Glossary
Tannin
Polyphenolic compounds from grain husks and hops that produce a drying, tea-like grip, and which bind with protein to form haze.
Also called polyphenol, polyphenols.
A small amount contributes to a beer’s structure and is not a fault. Excessive extraction — from sparging too hot, too alkaline or too far — produces astringency, and tannin-protein complexes are the main cause of chill haze.
Related
- Astringency — What excessive tannin produces.
- Chill haze — The haze tannins form with protein.
- Sparging — The step where over-extraction happens.
More vocabulary
Adjunct · Aroma hop · Base malt · Bittering hop · Black malt · Brettanomyces · Candi sugar · Chocolate malt · Crystal malt · Dextrin
See every term on the glossary index.
Last reviewed 2026-08-16.