Ale: A style of beer. Traditionally a "top-fermented" beer brewed at temperatures between 60-70 degrees F. Using ale yeast.

Ale Yeast: (saccharomyces cerevisiae) Type of yeast. Generally speaking it does best at fermentation temperatures between 55-70 degrees F. It is also known as "top-fermenting yeast" because of some varieties' ability to form a layer of yeast on the surface during primary fermentation. Top-fermenting yeast is anaerobic and will always form a sediment on the bottom.

Anaerobic: Processes that do no require dissolved oxygen.

Aroma: The smell of beer associated with malt and grain character.

Beer: Any alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of sugars derived from grain.

Body: The "mouth-feel" of beer; "thicker" beers are said to have a fuller body.

Bouquet: The smell of beer associated with hop character.

Carboy: 5 or 6 and 1/2 gallon glass bottle with a narrow opening on top. Properly cleaned, Carboys can be used as primary or secondary fermenters.

Dunkel: Is German word for "dark" (as in color.)

Fermentation: The conversion of sugar to alcohol and the carbon dioxide by yeast. It is an anaerobic process.

Fermentation Lock: A simple water and bubble-type device used during closed or secondary fermentation that prevents ambient air from coming in contact with the fermenting brew. At the same time, the fermentation lock permits the escape of carbon dioxide (a by-product of fermentation). It fits into a rubber cork atop a carboy being used as a secondary fermenter.

Finishing Hops: Fresh aromatic hops that are added to the boling wort during the final one to two minutes of boiling. Clean hops can be added during secondary fermentation. This is called dry hopping. "Finishing" or "dry hopping" impart hop aroma and flavor to beer.

Kraeusen: The billowy, rocky, foamy head that develops on the surface of wort during the first days of fermentation.

Lager: From the German word: to store. A style of beer. Traditionally a "bottom-fermented" beer brewed at temperatures of 40-50 degrees F. and stored for a period of time at temperature as low as 32 degrees F.

Lager Yeast: (saccharomyces uvarum) Type of yeast. Generally speaking, true lager yeast does best at fermentation temperatures of 33-50 degrees F. It is also known as "bottom-fermenting" yeast. Because of it's tendency not to form a head of yeast on the surface of the brew.

Lambic: A Style of Belgian beer that is brewed with wild yeast and beer-souring bacteria.

Malt Extract: A sugary liquid, syrup or powder that has been derived by mashing malted barley (grain) and dissolving evolved sugars in water. This malt extract can be reduced to a syrup or a dry form by removing water by evaporation.

Pitching: the "throwing in" or addition of yeast to the wort.

Primary Fermentation: Process of initial fermentaion. It is generally considered to be the first 60-75% of the fermentation process.

Primary Fermenter (The Primary): Any vessel in which primary fermentation occurs.

Priming: The process of adding sugar at bottling time.

Secondary Fermentation: Closed fermentation which occurs after the brew has been transfered from the primary fermenter to a secondary fermenter. It is the final 25-40% of the fermentation process, which precedes bottling. The later stage of fermentaion is much less active.

Secondary Fermenter (The Secondary): Any vessel in which secondary fermentation occurs. It is desirable to use a carboy. Carboys have the advantage of small opening on the top to which a fermentation lock can easily be secured.

Wort: Lovinly prepared liquid which will ferment to homebrew.

Yeast: Micro-organisms that convert fermentable sugars to alcohol, c02 and various by-products that contribute to the taste of beer. All yeast fermentation is anaerobic. And all yeast types will suspend themselves throughout the fermenting beer.