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Culms The rootlets of germinated barley that are collected after kilning and sold as animal feed.

Curing The higher temperature phases of kilning when flavor and color are introduced into malt.

Cylindroconical vessels (CCVs) Tall fermentation vessels with a mostly cylindrical body but a conelike base in which the yeast collects after fermentation. Darcy's law-based equation explains the rate at which liquid flows, e.g., in a lauter tun or a beer filter.

Decoction mashing Practice, originating in mainland Europe, in which a mash is progressively increased in temperature by taking a proportion of it out of the mix and boiling it prior to adding it back into the whole.

Descriptive tests Beer-tasting protocols in which trained tasters describe the taste and aroma of beer according to a series of defined terms.

Dextrins Partial breakdown products of starch that consist of several glucose units and are not fermentable by yeast.

Diacetyl A substance with an intense aroma of butterscotch that is produced by yeast during fermentation but is subsequently mopped up again by the yeast.

Diatomaceous earth The skeletal remains of microscopic organisms used in powder filtration of beer (also known as kieselguhr).

Difference tests Blind tasting procedures in which tasters (including the untrained) are asked to differentiate samples of beer.

Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) Compound that imparts a significant flavor to many lager-style beers.

Dirty wort Wort that contains a high level of trub solids and is therefore turbid.

Disproportionation The passage of gas in beer foam from small bubbles to larger bubbles, leading to a disappearance of the former and increase in size of the latter.