Beer Forum

I am preparing a BJCP exam study class and was up on the BJCP site looking at the materials up there to prepare
I came across the following statement in the Mastering the BJCP Exam study guide:

c. Krauesening is the addition of a portion of actively fermenting wort to a wort that has finished fermenting. It is used chiefly as a means of providing "natural" carbonation. It also reduces residual diacetyl and may contribute acetaldehyde ("green" beer character) in the finished beer.

This seems to go against what the Pope tells us (and what I seen to remember reading elsewhere, but can't find the sources) that as soon as you pitch yeast into the wort, it can no longer be called wort but is beer instead.

I posted this observation on the BJCP site, and a couple of very highly regarded, well known judges disagreed.

So, am I on crack? Or are they wrong and the Pope is right?

I don't know if it is necessary to call it beer upon pitching the yeast but I would think that it should be called beer once fermentation is complete. Beer can be still, thus carbonation does not define it as beer. But I do think that it is important that all fermentables have been converted before it is called beer.

Anyway, that's my two cents!


Dictionary says...
Pronunciation: \ˈbir\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English ber, from Old English bēor; akin to Old High German bior beer
Date: before 12th century
1 : an alcoholic beverage usually made from malted cereal grain (as barley), flavored with hops, and brewed by slow fermentation
2 : a carbonated nonalcoholic or a fermented slightly alcoholic beverage with flavoring from roots or other plant parts <birch beer>
3 : fermented mash

IMHO, wort becomes beer as soon as it has ANY detectable amount of alcohol in it. For example, as soon as original gravity has dropped by just one point, it's beer. Or if you see a krausen on top, then fermentation has begun and it's in process of becoming a fully developed beer. There is some gray area here, but if you had to draw the line, I'd say it's as soon as it comes down by one gravity point. My humble opinion. In reality, the yeasties don't care so why should we.

Regardless of what anyone says, when writing you BJCP exam go by whatever definition the graders are going to be looking for. Once you pass the exam you can call it anything you want.

Wayne