Who uses the BU:GU ratio for formulating recipes?

[seabrew8]

Hi folks, after making lots of beer i finally have decided to come up with my first "house beer" and one of my favorite styles is German Helles Exportbier. A rich but balanced beer.

My first attempt will be 0.40 BU:GU slightly balanced towards the malt. The reason being i will be using my favorite hop saaz which is known to be spicy. I realized nearly all if not all use one of the other 3 noble hops but this is my beer, right!?

So anyone use this ratio with any success?

Recipe;

Target Volume - 5.25 Gal at 72% eff
OG - 1.052
IBU - 20.98
SRM - 5.13
Bu: GU - 0.40

Using brewers friend.

9.25# pilsner - 88%
1# Light Munich - 10%
3.25oz Melanoidin - 2%

Saaz pellets 25gram @ 30/20/10 minutes

Saflager 34/70 at cool ale temps and fermented under pressure.

I read many good things about loading up on late hop additions to get a smoother bitterness and avoiding the hop bite. And i want this beer to be smooth and crush able!

Some of my favorite everyday crush able beers are czechvar, lot 9 from canada and even stella! Which are all flavored with saaz at 20-25 IBU's from what i read.

 

[dmtaylor]

BU:GU is one of the greatest brewing inventions. I use it for every batch. If you want the balance slightly towards the malt, the ratio of 0.4 that you selected is perfect. Enjoy!

 

[Lefou]

Who uses the bittering to gravity calculations for hop balance?
Me! It helps evaluate potential sweetness and influences choice of yeast and hop schedule.
So far, I've been designing recipes that have a BU/GU of .4-.5 ratio.

Lately I've been considering "first wort hopping" to simplify math and method for the hop additions.

 

[Yooper]

I think the BU:GU is really important, much more helpful than IBUs. Balance (or lack of in IPAs ) is the most important part of recipe formulation.

 

[ncbrewer]

+3 to using BU:GU ratio. I was disappointed that the 2015 BJCP guidelines weren't set up that way - they just give IBU range and OG range. Going to the high side of one and the low side of the other could give you a bad balance.

 

[Miraculix]

"balanced" is not set in stone. What one might perceive as well balanced might be too sweet for the other, for example Oktoberfest Lager, which I do not like. Or bitter ipas which are balanced for the one when bitter but sweet to balance the higher ibus which I wouldn't consider balanced, but that's only my personal taste again. The fact that the guidelines are not trying to force ratios up on the brewer leave some more space to get creative in.

 

[Lefou]

A little experimental leeway is to be expected.
There's a reason why roads and coloring books have lines and you won't find Doritos or cake listed as adjuncts in brewing calculator databases.

 

[seabrew8]

Thanks folks, i was just using recipes i found online the last year or so and tweaking at times.

What are your thoughts or experiences with all late hop additions?

 

[Queequeg]

Yep, I use it to. Pretty useful as a starting point. Especially if you are familiar with the style. E.g I know 1 is going to give me a really bitter West coast IPA whilst 0.5 might be what I am for if making a neipa. I also know I prefer something around 0.8

 

[Yooper]

Thanks folks, i was just using recipes i found online the last year or so and tweaking at times.

What are your thoughts or experiences with all late hop additions?

I've done several like that- it's called "hopbursting". Very nice for hoppy beers. I also like to add one bittering addition at FWH and then the rest of the hops go in the whirlpool- very similar results in my mind but perhaps with a firmer bitterness.

 

[seabrew8]

I've done several like that- it's called "hopbursting". Very nice for hoppy beers. I also like to add one bittering addition at FWH and then the rest of the hops go in the whirlpool- very similar results in my mind but perhaps with a firmer bitterness.

I see. I'm not looking for a hoppy beer of course just curious if i can get less bite with late additions just enough to balance the malt. One downside is i will need to use more hops. But i have a pound of saaz.

 

[WestMichBrewer]

I see. I'm not looking for a hoppy beer of course just curious if i can get less bite with late additions just enough to balance the malt. One downside is i will need to use more hops. But i have a pound of saaz.

Early hop additions give you bitterness
Very Late hop additions give you aroma
In the middle you'll get a bit of both, but more flavor.
For not wanting "hoppy" which I think of as both flavor and aroma, you may only want early addition hopping (first wort or 60 minute boil) to get bitterness to balance the malt.
I see a lot of lager recipes with very little or no later hop additions.
Using saaz I'd personally want to take advantage of its known good aroma and do at least a little later hopping.

 

[seabrew8]

Early hop additions give you bitterness
Very Late hop additions give you aroma
In the middle you'll get a bit of both, but more flavor.
For not wanting "hoppy" which I think of as both flavor and aroma, you may only want early addition hopping (first wort or 60 minute boil) to get bitterness to balance the malt.
I see a lot of lager recipes with very little or no later hop additions.
Using saaz I'd personally want to take advantage of its known good aroma and do at least a little later hopping.

yeah I'm thinking of just doing 60/30/10 no need re-inventing the wheel.

 

[dmtaylor]

yeah I'm thinking of just doing 60/30/10 no need re-inventing the wheel.

I prefer adding all my hops either at 60, 5, flameout, or dry. At 30 and 10, it's as if the recipe writer could not make up their minds whether they wanted bitterness or flavor. If you want bitterness, boil for about an hour. If you want flavor or aroma, add the hops late. At 30 and 10... you get both bitterness and flavor, but neither choice is very efficient, so why not put those hops elsewhere.

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[seabrew8]

I prefer adding all my hops either at 60, 5, flameout, or dry. At 30 and 10, it's as if the recipe writer could not make up their minds whether they wanted bitterness or flavor. If you want bitterness, boil for about an hour. If you want flavor or aroma, add the hops late. At 30 and 10... you get both bitterness and flavor, but neither choice is very efficient, so why not put those hops elsewhere.

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Maybe I will just do that lol I'll figure it out Brew day