Brewspeak Lexicon: W

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | UV | W | XYZ

water

The liquid part of beer that isn't alcohol. You really had to look this up?

wheat beer

Also referred to as "whitbier" or "weissbier", refers to a top-fermented (ale-style) beer made primarily from wheat. "Whit" and "weiss" don't mean "wheat", by the way...they're Dutch and German respectively for "white", reflecting the pale color of the typical wheat malt. While wheat beers are made in ale style, a great many lagers use wheat, or wheat malts, to contribute to flavor.

whirlpool

A type of tank that uses centrifugal force as an aid to precipitate trub and hop sediment from the wort prior to boiling. Replaces the hop jack in most modern brewing.

wort

Filtered liquid created from the mash of barley, hops and water, to which yeast will be added. It has a sweet taste from the naturally-occurring sugars needed by the yeast for fermentation, and a disgusting name to stop you from skimming off too many spoonfuls before it gets a chance to become beer.