Siebel - Brewing Terminology

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Absorption	The penetration of a liquid or solid into or through another liquid or solid, the particles that are absorbed being molecular or micellar in size. A few solid bodies have the power of taking up or absorbing gases, for instance, charcoal or activated carbon.

Acid	A hydrogen containing substance which will dissociate on solution in water to produce one or more hydrogen ions (H+).

Acrospire	The plumule in germinating grain.

Activated	(Also called active carbon). A form of carbon characterized by Carbon high adsorptive capacity for gases, vapors and colloidal solids.

Adjunct	Unmalted grain, sugars or syrups used in brewing.

Adsorption	The adhesion, in an extremely thin layer of the molecules of gases, of dissolved substances, or of liquids, to the surfaces of solid bodies, with which they are in contact.

Aerobic	Referring to bacteria and other forms of life which require oxygen to live.

Aerobic	Needing oxygen for growth.

Affinity	Chemical potential; selective tendency to unite.

Agar-Agar	The water soluble colloidal carbohydrate of the red seaweed, Gelidium; forms gels with as little as one part to 500 of water. It is used in preparing bacteriological media.

Albumin	A class of simple proteins forming an important constituent of the serum of the blood, and found also in milk, muscle, egg and in many vegetable tissues and fluids. These proteins are soluble in water and coagulate on heating.

Alcohol	Any of a series of organic compounds containing one or more hydroxyl OH) groups.

Ale	Usually refers to malt beverages where the wort is fermented with strains of yeast which tend to rise to the top of the vessel and form a yeast head at the end of fermentation.

Algae	Any plant of a group (Algae) comprising practically all seaweeds, and allied fresh-water or non-aquatic forms.

Alkalinity	The combining power of a base measured by the maximum number of equivalents of an acid with which it can react to form a salt.

Allele	Any of several alternative forms of a gene.

Alloy	The product formed by the mixing of a metal with other metals.

Amino Acids	Compounds with an amino and a carboxyl group. Proteins are built up of amino acids connected by peptide linkages.

Amino acids	Building blocks of proteins. There are twenty common amino acids: alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine.

Ammonia	A colorless, gaseous compound of nitrogen and hydrogen (NH3) of extremely pungent smell. Used as a refrigerant.

Amylases	Are starch degrading enzymes. Alpha Amylase: Degrades starch to a mixture of dextrins and sugars. Beta Amylase: Degrades starch to maltose and beta limit dextrin.

Amylodextrin	The first hydrolysis product of starch with amylase; gives purple color with iodine.

Anaerobic	Referring to bacteria and other forms of life that do not require oxygen to live.

Anaerobic	Growing in the absence of oxygen.

Anion	The charged particle in a solution of an electrolyte which, under the influence of an electrical potential, moves toward the anode. It is the negatively charged ion.

Anode	The electrode at which an oxidation process occurs and to which electrons travel.

Antibiotic	Chemical substance formed as a metabolic by-product in bacteria or fungi and used to treat bacterial infections. Antibiotics can be produced naturally, using microorganisms, or synthetically.

Antiseptic	Destructive to microorganisms.

Aphid	Plant-louse, found in hops.

Apparent	The indication of the Balling or Plato hydrometer in Extract beer not de- alcoholized. Convenient for determining the degree of fermentation of beer with known original gravity.

Artesian Well	A well made by boring into the earth till water is reached, which, from internal pressure, flows spontaneously.

Aseptic	Free of living organisms in any form.

Ash	The solid residue left when combustible material is thoroughly burned at not too high a temperature.

Atom	The smallest particle to which an element can be reduced and still possess the properties of the element.

Attemperator	Coil or jacket through which a refrigerant is circulated at a predetermined rate to control the temperature of fermenting wort.

Attenuation	The thinning down, decreasing the amount of extract. See also Degree of Fermentation.

Autolysis	Self-digestion of tissues, post mortem, often applied to yeast.

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