Maximum IBU levels?

Ok I've seen this too many times I count, and can't find any definitive (read: scientific) backing to the claim, only regurgitated answers from one thread to the next. I keep reading people say 100 is the maximum perceived, then others say that 100 is the max you can even get out of the iso-alpha acids, and isohumulones. But then the bjcp style guidelines for an imperial IPA go up to 120 IBUs... And one would think the guys making those guidelines would have a clue about it, wouldn't one? So anybody got any bookmarked article they care to share that proves the maximum limit for IBUs?

joshesmusica said:

I gotta start a new thread about this ibu limit idea. I see it often regurgitated, but haven't seen any scientific article to back it up yet. Wouldn't you think the guys who made the bjcp guidelines would know that the max is around 100?

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James Spencer (Basic Brewing Podcast) and a college prof with the equipment & materials to do IBU assay ended up with about 70 IBU limit (from memory, but it was something like that). Someone else with a younger memory will probably correct me (TIA)

It's one of those things where it can be measured empirically to be high.

The argument is whether it is perceptible. I personally don't think so. The average person probably doesn't have a refined enough palate to taste above 80.

That's my opinion at least.

I would love to be the guy who experiments with this, but I honestly can't stand IIPAs...

joshesmusica said:

I would love to be the guy who experiments with this, but I honestly can't stand IIPAs...

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Not a huge IPA fan either. I love the Corne du Diable and the Uinta Hop Nosh presently. Very good, super hoppy and smooth.

I'm just the type of person that isn't really impressed with IPAs.