Homebrewing Glossary: 24 Terms Explained
The words that show up in homebrewing specs, reviews and how-to guides, explained without jargon. Open any term for the full explanation and what to look for when buying.
- ABV
- Alcohol by volume, commonly estimated from the drop between original and final gravity.
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- Airlock
- A one-way valve fitted to a fermenter that lets CO2 escape while keeping outside air and contaminants out.
- Read more about airlockRelated: Best Airlocks for Homebrewing (2026)
- Brew in a bag (BIAB)
- Mashing crushed grain in a large mesh bag inside the brew kettle, a simple entry point into all-grain brewing.
- Read more about brew in a bag (biab)Related: Best Brew in a Bag (BIAB) Bags for Homebrewing (2026)
- Carboy
- A narrow-necked glass or plastic vessel used to ferment or age beer, cider, or wine.
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- Cold crash
- Chilling a fermenter close to freezing for a day or two to help yeast and particles drop out of the beer.
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- Dry hopping
- Adding hops during or after fermentation, without boiling, to build aroma without extra bitterness.
- Read more about dry hoppingRelated: Best Hops for Homebrewing (2026)
- Final gravity (FG)
- The density reading taken once fermentation ends, used with original gravity to estimate alcohol content.
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- Force carbonation
- Carbonating beer directly with pressurized CO2 in a keg instead of relying on priming sugar and yeast.
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- Hydrometer
- A weighted floating instrument that measures the density of wort or beer to track fermentation progress.
- Read more about hydrometerRelated: Best Hydrometers for Homebrew (2026)
- Kegging
- Storing and dispensing finished beer from a pressurized keg instead of bottling it individually.
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- Krausen
- The thick, foamy layer of yeast, proteins, and hop residue that forms on top of beer during active fermentation.
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- Malt extract
- Concentrated wort sold as a thick syrup or dried powder that skips the mashing step entirely.
- Read more about malt extractRelated: Best Malt Extract for Homebrewing (2026)
- Mash
- Steeping crushed grain in hot water, typically 148 to 158 F, to convert starches into fermentable sugars.
- Read more about mashRelated: Best Mash Tuns for Homebrewing (2026)
- Original gravity (OG)
- The density of wort measured before fermentation, which shows how much fermentable sugar is available.
- Read more about original gravity (og)Related: Best Hydrometers for Homebrew (2026)
- Priming sugar
- A small, measured amount of sugar added at bottling time so remaining yeast naturally carbonates the beer.
- Read more about priming sugarRelated: Best Priming Sugar for Bottle Conditioning (2026)
- Racking
- Transferring beer from one vessel to another, usually by siphon, while leaving sediment behind.
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- Refractometer
- A handheld optical tool that reads sugar content from a few drops of wort on a lit sample plate.
- Read more about refractometerRelated: Best Refractometers for Homebrew (2026)
- Sanitizer
- A no-rinse solution used to reduce microbes on anything that touches wort or beer after the boil.
- Read more about sanitizerRelated: Best Sanitizers for Homebrew (2026)
- Trub
- The sediment of spent hops, proteins, and dead yeast that settles at the bottom of a kettle or fermenter.
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- Water chemistry
- Adjusting the mineral content of brewing water with salts to suit a mash and match a target beer style.
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- Wort
- The sweet, unfermented liquid pulled from malted grain or extract that yeast later turns into beer.
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- Wort chiller
- A coil or plate device that rapidly cools boiled wort down to a safe pitching temperature.
- Read more about wort chillerRelated: Best Wort Chillers for Homebrewing (2026)
- Yeast starter
- A small batch of wort fermented ahead of brew day to grow a healthy, appropriately sized yeast population.
- Read more about yeast starter