Wasting hops

I came across an IPA recipe this morning that called for 13 oz of hops. Now granted it was an imperial but that still seemed like a lot of hops. It was a recipe off a kit that a store was selling so maybe they were just trying to make money on hops. It was for five gallons. I could make a boatload of beer with that much hops. Even my imperial uses less than half of that. What am I missing here?

You won’t know unless you try it. It’s entirely possible that’s what makes it fantastic.

Our host’s 115th dream hopbursted uses a freaking pound of hops. Seemed excessive at the time, but it was a tasty beer.

I’m sure it’s tasty but it seems that you reach a point of diminishing return. I used to cook in restaurants and that sounds like a kitchen sink recipe. Adding things that don’t add anything isn’t a good recipe. We learned to add the right thing at the right time, it’s kind of the same thing no?

Until you brew it, all you can do is guess.

I guess…

The Pliny The Elder clone that I made included a total of 15 oz of hops. It was outstanding!

I’m sure it was. But that’s what I mean. Your recipe actually uses more hops than the original recipe.

I just did an IIPA with nine ounces in three gallons (equivalent of 15 in five gallons) and it came out awesome.

I only use 7oz in my double IPA.

Try it, and let us know. I suspect you may be right. Really, how many hops can you throw at a beer? Obviously a lot, but there’s a lot, then a huge amount. Take the 5 gallon recipe, cut it in half. Do one half with the recommended amount of hops, and one with 25% less. Let us know how it turns out.

I don’t think it’s wasting and just because there is a boat load of hops doesn’t mean that things are not added for a reason. Can you make a great double ipa with 7 oz of hops? yeah sure. can you make a great one with 15 oz? yup. While adding 15oz of hops may cost more and you might not get as much out of each oz , if your making the beer better then it’s not a waste. For what it’s worth I have used 8 oz on a pale ale but most get about 5.

I’ve brewed a boatload of IPAs this past year and my best one so far had 13.5 ozs of hops in it. I wouldn’t hesitate to brew that recipe over and over.

That sounds like a good experiment. I don’t really like my IPAs that big. Actually the beer I brew as a double I used to call just an IPA but my recipe generator kept saying it didn’t match the guidelines for an IPA but IIPA was a match. It’s 8% ABV 75 IBU and the BU/GU is 1.08

It’s ALL relative. I have a great pale ale I make with 3.5oz of hops and another with 6oz, and then I make a double pale ale with only 3oz! I have a great IPA with 5oz and another with 11oz! I think it comes down to the hop flavor and Alpha acids…how much bitterness and flavor. Do some reading and figure what will work.
Hops are expensive these days! I don’t really think of it, but the wife points it out. I just bought all the hops I should need for all my spring and summer beers and it was close to $100. Ugh.

I’ve made some recipes that called for a low Alfa hops and switched to a higher alpha hops to save on hops. I also started buying hops in bulk which save a significant amount of money.