Hop additions

When making a recipe how do you figure hop additions? I know the hops I’d like to use and the ibu I’m after but struggling to figure out timing. Do late additions not add to the ibu’s?

It all depends. Late additions add very little IBUs, but they definitely add bitterness when used in a whirlpool. You can actually get significantly high IBUs from whirlpool hops.

The easiest thing to do is plug your hop additions into brewing software. I personally use Beersmith 2. It will calculate the IBUs from each hop addition and allow you to tune the overall bitterness with the timing of the additions.

Can you share the recipe / style and your initial thoughts on how to approach it?

Aside: I’m interested in this topic as well - I’m just not sure what questions to ask to ‘unlock’ the knowledge of the forum. Maybe a more specific question will get the topic rolling…

Pale 2 row 9lbs
Vienna 1 lb
Carmel malt 10l 1 lb
Carapils .5 lb
Then I want to use Columbus and citra hops to get an ibu of 70 with good aroma that’s kinda dank.

Where you thinking of using Columbus for bittering & flavor with Citra for aroma? Using a ‘common’ timing for hops (flavor @ 15, aroma @ 5)? Dry hop? whirlpool? FWH?

I haven’t tried searching the forum history for ideas, but there have been a couple of recent threads that I’ve been following. When to add flavoring hops? has ideas that may help (you probably have seen it has well, but the link is also for future readers / searchers). @flars had a ‘new to me’ approach for hops here, @sneezles61 and @jimrmaine also had good observations.

I use the Brewer’s Friend IBU calculator. I think you are on the right track with using a fair charge of Columbus for bittering for that dankness, and citra in big amounts for flavor and aroma late. Play with the calculator to get to the desired IBU of 70…

If hops are added for the 60 minute boil it gets the ibus up pretty quick, but does that not add much for flavor? Was thinking about doing Columbus at 30 minutes then a combo of Columbus and citra at 15 and 10 and flame out. Then dry hop with both. I want some of the Columbus aroma but not over powering.

60 or 30 you’ll get fewer IBU’s with hopping later in the boil for your bittering charge(you’ll use more hops that way for the same bittering)…Later additions(flavor and aroma) are really going to have a lesser effect on IBUs. It’s fine to use Columbus also for aroma/ dry hopping. Some of the IPAs commercially have some complicated hopping schedules!

The first hops are used to BALANCE out the sweet wort, then 5 minutes or less, will give flavor and some aroma. Now I use a couple of ounces AFTER the flame is out and cooled to about 150 and they will sit with the lid on and chilling stopped for 20-30 minutes. I feel that I get the best flavor along with aroma with this schedule. Sometimes I have peeps that like a lot of aroma, so will throw a spice/tea ball into the keg with one of the C hops…. I haven’t done a randlizer yet, but have had some done at a brew fest and thought it was great! Sneezles61

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