CFPS Brewing Ingredients and Process 3

Question 1

What is the purpose of a 'whirlpool' after the boil?

Accepted Answer

Creating a vortex that concentrates trub and hop matter into a cone at the center so clear wort can be drawn off the side

Answer

The whirlpool uses centrifugal force to concentrate solid particles into a compact cone in the center of the kettle floor, allowing brewer to drain clarified wort from the side without picking up trub.

Question 2

Adjuncts like corn (maize) and rice are used in American lagers primarily to:

Accepted Answer

Produce a lighter-bodied, crisp beer and reduce production costs

Answer

Corn and rice are starchy adjuncts that dilute the malt protein and beta-glucan content, producing a lighter body, cleaner flavor, and lower cost compared to all-malt formulations.

Question 3

What is the Lovibond (°L) scale used to measure?

Accepted Answer

The color of malts and beer using a standardized light comparison method

Answer

The Lovibond scale measures the color of grain and beer by comparing a sample against colored glass discs, with lower numbers indicating lighter colors and higher numbers indicating darker roasted malts.

Question 4

What is 'autolysis' and how does it affect beer flavor?

Accepted Answer

The self-digestion of dead yeast cells releasing meaty, sulfury, or rubbery off-flavors

Answer

When yeast cells die and lyse, their cellular contents spill into the beer, producing sulfury, meaty, or rubbery compounds — a major reason why beers should be removed from yeast sediment in time.

Question 5

What does 'original gravity' (OG) measure?

Accepted Answer

The density of wort before fermentation, indicating the amount of dissolved fermentable sugars

Answer

Original gravity (measured with a hydrometer or refractometer before pitching yeast) reflects the sugar density of unfermented wort, which predicts the potential alcohol content and body of the finished beer.

CFPS - Certified Cicerone Practice Test

CFPS - Certified Cicerone Practice Test

CFPS Brewing Ingredients and Process 3