Doesn't Taste Like 50 IBUs

Northern Brewer General
1

Just sample a Pale Wheat Ale yesterday after two weeks in bottles.

With our hop additions, the calculator says this one is 51 IBUs…but it certainly doesn’t taste like it.

It’s a very easy going beer…a nice wheat ale all things considered…but certainly not the bitterness we were going for.

Any thoughts as to why?

2

your utilization is probably lower than the calculator anticipated.

Unfortunately unless you have high tech equipment you’ll never know the true IBU in your beer. Often times the calculated value of IBU’s is WAY off of the true IBU. The programs you use are just a good reference point - after that you’ll have to experiment until you get what you want. Next time you might want to anticipate the lower perceived IBU’s, and aim a little higher.

3

Yeah…we were thinking about doubling the 60 minute addition next time, or maybe doing a dry hop.

4

doubling might be a little too much. I’d maybe shoot for 60 or 65 next time. Otherwise you might end up with a white IPA, which may or may not be a bad thing… Although it’s up to you of course

A dry hop won’t add any bitterness, just aroma.

While studying overseas i got the opportunity to analyze some of my homebrews for IBU. I made a Stout and aimed for 30 IBU - but actually ended up with around 18 IBU

5

A Wheat IPA was the original goal…but gravity came in too low to be considered an IPA.

So hitting the IPA range would have been great!

6

[quote=“stompwampa”]A Wheat IPA was the original goal…but gravity came in too low to be considered an IPA.

So hitting the IPA range would have been great![/quote]

ahh, i see. Well in that case - (depending on your taste) go crazy with the hops next time :cheers:

maybe aim for 70-80 IBU

7

There is a great passage in Stan Hieronymus’ book Hops that deals with this very topic. The things I can recall from memory (the book is at home):

  • The IBU formula sucks for lots of reasons, including variances in utilization, isomerization, actual alpha acid content, oxidation of hops, and use of pellets vs. leaf hops vs. isomerized resin.
  • IBU’s give you a window into the potential bitterness if all of the above go as planned, but things like BU:GU (Bitterness units:Gravity units ratio from Designing Great Beers) will help adjust your expectations. IBU’s reflect a sensory perception and that perception is altered by items dissolved in the beer such as sugars, alcohol, high alcohols, and so on.
  • Yeast plays a not insignificant role in how the isomerized alpha acids stay in solution. IIRC, ester production can also influence perception of bitterness.
  • Apparent attenuation influences perception through the amount of various malt sugars left in solution at the end of fermentation.
  • Volumes of CO2 can also influence bitterness perception in the mouth.

Cheers.

8

[quote=“stompwampa”]Just sample a Pale Wheat Ale yesterday after two weeks in bottles.

With our hop additions, the calculator says this one is 51 IBUs…but it certainly doesn’t taste like it.

It’s a very easy going beer…a nice wheat ale all things considered…but certainly not the bitterness we were going for.

Any thoughts as to why?[/quote]

because the bitterness scale is a load of crap

9

What kind of hops did you use for bittering? I find some more aggressive varieties (Chinook, Warrior, CTZ) fall in line with what I expect from number of IBU’s where others taste like much less (Magnum, Belma). For Belma, it’s has a very smooth bitterness compared to most hops.

10

The hopping schedule was as follows, for 10 gallons:

2oz Centennial, 60min
2oz Cascade, 10min
2oz Willamette, 10min

11

[quote=“stompwampa”]The hopping schedule was as follows, for 10 gallons:

2oz Centennial, 60min
2oz Cascade, 10min
2oz Willamette, 10min[/quote]

IBU scale is a joke, its a very loosly based “guide”. Way to many factors come into play.

Just by quantity For a 10g batch that’s very little hops. 6 ounces is a mild/moderate hop for a 5g batch. Depending on AA’s, cohumulone etc…

Are you sure you adjsuted your AA’s?

12

That’s possible…it was several weeks ago that I put the recipe together.

Typicaly, I just double the hop amounts from 5g to 10g - are you saying that 10g would require more hops than simply doubling the 5g batch amounts?

13

[quote=“stompwampa”]That’s possible…it was several weeks ago that I put the recipe together.

Typicaly, I just double the hop amounts from 5g to 10g - are you saying that 10g would require more hops than simply doubling the 5g batch amounts?[/quote]

I don’t know what your going for as far as bitterness and aroma but 3oz of hops for a 5g batch, or 6 oz for a 10g is not going to be a very hoppy beer at all, no matter what hop is used depending on intervals used and what your going for
AA’s can be quite spread out and defaults on programs need to always be adjusted.

You used centenial as bittering I have seen that AA from probably 7.5 or 8% to 12% on centenial, plus age will drop that down a little.

14

A big IPA could use a pound of hops or even more at 10 gallons for those hops you selected. Now if you go with more extreme alpha hops, it might take 6 ozs, but even then, I am I guessing it would be short for 10 gallons and then you could us Centennial and the like in the aroma section (knockout, whirlpool, hop stand, or dry hop).

15

for what I think your going for…those 6 oz used across the whole recipe, could just be a 5 min and flameout addition. Not to mention bittering, dry hop, or hop stand additions

16

[quote=“stompwampa”]The hopping schedule was as follows, for 10 gallons:

2oz Centennial, 60min
2oz Cascade, 10min
2oz Willamette, 10min[/quote]

What was your target OG and real OG? Apparent attenuation?

17

You’ve made most of your hop additions at 10 mins which give you flavor/aroma and little bitterness.

Upping the bittering charge at 60 mins. may help.

18

[quote=“PupThePup”]You’ve made most of your hop additions at 10 mins which give you flavor/aroma and little bitterness.

Upping the bittering charge at 60 mins. may help.[/quote]

… which would up the calculated IBU. A 2oz charge @ 60 in a 1.060 10G batch should calculate out as 45-46 IBU.

19

Are you using Tinseth? It is more accurate than Rager. Rager lies.

Might also be a salt thing. Did you use hard water or add any gypsum? A teaspoon or two of gypsum can help get your bitterness up where you expect it to be for IPA.

20

[quote=“PupThePup”]You’ve made most of your hop additions at 10 mins which give you flavor/aroma and little bitterness.

Upping the bittering charge at 60 mins. may help.[/quote]
2 oz of Centennial at 60 should be more than enough for 50 IBUs. A THA clone I made awhile back had 1 oz of 11% AA Cent at 60 and 1 oz @ 20 for 60 IBU.