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**pjj2ba** · 05-15-2012, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtakacs

the posted chart is idiotic imo...

maybe if it mentioned SG and FG, maybe - but types of malt matter, types of hops matter, there's just no clean way to create a "balance" chart. say nothing of the yeast , carbonation or water. ugh.

for me, a beer is balanced when you can identify all of the components that went into it, clearly identify them and they work in harmony with each other. gravity, bu, etc., be damned.

i'm drinking my CDA right now which is very malty and has a subdued hops profile (it can handle another 30 bus imo) and it is off the chart unbalanced according to that chart towards the hop side (1.072 & 77 bu) - but it's mashed at a higher temp so the FG makes it have a very malty/rich taste and mouthfee - and the hops cut through it perfectly. i'd call my beer balanced because you can clearly taste the malt, hops, water and yeast and they all work together.

I don't know that I would call it idiotic. A bit simplistic yes, but not a bad place to start. Other than that I agree with what jtakacs says here. The FG is very important as well. The lower the FG, the more the bitterness will show through. Also the malts used can make a difference, with malts like vienna and munich hiding bitterness better (probably partially related to a higher FG). Then there is yeast selection. I find a number of Belgian strains lend a sweetness to the beer, even with a low FG. This can mask bitterness as well. Then there is carbonation level, serving temp. etc.

Use the chart as a starting point and then consider the other factors and then artistically adjust accordingly.

gr8shandini · 05-15-2012, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjj2ba

. . . Use the chart as a starting point and then consider the other factors and then artistically adjust accordingly.

My thoughts exactly. For me, coming up with a recipe is an iterative process. I use this chart often to get me in the ballpark, then tweak it as needed on subsequent batches. Every so often, I'll nail a recipe on the first go, but I usually need 3 or 4 brew sessions to really dial it in.

Also, it's good to note that, while FG plays into the equation, "malty" doesn't necessarily mean "sweet." A dry stout finishes at about 1.008, but has enough malt character that it takes 30-40 IBUs worth of hops to balance it out.

**HopSong** · 01-06-2013, 04:20 AM

What does one use to put the Dot on the graph such as BMuncher does?