Additives
Enzymes, preservatives and/or antioxidants that are added to clarify or preserve beer, or to improve head retention – never found in Abita Beer.
Alcohol
Ethyl alcohol or ethanol, which is a by-product of fermentation.
Alcohol by volume
(ABV) Amount of alcohol in beer expressed as a percentage of total beer volume.
Ale
A type of beer brewed using top-fermenting yeast. The yeast also prefers warmer temperatures, 55 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Aroma
The smell of a beer. Descriptive terms like fruity, flowery, spicy, malty and many others can be used.
Aromatic hops
Flowers of the hop vine that are added during the later part of the beer-making process to enhance a beer's aroma.
Balance
When all the beer's elements are in perfect proportion.
Barley
A grain used for making beer. It is first malted, mashed, and then the sugary liquid formed during the mash, called wort, is fermented.
Barrel
A unit of measurement. In the United States, a barrel holds 31 US gallons.
Beer
An alcoholic beverage brewed from barley malt mixed with cultured yeast for fermentation, and flavored with hops.
Bitter
Having a sharp taste. Bitterness is measured in International Bitterness Units (IBU).
Bittering Hops
Flowers of the hop plant that are added during the first part of the beer making process to counteract the natural sweetness of the brew.
Bock
A strong lager served to warm the drinker during the coldest months of the year.
Body
The texture and weight of a beer in the mouth. A beer can be thin or full-bodied.
Bottom-Fermenting Yeast
One of the two types of yeast used in brewing, also referred to as lager yeast; works well at low temperatures.
Brewmaster
The supervisor of the brewing process at a brewery.
Brewpub
Small brewery attached to a pub or restaurant.
Carbon Dioxide
(CO2) A natural by-product of fermentation that gives beer its bubbles, or carbonation.
Draft
A method of dispensing beer from kegs.
Dry Hopping
The addition of dry hops to fermenting or aging beer to increase its hop character or aroma.
Enzymes
Naturally occurring grain proteins that convert the starches to sugars when the mash is heated.
Fermentation
Yeast converts sugars in beer into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2). The CO2 provides the natural carbonation in beer.
Fermentation Vessel
The container where the fermentation process takes place after yeast is added.
Flavoring Hops
Flowers of the hop vine that are added during the beer making process to add hop flavor and aroma to the brew.
Grist
Malted barley that is ground to expose the starches.
Heat Exchanger
Pipes full of ice and cold water quickly drop the temperature of the wort to anywhere from 50 to 70 degrees depending on the type of beer being made.
Hop Tea
Hops are steeped in hot water and the different aromas are evaluated for use in brewing.
Hoppy
Having the aroma of hops, but not the bitterness.
Hops
The flowers of the hop plant. Grown on a climbing vine, hop flowers resemble a green pine cone. Hops balance the sweetness of the malted barley, add flavors and aromas to the brew and make the yeast work better.
India Pale Ale
(IPA) A pale ale that is generously hopped.
International Bitterness Units
(IBUs) A system for measuring hop bitterness in finished beer.
Keg
One half barrel. 15.5 U. S. gallons is a keg and 7.75 U. S. gallons, is called a quarter or pony keg.
Lager
Beers produced with bottom-fermenting yeast strains, at colder fermentation temperatures than ales, to produce a cleaner, crisper tasting beer.
Lagering
The process of maturation for a set period of time at cold temperatures to settle residual yeast and create carbonation.
Lauter Tun
A tank with a perforated false bottom on the tank – similar to a strainer or colander. The sweet liquid is drained from the mash in a two-step process and collected.
Light-struck
Having a skunk-like smell due to exposure to light. The reason Abita Beer is in dark brown bottles or cans.
Malting
A method of processing any cereal grain, for example, barley. The grain is moistened, begins to sprout and then is quickly heated in a large oven to stop the growing process. Malting develops the enzymes in the grain that are needed to turn starch into sugar.
Mash
The mixture of grist and warm water.
Mash Tun
The large, stainless-steel vessel where the grist and warm water are combined and heated to create the mash.
Merlin
A revolutionary new brew kettle system that reduces boiling time and is 70% more energy efficient. The wort moves over a heated cone inside the Merlin quickly bringing it up to the proper temperature.
Sparge
Hot water used to rinse the grain to remove sugars.
Top-fermenting yeast
Top-fermenting yeast is named as such because most strains exhibit the tendancy to gather at the surface of the beer during the first few days of fermentation. After fermentation, the yeast settles to the bottom of the fermenter while a large percentage stay in dispersion. Top-fermenting yeast, 'ale yeast,' finds optimum performance in the temperature range of 55 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Lower temperatures tend to inhibit fermentation, causing the yeast to become dormant.
Tritium
A man-made radioactive isotope that marks all surface waters. Tritium is never found in Abita Beer because we use only water from our protected underground source.
Tun
Any large vessel used in brewing. In America, the term "tub" is more commonly used.
Two-row Barley
Two-row refers to the way barley kernels are arranged on the stalk. Two-row barley has a fuller, maltier flavor than other varieties.
Wort
The sweet liquid that is drained from the mash in the Lauter Tun.
Yeast
Yeast is a single-celled organism. Yeast converts sugar into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2).