To prevent ordinary people from understanding any process it has to be made "mysterious" and the easiest way to do this is to invent a new language.
The more training involved in a practice results in a much more complicated language and by using the language ordinary tradesmen are elevated above their peers. A simple example is the trade ("profession"?) of being a doctor where even the most simple of human ailments and injuries are given different names.
What to the ordinary person is a "bruise" becomes a "contusion" for a doctor and the simple transition of words allows them to act in a superior manner to the people who don't know what they are talking about.
However, there is another side of the coin and that is when doctors are talking to doctors. By using the terms agreed within their trade it is possible for them to talk in a form of shorthand with little or no chance of error; and that is why we try and use the correct terminology in brewing.
So:
"The process of steeping malted grains in hot water to remove the sugars produced by malting." becomes "Mashing."
"The liquid that I remove as a result of steeping malted grains in hot water to remove the sugars produced by malting." becomes "Wort."
"The frothy stuff that appears on the top of a fermenting brew." becomes known as a "Krausen."
Every activity has its own private (and to the outsider "secret") language.
Does anyone know what the following are without looking them up? :nono:
"Fid"
"Monkey's Face" or "Monkey Plate"
I've got to go outside and make sure that the bubbly thing on top of the plastic thingies lid is still going "glub-glub". (Oops! Sorry, I think "glub-glub" is a technical term of my own invention!) :thumb:
What it means is ............. :lol: :lol:
