Anyone here use Garetz?

While at my favorite local brewery, From The Barrel in Londonderry, NH, I was showing a recipe I had come up with to the brewer just to get his opinion on it and see if there was anything I could do to make this the hoppiest IIPA I've ever made. First thing he did was change my IBU calculator in Beersmith to Garetz, and said that would help. Haven't brewed the recipe yet, life getting in the way and all, but I was wondering if anyone else uses Garetz? I know that IBU's don't necessarily reflect how hoppy a beer can be, but does anyone have any experience using that formula? Will it help?

 

I don't think using any one of the IBU calculators over the others is necessarily an advantage. What matters is that you use the same scale always. If you know what 15, 30, 75, etc. IBUs tastes like on the scale you use, it doesn't matter which scale got you there. I think I use Tinseth, I'd have to check my Beersmith to be sure.

 

Changing your IBU calculation model will not get you the hoppiest IIPA. The best way to design a hoppier recipe is to look at the BU:GU ratio of what you have brewed and, if you want the new recipe to have more of a hop presence, increase the hops to increase estimated IBU and raise the BU:GU ratio in the recipe.

I use Tinseth for the IBU calculation and generally target my IPA's at a BU:GU ratio around 0.8 to 1.0. For a higher gravity IIPA, I target 1.1 to 1.2.

Of course, that is just a guideline based upon my system and the real target depends more on the types of hops I use and when I add them to the recipe.

 

Ok so here's the recipe I plan on doing. It's a one gallon batch.

Deaf Jukie IPA

2 lbs 4 oz Pearl Malt
2.9 oz Pale Wheat Malt
1 oz Carared

Mash at 148 for 90 min with 3.74 quarts
Mash out at 168 for 10 min with 1.99 quarts
Fly sparge with 0.26 quarts

90 minute boil
.05 oz Warrior at 90 min (13 IBU)
.25 oz Azacca at 20 min (9.8 IBU)
.25 oz Equinox at 15 min (5.6 IBU)
.5 oz Corn Sugar at 15 min
.25 oz Mosaic at 10 min (0 IBU)
.25 Apollo at 1 min (0 IBU)
.2 oz Azacca Steeped for 30 min (14.3 IBU)
.2 oz Equinox Steeped for 20 min (15.9 IBU)
.2 oz Mosaic Steeped for 10 min (7.6 IBU)
.2 oz Apollo Steeped for 5 min (6.1 IBU)

WLP007

Estimated OG 1.067
Estimated FG 1.012
Estimated ABV 7.34%
IBU 72.4
Color 5.2
BU:GU ~1.0

No dry hops, too much of a hassle with one gallon batches. This batch is my experiment with getting IBU's from mainly late hop additions and whirlpooling. Does it look good, or is there anything I may need to change to improve it?

 

i find the IBU contributions from whirlpool additions in Beersmith to be greatly exaggerated. especially if you are doing smaller batches, less thermal mass means your temps will fall quicker, resulting in fantastic flavors and aromas, but not so many IBUs. i usually set mine at 10% or less depending on batch size.