Beer glossary

The primary task of the whirlpool is to separate out protein and hop residue. This separation is a physical process involving centripetal and centrifugal forces.

This is the liquid that remains after the separation of solid and liquid mash constituents in the lauter tun. It contains all of the malt kernels’ soluble substances.

The wort cooler uses ice water to reduce the temperature of the wort extracted in the wort copper until the wort reaches the level for fermentation.

The wort copper, also known as the brew kettle, boils the wort together with the hops. This sterilises the wort, which is important for the beer’s keeping quality. The wort is boiled down (evaporated) until the required quantity of original extract is reached. After boiling, the wort must be cooled to the ideal temperatures for the subsequent fermentation. This is now called the brew or the cold wort.