Glossary

Explanation

When discussing lambic, it is important to remember that there are two primary languages used within the Belgian lambic community: Belgian Dutch (sometimes referred to as Flemmish) and Belgian French. Throughout the Lambic.Info project, we have chosen to use specific Belgian Dutch and Belgian French terms where appropriate for brewers, beer names, equipment, etc. This may cause some confusion to the general reader. This glossary of terms seeks to inform the reader of common non-English and English terms used throughout the site. There may also be some technical terms that are defined below. This page will continue to expand as the site expands. Links are provided to any relevant sections or articles when available.

Sections

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

Acetic acid: Low molecular weight acid with a sharp, vinegar taste
Acetobacter: Gram-negative bacteria that produce large amounts of acetic acid
Aerobic: Requiring or occuring in the presence of oxygen
Anaerobic: Not requiring oxygen or occurring in the absence of oxygen

B

Bière: French for beer
Blåbær: Danish for bilberry
Blanc/Blanche: French for white
Brasserie: French for brewery
Brettanomyces: "British fungus", a yeast responsible for many of the characteristics in Lambic
Brouwerij: Dutch for brewery
Brussel: Dutch for Brussels, the capital of Belgium
Bruxelles: French for Brussels, the capital of Belgium

C

Cassis: French for blackcurrant (and pothole)
Coolship: Anglicized version of koelschip, a piece of equipment used in spontaneous fermentation

D

Dextrins: Polysaccharide sugars that are unfermentable by saccromyces, but can be consumed by brettanomyces
Diacetyl: A simple organic compound with an intense buttery flavor and odor
Doesjel: Belgian Dutch slang similar to loerik (see below) closely approximating to snoozer or lazy. Used when a geuze does not referment in the bottle.
Doux: French for sweet
Druiven: Dutch for grapes

E

Enterobacteriaceae: A family of gram-negative bacteria, which includes a broad array of organisms. The enterobacteria are among the first to colonize Lambic during fermentation
Ester: A chemical compound formed by the linking of an alcohol with an organic acid
Ethanol: Simple, two carbon alcohol. Responsible for the intoxicating effects of alcoholic beverages. Often simply called "alcohol"
Ethyl alcohol: See Ethanol
Ethyl acetate: An ester of ethyl alcohol and acetic acid. Has an odor of green apples
Ethyl lactate: An ester of ethyl alcohol and lactic acid. Has a fruity odor, slightly like coconut

F

Foudre: A large wooden vat, popular in France's Rhône Valley, randing from 3,000 to 20,000 liters
Fraise: French for strawberry
Framboise: French for raspberry
Frambozen: Dutch for raspberries

G

Geuze: A type of blended lambic comprising of young and old lambics; Dutch spelling.
Geuzesteker: A blender of lambics
Geuzestekerij: A place where lambic is blended but not brewed
Glucose: A simple monosaccharide sugar. Can be metabolized by most yeast and bacteria
Gueuze:A type of blended lambic comprising of young and old lambics; French spelling.
Gueuzerie: A relatively new French word loosely meaning "place where gueuze is blended"

H

Hard: An adjective describing Lambic that has an excessive acetic acid content

I

Isoamyl alcohol: A low molecular weight alcohol found in moderate concentrations in Lambic. It has a whiskey-like odor
Isobutanol: A low molecular weight alcohol found in moderate concentrations in Lambic. It has a sweet, musty odor

J

Jeune: French for young
Jonge: Dutch for young

K

Kloeckera: A type of yeast that colonizes lambic early in the fermentation. Often produces buttery odors
Koelschip: A piece of equipment used in spontaneous fermentation
Kriek: A type of sour Morello cherry used for fruiting lambic

L

Lactic acid: A low molecular-weight organic acid with a sharp, tart flavor. Found in many foods, including yogurt, sourdough bread, and Lambic
Lactobacillaceae: Gram-positive bacteria that can produce copious amounts of lactic acid. See Lactic acid
Lambiek: Belgian Dutch for lambic
Loerik: Slang Belgian Dutch adjective approximately relating to lazy in English. Used when a geuze does not referment in the bottle

M

Mûre: French for blackberry

N

O

Oude: Dutch adjective for old

P

Pajottenland: Sometimes written in English as Payottenland, this extremely fertile agricultural region of Belgium is situated in a valley to the south-west of Brussels between the rivers Senne and Dendre and is cradle of lambic production.
Pêche: French for peach
Pediococcus: A genus of gram-positive lactic acid bacteria. Can produce diacetyl in both Lambic and other foodstuffs, such as Chardonnay
pH: The negative logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration. A measure of acidity, where lower is more acidic
Pipe: A large wooden barre generally 550-650 liters in capacity; most often associated with the Port wine industry
Pomme: French for apple

Q

R

Refermentation: A secondary fermentation that occurs in a lambic after bottling to produce carbonation
Ropy: An adjective describing the texture Lambic takes on after excessive lactic acid bacteria activity in the wort

S

Saccromyces: A genera of yeast responsible for many purposes in food production. Consumes simple sugars and produces carbon dioxide and ethanol, among other compounds
Senne The French term for the Zenne valley and river.
Stoemper: A small rod with a flattened end used to crush sugar cubes into a glass of lambic in order to sweeten it.

T

U

V

Vieille: French feminine singular adjective for old
Vieux: French masculine singular and plural adjective for old
Vlaams-Brabant: Belgian Dutch for Flemish Brabant, the provincial region that encompasses the Pajottenland