[flbrewer]

I'm looking to throttle back my most recent APA (50 IBU's) back down to 35-40. Previously the bittering hops were accounting for 30 IBU's (60 minute addition).

How different would a beer taste at 40 IBU's if you got the majority of the IBU's from a bittering hop at 60 minutes versus a smaller portion of bittering at 60 and the majority of IBU's from later additions still adding up to the 40 IBU's?

[mharding73]

I just completed a pale ale at 40 IBU.  20 from FWH.  20 from late addition.   Very smooth.   Lots of flavor and aroma.   

[quattlebaum]

Lots of variables such as boil PH, water, Type of hop, grain bill but simple put i think it would just be less bitter. I have done the same and personally couldnt tell a difference until 10 to 15 ibus less. Would love to know your process and recipe.

[morticaixavier]

I think you should do a double brew day and find out for yourself. you don't even have to do a double mash, just split the wort into two boils.

[flbrewer]

Cmon, save me an hour good friend!

[morticaixavier]

the big difference you are likely to notice is that by pushing a significant amount of hops to later in the boil more flavor should survive into the finished beer. remember to get 10 IBU at 20 minutes takes significantly more total hops than to get 10 IBU at 60 minutes.

[flbrewer]

Shifting the thread slightly...what are your thoughts on the percentage of IBU's used by bittering hops?

Hopefully I am wording this correctly, but if I have a recipe with 50 IBU's, is there a general rule of thumb around how many IBU's (either by percentage or IBU's in my example) should come from the bittering hop?

Cost aside, I'm more concerned with the final outcome.

[jeffy]

Shifting the thread slightly...what are your thoughts on the percentage of IBU's used by bittering hops?

Hopefully I am wording this correctly, but if I have a recipe with 50 IBU's, is there a general rule of thumb around how many IBU's (either by percentage or IBU's in my example) should come from the bittering hop?

Cost aside, I'm more concerned with the final outcome.

I will say, no, there's no general rule.  I used to figure about half the BU's at 60 minutes or first wort, but lately I've made some very nice IPA's with all of the hops in the last 15 or 20 minutes.  Of course you use a lot more, but the beer turns out great.  It depends more on how much hop flavor you want as opposed to hop bitterness.

[HoosierBrew]

+1. Totally depends on what you're after.  Different bitterness and flavor levels in different beer styles. And even within one style like IPA, where I like appropriate but not excessive bitterness but tons of hop flavor.  Like Jeffy said, a hop bursted IPA (all late hops) can be great without a 60 addition. Lately I've been doing APA and IPA with only a 60 minute addition and everything else in the whirlpool, then dry hopped. You'll just have to experiment to see what you like best.

[Wort-H.O.G.]

+1. Totally depends on what you're after.  Different bitterness and flavor levels in different beer styles. And even within one style like IPA, where I like appropriate but not excessive bitterness but tons of hop flavor.  Like Jeffy said, a hop bursted IPA (all late hops) can be great without a 60 addition. Lately I've been doing APA and IPA with only a 60 minute addition and everything else in the whirlpool, then dry hopped. You'll just have to experiment to see what you like best.

+1 bittering with magnum at 45 minutes and everything else 15 minutes and under. smoother hop profile with lots of aroma. did a hop stand on IPA last friday with mandarina, and will dry hop also.

[HoosierBrew]

Still haven't done the all Mandarina/Vienna beer yet. Sounds great.

[markpotts]

I tend to go for 40-50% of the IBU from a 60 minute addition when making IPA's.

[santoch]

I tend to think of 20 min and later additions in terms of weight as opposed to %alpha. IMO, all other things being equal, the freshness of the hops tends to drive flavor and aroma levels more than alpha, IMO.  In other words, an oz at 15 of one alpha tends to smell and taste pretty close to the same as an oz of the same varietal at 15 of a different alpha, provided they are about the same freshness (and the same form - pellets vs whole), with pellets yielding the most consistent flavor/aroma. If the recipe calls for an oz at 15, that's what I add.  I won't adjust it for alpha.  I make the adjustment by varying the amount of bittering hops to achieve the overall target IBU levels.

Essentially, I calculate the bittering addition amounts by working backwards in the boil.  I first calculate IBU contributions of the 20min and later additions, and then figure out the amount needed for the boil addition so the total hits the overall target IBU level.  This may even mean moving a small addition to 55 or 50 if the alpha of the bittering hops I have on hand is too high for a 60 min addition to hit the target.

Hope this makes sense.

[Stevie]

^ I do the same, but at 30 minutes. I don't see too many recipes that call for 30 min additions, but that is where I drew the line.