suggestions on choosing malts/hops

Hey folks,

I've been home brewing now on provided recipes for almost a year now. With that, I'm wanting to start doing experimental 1 gallon batches of different brews that I pick all the ingredients from a thoughtful design before actually buying the ingredients and making it.

Here are some things I need help with:

1) any great links out there about hops? The IBU and flavor and the aroma styles?
2) how does the IBU get altered when pitching at start of boil, vs 10 mins on a boil? Assuming the same style hop, what does this do to the flavor or IBU of the beer?
3) malts info? any good links out there that describe the malts in how they taste, their color, sugar content
4) Balancing the beer, between dryness, body and ibu
5) yeasts (white labs site is good)

Any other info? thanks,

JJ

Read Designing Great Beers by Ray Daniels. That will answer all of the questions you posed.

Given the breadth of topics you have questions about, I would agree with rjwhite41 that a book would be a good idea.

John Palmer's How to Brew is also a good reference for answering all of those questions. If you google it there is also an online version. But, keep in mind that the online version is a little out of date (but that won't affect your questions).