Is there a max limit on hops?

Nostrildamus · 08-07-2007, 09:57 PM

Is there a maximum number of IBUs physically possible per gallon of wort? Or rather is there a point where adding more hops will not make the beer any hoppier.

I ask because I noticed that a friend's IPA using a whopping 10 Ozs of hops was not that much hoppier than mine using 5 Ozs of the same hops boiled on roughly the same schedule. The difference seemed to be far, far less than 2.5 Ozs versus 5 Ozs. I would assume that a full batch boil would increase this if it was a matter of diffusion and saturation. Even though 10 Ozs (Cascades and Centennials giving a total of 130 IBUs) is a far cry from what I would consider being way too hoppy to drink, I would imagine that it would get harder and harder to get more hoppiness into a beer once a certain point was reached.

Maybe I'm just a hop addict and have lost all perspective and sanity.

Beerrific · 08-07-2007, 09:58 PM

I think it is agreed that given the right conditions you can't get much more than 100 IBUs in a beer.

**bradsul** · 08-07-2007, 11:50 PM

There will be a finite limit as to how much of the alpha acid compounds water can dissolve into suspension. I think I saw a number on here somewhere of around 90 IBU but don't quote me on that. I'm sure a google search can turn up an actual number.

**Yuri_Rage** · 08-08-2007, 12:36 AM

Wikipedia claims 100 IBUs as a theoretical limit but doesn't offer much supporting info. I doubt anyone could really perceive much difference above that anyway.

There is another theoretical hop limit - the point at which the hops absorb all of the wort. Of course, that's A LOT of hops!

Llarian · 08-08-2007, 12:56 AM

Also remember that hops add a good deal more than just bittering. People conflate aroma/flavor and bitter into "hoppy", when its much more complex than that.

I've recently brewed "200+IBU" (tinseth, and obviously not true) brews that have very high alpha hops for bittering, but a vast majority late additions and dry hopping, its a very hoppy beer but not nearly as bitter as others I've had, just much more flavorful and complex. (Especially given minimal variety in the malt)

-D