False Bottom The slotted base of a mash or lauter tun
Fermentation The process when yeast metabolises simple sugars to produce alcohol abd carbon dioxide (and some heat) under anaerobic conditions.
Filtration The process of using a porous surface medium to hold back solids thus separating solids from the liquid beer.
Finings A changed material added either as liquids or solids and used aggregate suspended particles in the beer to aid clarification. (eg Kettle finings, auxiliary finings and isinglass finings)
Firkin A container or cask which holds 9 gallons capacity
Flash Pasteurisation Pasteurisation (heating) through a plate heat exchanger to kill/reduce live micro-organisms
Flavour Stability The extent to which a beer tastes as good on ageing as it did fresh when packaged.
Foam The stable head/bubbles on beer formed by protein coating bubbles of carbon dioxide gas. Beer is the only beverage with a stable foam.
Fob Excessive or uncontrolled foam
Forcing Test A procedure for heating and holding samples at a higher temperature to check for flavour or microbiological stability.
Gelatinisation The initial process in mashing when the starch has to unwind from its crystalline structure in order to make it accessible to enzyme degradation.
German Purity Laws The German Beer Purity Law or Reinheitsgebot is the world's oldest food law purity law. It was decreed by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria in 1516. The decree states that only barley, hops and water may be used in the brewing of beer. Yeast was added subsequently but had not been identified as essential for fermentation in 1516 and natural "wild" yeast produced the necessary fermentation.
Germination The growth or sprouting of the grain – second stage in the malting process.
Glucose A simple sugar which forms the base unit of starch
Gram Stain A procedure for differentiating between different species of bacteria. It relies on the structure of the bacterial cell wall.
Green Beer Immature beer at the end of fermentation before it has been matured.
Green Malt Germinated barley before it is kilned
Grist A term for milled crushed malt ready for mashing.
Gypsum Calcium Sulphate present in some brewing water such as Burton on Trent, and often added as a salt to water or mash as part of water treatment. It contributes to permanent hardness bringing out the dryer, bitter flavours in a beer.
Haze Beer should be clear. Haziness or cloudiness in beer occurs because of suspended material which can be organic chemicals – colloidal haze or microorganisms – biological haze.
Head Retention A measure of the foam stability of the head on beer (common methods used to assess foam are direct observation or instruments like Rudin & Nibem )
Headspace The volume of gas above the beer in a bottle. Part of this gas can be air or oxygen which contributes to beer staling.
Hectolitre The usually volume of measurement in most breweries One hectolitre = 100 litres
High Gravity Brewing Many beers are brewed with an original gravity (OG) higher than sales producing beers with higher levels of ethanol. After processing the beer is dilutee to sales gravity using de aerated water, usually post filtration.
Hogshead Is an oversize barrel or cask which holds 54 gallons. Few if any are still in use.
Hop Back A vessel used for hot wort clarification after wort boiling when using whole (cone) hops which are used as the filter medium.
Hop Extract An extract of the bitter and some times the aroma components of hops
Hop Oil An extract of the hop aroma compounds
Hops A perennial plant which produces hop cones in the female plant which contain bitter substances (alpha acids) and aromas and used to ‘bitter’ and add aroma/flavour to beer
Horizontal Leaf Filter A beer filter with horizontal screens on which the filter aid is deposited and then used to filter rough beer.
Ice Beer Beer where the contents is partially frozen – ice is formed – to produce a smother flavour.
Infusion A term for single temperature mashing traditionally used in mash tuns
Ion Exchange A method of treating water to remove un wanted mineral ions.
Isinglass Collagen, the active ingredient in finings made from the swim of selected fish
Isohumulone Isomerised hop bitterness compounds iso-alpha acid is also called iso humulone. This is derived from alpha acids or humulone
Jetting A small jet of hot water is often fired into a bottle after filling to cause it to froth up so that it is capped on foam to reduce dissolved oxygen.
Keg A metal container for holding beer (usually 11 gallon 50 litre or 22 gallon 100 litre – some are as large as 36 gallons or a UK barrel)
Kettle / Copper The name given to the vessel used for boiling wort
Keystone A bung which holds the tap in a cask of beer
Kieselguhr A filter aid made up skeletal diatoms used in beer filtration
Kilderkin (Kil) A cask holding 18 gallons (half a barrel)
Kilning The last stage in malting where the moisture is driven off to produce a stable malt with increase colour and flavour compounds.
Krausening The process of enhancing warm maturation (secondary fermentation) by adding fermenting wort from a subsequent brew to the maturation tank of a beer on completion of primary fermentation.
Labeller Equipment for labelling bottles
Lacing The effect of foam clinging to a glass of beer as it empties
Lactic Acid An acid produced by certain bacteria (lactic bacteria) which can effect the beer flavour
Lactobacillus Species of lactic acid bacteria which produce acid and turbidity
Lag Phase The stage at the start of a fermentation before the yeast start to replicate (bud)
Lager Beer brewed using traditional ‘Continental’ methods (usually typified by using bottom cropping yeast and pale lager malt)
Lagering The process of maturing lager beer traditionally the beer was stored for several months at zero or below.
Lautering The process of wort separation using a lauter tun which is a filter vessel with a false slotted bottom.
Legionella A hazardous bacteria found in warm and cooling water assoacited with cooling towers and tunnel pasteurisers
Lipids Fatty material in raw materials such as malt and produced by yeast when aerated at the start of a fermentation.
Liquor A term used in the UK and Ireland for brewing water
Losses The difference between the volume and strength of what you started with in comparison to the volumes and strength at the start and finish of a process
Lupulin gland The resin gland of the hop cone which hold the acids and oils used in brewing.
Maize Grits Broken embryo of Maize milled which has to be cooked in a cereal cooker before being mixed with the malt mash.
Malting Variety A type of barley suitable for malting
Maltose The principle sugar produced by conversion of starch to wort during mashing.
Mash The process of mixing grist (ground malt) and water at the necessary temperature and mash thickness.
Maturation Post fermentation processing – during warm maturation flavour development occurs – cold maturation is required for colloidal stabilisation.
Micro-organism A very small living organism usually only visible under a microscope.
Modification A term to describe the change of barley into malt and the extent to which the cell walls in the endosperm have been digested.
Nitrates Chemical salts found in water often indicating contamination. There are maximum permitted levels and many breweries use water treatment to remove nitrates.
Nitrogen gas Inert gas used to eliminate air or to give beer a stable head (nitrogen is sometimes incorrectly used to describe proteins, polypeptides and amino acids, found in beer)
Non Biological Shelf Life The time that beer remains free of non biological haze (protein/polyphenol complex chill haze)
OG Original Gravity. The specific gravity or density of wort before fermentation has started
Oxygen Gas required by living organisms. It is added to stimulate yeast growth before fermentation starts. If present in finished beer it will cause beer staleness
Palletiser Equipment for loading packs onto pallets
Pasteurisation Procedure for heating beer to sterilise it
Pasteurisation Unit A measure of the degree of pasteurisation (1 PU is the energy given by holding beer at 600C for 1 minute)
Pediococcus An anaerobic of bacteria infecting beer
Perlite A type of filter aid made from volcanic dust
pH A measure of the acidity/alkalinity of a liquid (measures -log10 H+ ions)
Pils/Pilsner A style of beer (lager) originally from Pilsen in the Czech Republic
Pin A cask holding 4.5 gallons
Pitching The process of adding yeast to wort to start fermentation
Plate and Frame Filter A vertical chamber used with filter aid to filter green beer
Plate Heat Exchanger Counter current flow through a of plates for cooling or heating liquids flowing through
Plato Unit of measurement of specific gravity expressed in percent based on a sucrose solution
Polish Filtration Fine filtration of beer usually after a primary green beer filter.
Polyclar PVPP A beer stabilising agent which adsorbs polyphenols in beer.
Pre-coat Procedure for coating a filter with filter aid
Primings Sugar added to fermented beer to fuel a secondary fermentation or sweeten the beer.
Protein Complex organic compounds made of nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen important in malt quality and break down to provide compounds for beer foam, haze pre-coursers and yeast nutrition.
Proteolysis The process of protein breakdown during mashing
Pure Culture A procedure for producing high quality pitching yeast
Racking The process of filling casks/kegs with beer
Recovered Beer Beer recovered from yeast after fermentation
Refrigeration The process of cooling beer down to lower temperature (usually below 00C)
Respiration The process of oxygen use by living matter
Roast Barley An adjunct used in some dark beers and stouts to produce a very dark black colour and roast bitter taste.
Rough or Primary Filtration Used to remove most of the particles – all yeast, most bacteria and settled haze top produce beer from green beer.
Saccharification The process during mashing when starch is broken down into simple sugars principally through the activity of beta amylase enzyme
Saccharometer An instrument for measuring specific gravity (see hydrometer)
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast used in ale fermentation
Saccharomyces Uvarum Yeast used in lager fermentation (sometime Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis)
Secondary Fermentation A fermentation which occurs after the principle fermentation is complete usually at a lower temperature to improve flavour or increase carbonation.
Shelf Life The time during which a beer retains its marketable quality in terms of flavour and haze stability.
Shive A bung that fits into the top of a cask
Silica Hydrogel A material for stabilising beer it adsorbs protein
Skimming Removal of top cropping yeast after fermentation particularly for ale brewing where the yeast is harvested from the top of the vessel.
Sparge Water used to wash out extract from the mash after strong wort run off during mash separation.
Spear The tube in a keg used for filling and emptying the keg
Specific Gravity A measure of the relative density of a liquid
Spent Grain The brewery co-product which remains after all the wort is extracted and is used for cattle feed.
Spray Ball Equipment fitted to a tank for spraying water and detergent during cleaning
Stabilisation The process of processing beer to retain quality
Staling The process whereby beer loses its fresh flavour usually due to oxidation
Starch The carbohydrate food source of plants
Starch Granules Starch is held as granules in the barley endosperm
Steeping First step during malting which involves adding water to grain to start germination
Sterilant Material for killing micro-organisms
Sterile Filtration Fine filtration designed to remove micro-organisms
Sucrose A simple sugar broken down by yeast outside the cell and used to fuel fermentation.
Sulphate A salt dissolved in water often added to bitter beers as permanent hardness
Sunstruck Flavour The ‘skunky’ flavour created when hopped beer is subjected to sunlight or UV light
Tannin A substance in barley or other plants which affects beer stability (also called polyphenols)
Top Fermentation A fermentation where the yeast floats to the surface on completion of fermentation
Trub Solids protein and hop debris created when wort is boiled and separated in a whirlpool or hop back.
Tunnel Pasteuriser A chamber where hot water is sprayed on packaged small pack beers (bottles & cans) to heat them to kill any micro-organisms by pasteurisation.
Turbidity A term for the cloudiness of beer
Vertical Leaf Filter A type of beer filter
Viability A measure of the number of live yeast cells usually done by staining
Vitamins Substances essential for healthy yeast growth
Water Softening A process for removing water hardness for boiler feed, CIP, and bottle washer. Brewing water may be softened to remove temporary hardness or have more extensive treatment.
Whirlpool Equipment for clarifying hot wort which is not bittered with whole hops after boiling
Widget A smallpack insert for creating foam usually nitrogen gas
Wild Yeast A yeast strain different from that approved for pitching the beer. Many wild yeast strains affect flavour and beer stability.
Wort Extract of malt produced in the brewhouse before fermentation
Yeast A single celled fungus - micro-organism used to ferment wort
Yeast Count A measure of the number of yeast cells in a sample
Legionella A hazardous bacteria found in warm and cooling water assoacited with cooling towers and tunnel pasteurisers
Lipids Fatty material in raw materials such as malt and produced by yeast when aerated at the start of a fermentation.
Liquor A term used in the UK and Ireland for brewing water
Losses The difference between the volume and strength of what you started with in comparison to the volumes and strength at the start and finish of a process
Lupulin gland The resin gland of the hop cone which hold the acids and oils used in brewing.
Maize Grits Broken embryo of Maize milled which has to be cooked in a cereal cooker before being mixed with the malt mash.
Malting Variety A type of barley suitable for malting
Maltose The principle sugar produced by conversion of starch to wort during mashing.
Mash The process of mixing grist (ground malt) and water at the necessary temperature and mash thickness.
Maturation Post fermentation processing – during warm maturation flavour development occurs – cold maturation is required for colloidal stabilisation.
Micro-organism A very small living organism usually only visible under a microscope.
Modification A term to describe the change of barley into malt and the extent to which the cell walls in the endosperm have been digested.
Nitrates Chemical salts found in water often indicating contamination. There are maximum permitted levels and many breweries use water treatment to remove nitrates.
Nitrogen gas Inert gas used to eliminate air or to give beer a stable head (nitrogen is sometimes incorrectly used to describe proteins, polypeptides and amino acids, found in beer)
Non Biological Shelf Life The time that beer remains free of non biological haze (protein/polyphenol complex chill haze)
OG Original Gravity. The specific gravity or density of wort before fermentation has started
Oxygen Gas required by living organisms. It is added to stimulate yeast growth before fermentation starts. If present in finished beer it will cause beer staleness
Palletiser Equipment for loading packs onto pallets
Pasteurisation Procedure for heating beer to sterilise it
Pasteurisation Unit A measure of the degree of pasteurisation (1 PU is the energy given by holding beer at 600C for 1 minute)
Pediococcus An anaerobic of bacteria infecting beer
Perlite A type of filter aid made from volcanic dust
pH A measure of the acidity/alkalinity of a liquid (measures -log10 H+ ions)
Pils/Pilsner A style of beer (lager) originally from Pilsen in the Czech Republic
Pin A cask holding 4.5 gallons
Pitching The process of adding yeast to wort to start fermentation
Plate and Frame Filter A vertical chamber used with filter aid to filter green beer
Plate Heat Exchanger Counter current flow through a of plates for cooling or heating liquids flowing through
Plato Unit of measurement of specific gravity expressed in percent based on a sucrose solution
Polish Filtration Fine filtration of beer usually after a primary green beer filter.
Polyclar PVPP A beer stabilising agent which adsorbs polyphenols in beer.
Pre-coat Procedure for coating a filter with filter aid
Primings Sugar added to fermented beer to fuel a secondary fermentation or sweeten the beer.
Protein Complex organic compounds made of nitrogen, carbon and hydrogen important in malt quality and break down to provide compounds for beer foam, haze pre-coursers and yeast nutrition.
Proteolysis The process of protein breakdown during mashing
Pure Culture A procedure for producing high quality pitching yeast
Racking The process of filling casks/kegs with beer
Recovered Beer Beer recovered from yeast after fermentation
Refrigeration The process of cooling beer down to lower temperature (usually below 00C)
Respiration The process of oxygen use by living matter
Roast Barley An adjunct used in some dark beers and stouts to produce a very dark black colour and roast bitter taste.
Rough or Primary Filtration Used to remove most of the particles – all yeast, most bacteria and settled haze top produce beer from green beer.
Saccharification The process during mashing when starch is broken down into simple sugars principally through the activity of beta amylase enzyme
Saccharometer An instrument for measuring specific gravity (see hydrometer)
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast used in ale fermentation
Saccharomyces Uvarum Yeast used in lager fermentation (sometime Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis)
Secondary Fermentation A fermentation which occurs after the principle fermentation is complete usually at a lower temperature to improve flavour or increase carbonation.
Shelf Life The time during which a beer retains its marketable quality in terms of flavour and haze stability.
Shive A bung that fits into the top of a cask
Silica Hydrogel A material for stabilising beer it adsorbs protein
Skimming Removal of top cropping yeast after fermentation particularly for ale brewing where the yeast is harvested from the top of the vessel.
Sparge Water used to wash out extract from the mash after strong wort run off during mash separation.
Spear The tube in a keg used for filling and emptying the keg
Specific Gravity A measure of the relative density of a liquid
Spent Grain The brewery co-product which remains after all the wort is extracted and is used for cattle feed.
Spray Ball Equipment fitted to a tank for spraying water and detergent during cleaning
Stabilisation The process of processing beer to retain quality
Staling The process whereby beer loses its fresh flavour usually due to oxidation
Starch The carbohydrate food source of plants
Starch Granules Starch is held as granules in the barley endosperm
Steeping First step during malting which involves adding water to grain to start germination
Sterilant Material for killing micro-organisms
Sterile Filtration Fine filtration designed to remove micro-organisms
Sucrose A simple sugar broken down by yeast outside the cell and used to fuel fermentation.
Sulphate A salt dissolved in water often added to bitter beers as permanent hardness
Sunstruck Flavour The ‘skunky’ flavour created when hopped beer is subjected to sunlight or UV light
Tannin A substance in barley or other plants which affects beer stability (also called polyphenols)
Top Fermentation A fermentation where the yeast floats to the surface on completion of fermentation
Trub Solids protein and hop debris created when wort is boiled and separated in a whirlpool or hop back.
Tunnel Pasteuriser A chamber where hot water is sprayed on packaged small pack beers (bottles & cans) to heat them to kill any micro-organisms by pasteurisation.
Turbidity A term for the cloudiness of beer
Vertical Leaf Filter A type of beer filter
Viability A measure of the number of live yeast cells usually done by staining
Vitamins Substances essential for healthy yeast growth
Water Softening A process for removing water hardness for boiler feed, CIP, and bottle washer. Brewing water may be softened to remove temporary hardness or have more extensive treatment.
Whirlpool Equipment for clarifying hot wort which is not bittered with whole hops after boiling
Widget A smallpack insert for creating foam usually nitrogen gas
Wild Yeast A yeast strain different from that approved for pitching the beer. Many wild yeast strains affect flavour and beer stability.
Wort Extract of malt produced in the brewhouse before fermentation
Yeast A single celled fungus - micro-organism used to ferment wort
Yeast Count A measure of the number of yeast cells in a sample
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