HD needs a Glossary

[contrahead]

I set down and turned the computer on this morning to do a little research on leather tanning; the cheap and industrially efficient way using Chromium(III) sulfate. I lost focus though and got sidetracked again because I clicked on an old forgotten bookmark in the browser that sent me to howtobrew.com. That made me curious about something called the Lovibond color scale, which is used in certain explicit descriptions of sugar, beer and whisky.

Back a century ago a British brewer named Lovibond developed the world's first practical colorimeter (a device used in colorimetry). A colorimeter measures the absorbance of particular wavelengths of light by a specific solution. A high tech brewer might describe his product’s color in Standard Reference Method (SRM) or European Brewery Convention (EBC) units.

The Lovibond scale ranges from 1 to 600. A typical American light lager might register ‘5 Lovibond’ and Guinness Extra Stout somewhere over ‘100 Lovibond’. The glossary on the ‘lovibondcolour.com’ site is only concerned with color terminology though. The glossary at ‘howtobrew.com’ is handy, but like the beginners glossary at HD – it is also limited in its scope and detail.

I appreciate that HD probably uses a free, open source bbs program. Such software might be hard, impractical or impossible to modify. I presently use the signature under rgreen2002’s post, to find the glossary @ HD. Lazy I guess. I understand the utility and practicality of having just a short and digestible list of terms for new readers.

I and others however, would still aspire to have a large and more thorough list of terms. While it may say 'newbie', 'bootlegger', 'swill-maker' or 'trainee' under my (or another's) avatar, don’t chauvinistically assume that I really am a novice, judging merely by the number of small chatty comments I make. Some novices here might just have the vocabulary necessary to figuratively shoot your big toe off in a conversational thread or certain topic.

Finally, some word promotions, plucked from the ‘howtobrew.com’ link.

Attenuation
Acrospire
Aldehyde - alternate
Aleurone layer
Autolysis
Dimethyl sulfide
Invert sugar
Saccharification
Zymurgy

[Bushman]

Contrahead I was actually surprised I didn't have some of the terms you just listed. I didn't add all of them but if you think we need some of the scientific terms you listed let me know. I did add:
Attenuation
Inverted sugar
Saccharification
Zymurgy

[MoonBreath]

Anneal: Process of heating copper to soften it for work ability.
Cask: Another term for barrel used in aging
Cask Strength: Preferred strength for barrel aging .

I'm fair at best with on the fly definitions.

[Bushman]

Thanks Moonbreath I also added barrel proof as another term for cask strength.

[der wo]

Agitator
Rummager
Beano
and of course Shmoo.

[Bushman]

Thanks Der, I learned a new term Rummager but could not find a distilling definition for shmoo. I do know what To Shmoo means in non distilling terms.

[MoonBreath]

Backins: The last thing to come off the still after collection, mainly use for thumper charges.

Pantydropper: Flavored spirits with or without added fruit.

[contrahead]

(not serious)

"Pussers": sailor slang for British Navy pursers, who before 1816 (the advent of the Sikes hydrometer) tested proof of brandy or rum mixed with a little gunpowder. The pusser used a magnifying lens for the test. The mixture might not light, might barely ignite (proof) or might pop - overproof.

* An equal or perhaps more feasible explanation for the purpose of this test is that it was not actually preformed for the alcohol at all, but for the gunpowder instead. Black powder is about 70% saltpeter (potassium nitrate), which dissolves in water but not in ethanol.

"A gunnery officer, knowing this fact, will be able to test the quality of his powder by using the 'gunpowder test' described above. If good quality gunpowder was soaked in 'over-proof' rum and then allowed to dry out again it should flare up when set alight (providing the powder grains are not too spread out). This is because the high percentage of saltpeter (the most expensive component in gunpowder) will stop the powder grains from dissolving into a black sludge that will not combust (there must be gaps between grains of gunpowder for the oxygen-fed chain reaction to occur)".

* Above clipped from - https://sites.google.com/site/gunpowder ... owder-test" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

[Hound Dog]

I do know what To Shmoo means in non distilling terms.

Not a verb, to shmoo, but a noun, Shmoo. There is even a recipe development thread for Shmoo Whiskey. Smooth stuff, I am told.

[rgreen2002]

Hey Bushman, I thought that this was going to be added to the Board Index? Any luck there? Did I miss it(probably)? I think you should put it right up there with the HD search and distillers FAQ...IMHO.

[Bushman]

Hey Bushman, I thought that this was going to be added to the Board Index? Any luck there? Did I miss it(probably)? I think you should put it right up there with the HD search and distillers FAQ...IMHO.

Haven't moved anything yet. If we move it to the Board Index section probably go under the Forum section with the Rules but not sure I have the access to make a new line item on the index so if it gets moved the Mod's will have to discuss it then Tater or another administrator will probably have to create the move. If it get's moved then I will have to make sure all the links I added to photos and recipes still work.

[mofugly13]

There are a few terms I've seen goose eye use somewhat consistently, I don't know if they warrant inclusion, but here they are

Backins'-already stated in a previous post as the last of what is collected out of the still. I was previously under the impression that it was his way of saying 'backset' which is something different, I believe

Hot Slops- I think this is what's left in the still after distilling and while still hot is used effectively to wash down the outside of the still afterward to remove any flour paste used for sealing up still components.

Single footin'- A single run, with a thumper

Double and twist- A stripping run done fast, where you can see the 'twist' in the stream of distillate coming out of the condenser, followed by a spirit run

Shoot it- Adding liquid, usually flavored, to the thumper. Typically after the heads are collected. Done quickly after 'turning down the wick' through a valve or other orifice designed for adding without breaking down the setup

Turn down the wick- Lower the heat input to the still, in order to slow down the process, or to stop it so that you can 'shoot it'

Pride-it'll get you caught

There are more, and I have them written down somewhere, but these are what came to mind. Maybe goose eye would be kind enough to correct any I have wrong.

I only read this forum for informational purposes to satisfy my curious mind...

[HDNB]

i wus just thinkin' about maths.

a quick reference guide to calculation for PPG and DP and any other useful math that is commonly used. I know you can get it with HD google search, but it may be a welcome addition to the glossary for folks.
I volenteering DerWo for a quick summary, being his posts are always easiest to understand on this type of topic, maybe it could be assimilated in to the glossary.

[Bushman]

Links to the glossary terms to the calculators is a great idea, I will slowly add them to the list.

It will take me a while but will get to Gooses terms.

[Bushman]

Sorry I am a bit slow on the updates but just came to the realization after reading this thread on the definition of Dunder.

http://homedistiller.org/forum/viewtopi ... 15&t=13637

After reading the thread I came up with two thoughts:
1. We are a world wide forum and the terms have different meaning depending on where in the world you hale from.
2. If a term is miss used enough it becomes that definition.
3. I so miss Dunderheads responses, as he got older and had sight problems we lost a valuable walking dictionary.

[MoonBreath]

'Dry' ferment or wash: Term indicating completed fermentation of 1.00 or less specific gravity (SG).

Again Bushman, I'll leave the polishing to you ifn it needs it.

[MoonBreath]

De-gas : Term for relieving gas by stirring finish wash, before settlement stage and racking.

[Bushman]

A little slow but updated the last two!

[MoonBreath]

Your alright Bushman, we ain't in no race.
I did mean finished wash, instead of finish wash ..My bad.

Thump Post : The inlet pipe on a thumper that is positioned just off bottom, notched or drilled, dispersing and concentrating vapor in thumper.

Thats close, you polish it up if you want.

[Bushman]

Your alright Bushman, we ain't in no race.
I did mean finished wash, instead of finish wash ..My bad.

Thump Post : The inlet pipe on a thumper that is positioned just off bottom, notched or drilled, dispersing and concentrating vapor in thumper.

Thats close, you polish it up if you want.

I appreciate your hard work. With the holidays and a new still build I have been a bit busy. Trying to learn about essential oils and the types of oils I want to produce.

[MoonBreath]

Cavitation : Term for that 'air pocket' in dephleg when water volume or flow is incorrect.

[Bushman]

Thanks MoonBreath with all your contributions, we have really expanded the Glossary this year or should I say last year.

[rgreen2002]

Bushman how about adding "1.5 run" to the list?

[MoonBreath]

Smear (ing): Distilling heads, hearts, and tails altogether without cuts due to incorrect equipment design, and or methods, or distiller error.

[Bushman]

Bushman how about adding "1.5 run" to the list?

Guess the term is called Distilling 1.5 and the method is used in Europe so I added the term as Distilling 1.5.

[Odin]

Smear (ing): Distilling heads, hearts, and tails altogether without cuts due to incorrect equipment design, and or methods, or distiller error.

I'd define smearing differently. You want to smear late heads and early tails into taste rich product for more and more complex taste.

Odin.

[Swedish Pride]

You want to smear late heads and early tails into taste rich product for more and more complex taste.

Odin.

Unless you want neutral..

[Odin]

Exactly. No taste = neutral = no smearing.

Odin.

[der wo]

Yes, smearing has a good and a bad meaning. Like heads or tails...
I find "smearing" is a very good word. If you think smearing colors, it's exactly what it is about. It's self-explanatory.

[cuginosgrizzo]

As you know english is not my primary language, but I always thought of smearing as the "bad" involuntary introduction of heads/tails into hearts, while I thought of blending as the voluntary introduction of selected fractions of heads/tails into hearts.