Marty Nachel

When you’re brewing your own beer at home, get to know the abbreviated versions of homebrewing terms to help read your recipes and directions, keep a basic measurement conversion chart handy, and check out the hierarchy of beers chart so you know what category and type of beer you want to homebrew and possibly enter into competition.

Quality beer is widely available and relatively inexpensive, but choosing among all the various styles can be a little confusing without some help. A little beer knowledge can turn a daunting experience into an enjoyable one.Start with a list of handy beer descriptors, along with some great beer styles and brands to try.

Canada’s brewing roots are just about as old and well established as those in the United States. Actually, much of Canada’s history is intertwined with American history because the Great White North was discovered, pioneered, and settled by many of the same people at the same time. It stands to reason that Canadian brewing history follows a similar timeline as well.

Fermentation problems occur frequently to homebrewers, and a common one is that the would-be beer just never started fermenting. Before you pour your homebrew down the sink, make sure the process actually hasn't started — judging fermentation by the bubbles (or lack thereof) coming out of the airlock can sometimes be deceiving.

Of the four main ingredients used in homebrewing beer (barley, hops, yeast, and water), barley makes the biggest contribution. Barley gives beer its color, underlying flavor, sweetness, body, head of foam, and mouthfeel. Barley also contributes the natural sugars that feed the yeast, which in turn converts the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide during fermentation.

If you're interested in homebrewing, you're understandably concerned with how much time it takes to brew beer at home. In addition to the hands-on activities such as cooking and bottling, you also face a great deal of waiting around. Making beer at home requires patience.The hands-on part of the homebrewing process involves the Actual cooking of the wort (unfermented beer; rhymes with dirt) on the stovetop Fermentation (conversion of sugars to alcohol and CO2 by yeast) Aging (maturation) processes Bottling of the beer What most homebrewing beginners aren't aware of is the hands-off part of brewing — the stage when the brewer does nothing but wait patiently.

The following list has been compiled by the Beer Judge Certification Program and is used by the American Homebrewers Association for competitive purposes. This hierarchical list presents an overview of all the world's beer styles (along with Cider and Mead). All beers are categorized as Ale, Lager or Mixed Style; under each of these headings are listed all of the major beer styles (in capital letters) and their sub-styles.

In case you need the metric equivalents of basic measurements, keep this simple conversions guide close by when you’re brewing your own beer at home: Liquid Conversions Mass Conversions 1 teaspoon (tsp.) = 5 milliliters 1 ounce (oz.) = 28 grams 1 tablespoon (Tbsp.) = 15 milliliters 1 pound (lb.) = 0.45 kilogram 1 ounce (oz.