IBU's

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Ó Flannagáin

Ó Flannagáin

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The bittering effect is less noticeable in beers with a high quantity of malt, so a higher IBU is needed in heavier beers to balance the flavor. For example, an Imperial Stout may have an IBU of 50, but will taste less bitter than an English Bitter with an IBU of 30, because the first beer uses much more malt than the second. The technical limit for IBU's is around 80, others have tried to surpass this number but there is no real gauge after 80 IBUs when it comes to taste threshold. -wikipedia
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So, is there a formula for measuring the maltiness that counteracts with the IBU's to make them more or less noticable and results in a number for more precise bittering measurments?
 
Interesting! The gravity would tell us a little bit, but how to differentiate between sugars and protein? Is there an objective "sweetness" scale other than density relative to water?

*man I'm slow on the trigger*

Thanks for the link jcarson!
 
For most people a difference of 10 IBU is about the limit of detection, so gravity vs. IBU or ABV vs. IBU is about the same thing.
 
seefresh said:
So, is there a formula for measuring the maltiness that counteracts with the IBU's to make them more or less noticable and results in a number for more precise bittering measurments?
Click to expand...

If you want a really detailed answer, get a copy of Ray Daniel's Designing Great Beers - one of the best homebrewing books out there. It gives you all kinds of detail about how to apply the BU:GU concept to different styles.
 

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