I think I'll actually do an IBU test!

[joshesmusica]

After reading about the 658 IBU IPA from DFH, I just feel like I'm convinced to see if there is a difference between, say, 120 IBUs, and 500.

So I figured I could just try it. It will be nothing like brulosophy stuff, it will just be me and some friends giving it a go. But, I figure, what the hell right?
So I will waste (I really don't like over the top IPAs, let alone DIPAs) 10L of beer in the name of "science."

Here are the two recipes:

Recipe: Mega IPA
Style: Double IPA
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 9.46 l
Post Boil Volume: 5.20 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 4.50 l
Bottling Volume: 3.67 l
Estimated OG: 1.094 SG
Estimated FG: 1.030 SG
Estimated Color: 17.9 EBC
Estimated IBU: 120.0 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 66.7 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) Grain 1 88.9 %
0.10 kg Caramel Light (BestMalz) (30.0 EBC) Grain 2 4.4 %
0.10 kg Munich (BestMalz) (15.0 EBC) Grain 3 4.4 %
0.05 kg Acidulated (BestMalz) (3.0 EBC) Grain 4 2.2 %
15.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 5 44.7 IBUs
16.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 44.6 IBUs
5.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 6.9 IBUs
10.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 10.1 IBUs
15.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 8.3 IBUs
19.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 5.0 Hop 10 5.3 IBUs
0.4 pkg British Ale Yeast (Mangrove Jack's #M07) Yeast 11 -
50.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Full Body
Total Grain Weight: 2.05 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Saccharification Add 10.65 l of water at 72.6 C 68.9 C 60 min
Mash Out Heat to 75.6 C over 7 min 75.6 C 10 min


Recipe: Super Duper Mega IPA
Brewer:
Asst Brewer:
Style: Double IPA
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 9.98 l
Post Boil Volume: 5.72 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 4.50 l
Bottling Volume: 3.67 l
Estimated OG: 1.094 SG
Estimated FG: 1.030 SG
Estimated Color: 16.8 EBC
Estimated IBU: 500.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 73.3 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2.00 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) Grain 1 88.9 %
0.10 kg Caramel Light (BestMalz) (30.0 EBC) Grain 2 4.4 %
0.10 kg Munich (BestMalz) (15.0 EBC) Grain 3 4.4 %
0.05 kg Acidulated (BestMalz) (3.0 EBC) Grain 4 2.2 %
120.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 5 319.3 IBUs
62.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 154.2 IBUs
5.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 6.2 IBUs
10.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 9.0 IBUs
15.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 7.4 IBUs
16.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 5.0 Hop 10 4.0 IBUs
0.4 pkg British Ale Yeast (Mangrove Jack's #M07) Yeast 11 -
50.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Full Body
Total Grain Weight: 2.05 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Saccharification Add 10.65 l of water at 72.6 C 68.9 C 60 min
Mash Out Heat to 75.6 C over 7 min 75.6 C 10 min



I will actually probably do a whirlpool (just stirring it while chilling), just because I don't want to transfer all that trub into the small fermentors, but I don't want to use a bag to prevent any isomerization loss. Although, I don't know how much loss to trub I'll have. So I went with .5L for the first one, 1L for the second one.

Two questions:

1) What do you think?

2) Anyone know a good way to calculate trub loss depending on how much hops one uses?

3) When just comparing the two beers blindly (not a triangle test, just the two side-by-side), what questions should I ask the tasters?

 

[aeviaanah]

Subscribed! Curious as to why you went with a 90min boil? Is this to help with utilization?

 

[joshesmusica]

Subscribed! Curious as to why you went with a 90min boil? Is this to help with isomerization?

Yeah, basically. Hoping that it will help to have all those hops in a little more volume of liquid.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

I would keep all of the late additions the same and just increase the 90 minute addition. Don't want any additional hop aroma to skew the results.

 

[bigplunkett]

I would change them both to a 90min a 5 and then whirlpool for sicence

 

[joshesmusica]

I would keep all of the late additions the same and just increase the 90 minute addition. Don't want any additional hop aroma to skew the results.

Yeah, I thought about that too. I just liked having it actually say 120 and 500. But I suppose I should just get over that neurosis, and just get close enough.

What about the 60 min additions? Should I aim for keeping those the same as well? Adjusting those was another easy way to get it closer.

 

[joshesmusica]

I would change them both to a 90min a 5 and then whirlpool for sicence

Why would that be for science? I went with a few different late additions because I wanted to get the most flavor and aroma out of those IBUs as possible. I mean, I know they're just going to be over-the-top bitterness anyways, but I don't want it to be just all bitterness.

 

[ALExanderH]

This is interesting, following this for sure!

Halla siddis! Skulle likt å enda bo i Stavanger å smake dette

 

[Yooper]

Are you having the beers tested by a lab? Or is your test not really a test, but a tasting thing?

 

[joshesmusica]

Are you having the beers tested by a lab? Or is your test not really a test, but a tasting thing?

Haha, I'm too cheap to go with a "normal-sized" batch for this, do you think I'm shelling out the money to have it tested by a lab?

I'm not even cool enough to have enough contacts here to do a brulosophy style tasting panel, so it'll just be me (not blind) and friends and family (blind to what's happening).

 

[PearlJam]

What was the outcome of this?