Cicerone Beer Server flashcards

33 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Ale

A beer fermented with top-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae at warm temperatures, typically 60–75°F (15–24°C), producing fruity esters and a relatively fast, warm fermentation.

Lager

Beer made with bottom-fermenting yeast at cool temperatures, around 45–55°F (7–13°C), then cold-conditioned, giving a clean, crisp profile with low ester levels.

IBU

International Bitterness Units: a measure of isomerized hop alpha acids in beer. Higher numbers mean more measured bitterness, typically ranging from about 8 to over 100.

SRM

Standard Reference Method, the scale used to describe beer color. Pale straw lagers sit near 2–4 SRM, amber ales around 12–15, and black stouts at 35–40 or more.

Ester

An aroma compound formed by yeast during fermentation, perceived as fruity notes such as banana, apple, pear, or pineapple. Most prominent in warm-fermented ales and German wheat beers.

Phenol

A yeast- or smoke-derived aroma compound giving spicy, clove, peppery, or medicinal notes. Clove-like 4-vinyl guaiacol is characteristic of German wheat beers and some Belgian ales.

Noble hops

The four traditional low-alpha European hop varieties - Hallertau, Tettnang, Spalt, and Saaz - valued for delicate floral, herbal, and spicy aroma rather than strong bitterness.

Dry hopping

Adding hops after the main fermentation, usually in the fermenter or bright tank, so that hop oils add aroma and flavor without extracting additional bitterness.

Hefeweizen

A German unfiltered wheat ale, usually 4.5–5.5% ABV, hazy pale gold, with low bitterness and signature banana and clove character from its yeast.

Pilsner

A pale golden bottom-fermented lager originating in Plzen, Czech Republic; typically 4–5% ABV and 30–40 IBU, with clean malt and spicy noble hop character.

American IPA

A hop-forward pale ale, usually 5.5–7.5% ABV and 40–70 IBU, showing citrus, pine, or resinous hop aroma over a supportive pale malt base.

Stout

A dark ale brewed with roasted barley or black malt, typically 4–7% ABV, showing coffee, chocolate, and roast flavors; Irish dry stout finishes dry with low residual sweetness.

ABV

Alcohol by volume, the percentage of ethanol in finished beer. It is estimated from original and final gravity using the factor (OG minus FG) multiplied by about 131.

Beer-clean glassware

A glass free of grease, lipstick, detergent residue, and dust. Such residue destroys foam and leaves bubbles clinging to the inside wall of the glass.

Ideal head size

Roughly 1 to 1.5 inches (2.5–4 cm) of foam for most ales and lagers, equal to about 5% of the glass volume, forming a stable cap that holds aroma.

Draft pour technique

Hold the glass at 45 degrees, open the tap fully in a single motion, let beer run down the tilted side, then straighten the glass upright to build the head.

Serving temperature: pale lager

Light lagers are served at 38–45°F (3–7°C). Colder temperatures mute aroma but suit crisp, light-bodied styles where refreshment matters more than aromatic complexity.

Serving temperature: ales

Most ales show best at 45–50°F (7–10°C), while strong ales, barleywines, stouts, and cask ales are often served warmer at 50–55°F (10–13°C).

Draft CO2 pressure

About 12–14 psi at 38°F balances roughly 2.5 volumes of CO2 for typical ales. Too much pressure creates foam; too little leaves the beer flat.

Beer line cleaning interval

Draft lines should be cleaned and rinsed at least every two weeks. Biofilm buildup in unclean lines causes off-flavors, foam problems, and shortened keg life.

Half-barrel capacity

A standard 1/2 barrel keg holds 15.5 US gallons, about 1984 ounces, which works out to roughly 124 pours at 16 ounces each.

Bottle pouring

Pour down the tilted glass wall in one steady motion. For bottle-conditioned beer, stop before the yeast sediment and leave the last ounce in the bottle.

Cask ale service

Cask ale is dispensed at 50–55°F (10–13°C) with only 1.0–1.5 volumes of CO2, by gravity or hand pump, and is never pushed with external gas pressure.

Lightstruck (skunky) flavor

Caused when UV light breaks hop iso-alpha acids into 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol. Brown glass blocks most UV; green and clear glass block little, so those bottles skunk faster.

Oxidation staling

Oxygen pickup creates wet cardboard, papery, or sherry notes, often from trans-2-nonenal. It is minimized by low headspace, purged lines, and sealed kegs under gas.

Storage temperature

Store beer at 45–55°F (7–13°C) or cooler and avoid temperature cycling. Heat accelerates staling reactions, and each 10°F rise roughly doubles their speed.

FIFO rotation

First In, First Out: stock is rotated so the oldest packaged beer is sold and served before newer deliveries, keeping product inside its freshness window.

Keg shelf life after tapping

A tapped keg holds best quality for about 30–60 days when kept cold and under correct gas pressure; quality declines steadily after that window.

FOB device

Foam-on-beer valve fitted at the keg coupler. It stops foam and beer from being pushed back into the gas line when a keg empties.

Cold chain

Keeping beer cold from brewery to tap. Warm lines and warm kegs let CO2 break out as foam and accelerate staling and loss of hop aroma.

Bottle-conditioned storage

Store and serve bottle-conditioned beer upright and handle it gently so the yeast sediment stays settled, preventing cloudy, excessively yeasty pours.

Green or clear glass risk

Green and clear bottles filter very little UV light, so they skunk far faster than brown glass. Keep them out of sunlight and bright display lighting.

Off-flavor rejection rule

Beer showing detectable skunky, wet cardboard, buttery diacetyl, or sour notes is rotated out or rejected rather than served, because these faults do not improve in the glass.