Are IBU estimates in recipes (i.e. 5 gallons) only for a full boil?

Williams 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
neldred

neldred

Well-Known Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2009
Messages
64
Reaction score
1
Location
Sarasota, Florida
I'm wondering if the IBU estimate in a recipe (which are usually 5 gallon recipes) is only for a full 5 gallon boil (associated with the 5 gallon recipe)? If so are a lot of people brewing beer out there that they think is 30-50% less hop bitter than they think?
 
It depends on the recipe. Usually, they assume a full-volume boil, though. However, you can easily compensate for this by doing a late extract addition. That is, if you can only boil, say, 2.5 (final) gallons of wort, split your extract by 50%, add the full hops according to the recipe, and then add the rest of the extract at the end of the boil.
 
Unless the recipe says something else, assume a full boil. Partial boil recipes almost always say that.
 
neldred said:
I'm wondering if the IBU estimate in a recipe (which are usually 5 gallon recipes) is only for a full 5 gallon boil (associated with the 5 gallon recipe)? If so are a lot of people brewing beer out there that they think is 30-50% less hop bitter than they think?
Click to expand...

I think IBUs are based off of final volume, not boil volume. Shouldn't matter how much water the bitterness is being boiled into (to a point), just how much it ends up in.

EDIT: Just checked Beersmith, and I am totally wrong...interesting...
 
dkershner said:
EDIT: Just checked Beersmith, and I am totally wrong...interesting...
Click to expand...


Right...I'm still a newby, but read a ton and I didn't know this until I saw some specific talk about it here (hence the question).

I wonder if there is a way to calculate boil off?
 

Similar threads

D
First Recipe: 1 Gallon Maris Otter / Goldings SMaSH (Comments, suggestions?)
Replies
6
Views
366
Northern_Brewer
Northern_Brewer
C
Best brewing system for 5-15 gallon batches
Replies
25
Views
1K
Ninoid
Ninoid
B
Dry stout intense bitterness
Replies
11
Views
677
beren
beren
Lazer_Lad
Apartment Brewing with Mediocre Stove Top
Replies
29
Views
1K
z-bob
z-bob
N
Wort chilling and brew pot water volume
Replies
7
Views
534
Bobby_M
Bobby_M

Latest posts

Back
Top