glossary

Other discussions for folks new to the wonderful craft of home distilling.

Moderator: Site Moderator

Post Reply
Hondo Gringo
Novice
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri May 04, 2012 6:56 am

glossary

Post by Hondo Gringo »

I've been reading till my head hurts and it's not a hangeover.
I keep coming up with new terms that some of which, I can't figure out. Backwash, whats that?
Is there a glossary of some kind on this site for dummys like me?
mash rookie
Angel's Share
Angel's Share
Posts: 2228
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 8:20 am
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: glossary

Post by mash rookie »

On the main page is a Wiki link. There is a pretty comprehensive glossary on the Wiki page. Some months ago myself and a few others started a glossary of our special words for this exact reason. So new members would understand what they are reading easier. I think I was the one that dropped the ball. I may have at least a partial version I can send you in a PM. Or maybe I should post it and let the members at large work on corrections and additions.
HolyBear
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 1600
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 3:23 am
Location: Prolly diggin through Dnders posts

Re: glossary

Post by HolyBear »

mash rookie wrote:On the main page is a Wiki link. There is a pretty comprehensive glossary on the Wiki page. Some months ago myself and a few others started a glossary of our special words for this exact reason. So new members would understand what they are reading easier. I think I was the one that dropped the ball. I may have at least a partial version I can send you in a PM. Or maybe I should post it and let the members at large work on corrections and additions.
I vote post it, especially if it could be edited and added to...
"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Benjamin Franklin
Hondo Gringo
Novice
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri May 04, 2012 6:56 am

Re: glossary

Post by Hondo Gringo »

Post it is a great idea. I may not be the only "shine vocabulary challenged" person here.
Hondo Gringo
Novice
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri May 04, 2012 6:56 am

Re: glossary

Post by Hondo Gringo »

OK WIKI has backset in the glossary. Backset is "left over liquid after a distilling run used to add the the next mash"
backset = backwash right?
Dnderhead
Angel's Share
Angel's Share
Posts: 13666
Joined: Sun Dec 23, 2007 8:07 pm
Location: up north

Re: glossary

Post by Dnderhead »

language changes by area,but i thought "back wash" is what someone did in a bottle they were drinking from??
rad14701
retired
Posts: 20865
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:46 pm
Location: New York, USA

Re: glossary

Post by rad14701 »

Dnderhead wrote:language changes by area,but i thought "back wash" is what someone did in a bottle they were drinking from??
+1 on the back wash... :sick: :thumbdown:
User avatar
Bushman
Admin
Posts: 17988
Joined: Tue Mar 30, 2010 5:29 am
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: glossary

Post by Bushman »

Hondo Gringo wrote:Post it is a great idea. I may not be the only "shine vocabulary challenged" person here.
You are not alone, if you go back through some of the older threads we have had several debates on definitions that I don't want to bring up again....
Uncle Jesse
Site Admin
Posts: 3924
Joined: Wed Apr 21, 2004 3:00 pm

Re: glossary

Post by Uncle Jesse »

If only the best birds sang, the woods would be silent.
mash rookie
Angel's Share
Angel's Share
Posts: 2228
Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 8:20 am
Location: Pacific Northwest

Re: glossary

Post by mash rookie »

Okay new guys here you go. This is not meant to replace the wiki glossary. It is a list of specific words that we use here everyday in hopes that it will help you understand what you read. This was the first draft. I apologize to you guys that edited and returned copies a few months ago. I dropped the ball and never put everything together. I had a hard time getting the word doc to work here. sorry.

Please PM me words you would like added, or corrections and I will edit as many times as possible to get it close to a usable tool.

ABV . Alcohol Percentage by volume. Not to be confused with Proof. Proof is one half.

Activated carbon. Used to filter a neutral wash to remove off flavors and impurities.

AG . All grain. Such as an All Grain wash or ferment.(no sugar)

Aging. Time spent for the spirits to mellow.

Airing . Leaving your distillate jars open for higher alcohols (heads) to escape. Some distillers, including commercial distillers use airing stones and
pump air through the distillate to speed the process.

Back Set. What is left in your still after distillation. Referred to As ”Dunder” when Rum has been distilled

Barm The yeast bed left in the fomenter.

Blending, The art of putting together the different collection cuts to achieve the best final product as possible.


Birdwatchers: A sugar wash recipe for creating neutral spirits. (Vodka)


Boka A type of still

Conversion: Enzyme conversion of starches to fermentable sugars. Malted Barley is the most common malted grain used.


Cuts Collection in small containers to identify the changes from Heads, Hearts and Tails before blending.


DRY Ferment that has completed and has no sugar taste.

Dunder What is left in the still after distillation of Rum. (Also the really smart guy here)

DWWG Death Wish wheat germ. Wash Recipe

Fients Heads and Tails not included in your final blend and usually added to the next distilling run


Flute Scaled down commercial type plated still.

Ferment on the Grain. as opposed to sparging. (removing liquid from converted grain starches prior to fermentation)



Graham A type of condenser

Grain bill Types and ratios of grains used in a whiskey Recipe.


Heads The undesirable higher alcohols to come off the
still first
Hearts The desirable middle alcohols from your run.

Hydrometer ABV Meter used for distilled spirits or or SG
Meter used in wash to determine sugar level.

Lees What is left in your fermenter after the liquid is
siphoned into still. Typically would contain spent
nutrients and barm. (yeast)

Liebig A type of condenser.

Lyne arm The horizontal arm on a pot still.


Mashing The art of cooking grain and converting
starches to fermentable sugars.

Mash Grain that has been converted and ready to be
fermented.

Neutral Clear flavorless alcohol. (vodka)

Oaking Aging your liquor in oak barrels, chunks or oak
chips.

Parrot A device that holds an ABV meter allowing
alcohol strength to be monitored during
distillation collection.

Pitch Adding yeast to fermenter.

Reflux Referring to a still type or action. Reflux stills re-
distil alcohol many times before take off.

Sugar head Grain ferment that sugar has been added to
achieve a higher alcohol potential.

Sparg Removing fermentable liquid from grain after
starch conversion.

SG Specific gravity. SG meters are used to measure
sugar content in a wash to determine potential
alcohol

Shot gun A type of condenser

Tails Lower alcohols and congeners that are present
at the end of a distilling run.

UJSSM Uncle Jesse Simple Sour Mash. Recipe. (aka the Man)

Wash Your fermenting mixture.

Wort see above
madmace
Novice
Posts: 58
Joined: Wed May 09, 2012 1:00 pm

Re: glossary

Post by madmace »

I always knew of backwash is what you do to clean a pool sand filter out until I got here. Like they said here before.
The best thing you can do for yourself is Read,Read,Read, This site is overflowing with knowledge.good luck on your endevors
rad14701
retired
Posts: 20865
Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:46 pm
Location: New York, USA

Re: glossary

Post by rad14701 »

madmace wrote:I always knew of backwash is what you do to clean a pool sand filter out until I got here. Like they said here before.
The best thing you can do for yourself is Read,Read,Read, This site is overflowing with knowledge.good luck on your endevors
I always considered that backflushing... :think:
Post Reply