216 IBU's Imperial IPA

[Gabe]

Hey everyone I still havn't brewed my Imperial IPA. I purchased some new hops so my hop bill went out the window. The old IBU's stood at 97, and with my new bill, its 216. Taking the advise of some of you expirenced brewers and kicking it up a notch. I'm looking at a 1.095 OG and wondering if my IBU's will match? Any of you have any notion to sway me in a different direction? I want a hoppy brew but more emphasis on flavor and aroma. All my additions are after 40 min except 2 Oz's of Magnum at 16.3 AA at 60 min=100 IBU's. Any thoughts? Cheers.

 

[Walker]

Hey everyone I still havn't brewed my Imperial IPA. I purchased some new hops so my hop bill went out the window. The old IBU's stood at 97, and with my new bill, its 216. Taking the advise of some of you expirenced brewers and kicking it up a notch. I'm looking at a 1.095 OG and wondering if my IBU's will match? Any of you have any notion to sway me in a different direction? I want a hoppy brew but more emphasis on flavor and aroma. All my additions are after 40 min except 2 Oz's of Magnum at 16.3 AA at 60 min=100 IBU's. Any thoughts? Cheers.

ouce you get above 100 IBUs, the average human can't tell a difference.

 

[marshman]

I can see where that would be a valid point, Walker-san, but doesn't our presence here imply that we've got above average tasting abilities?

Even so, brewing with 115% more hops than the 'average human' can recognize does seem like overkill. I'd definitely kick that back to @ 200 IBUs...

 

[Evan!]

Even 200 is going a bit high---seems like a waste of hops. Consider the hoppiest beer I've ever had---the Dogfish head 120 Minute IPA---it's only 120IBU. I've been guilty of "wasting" hops myself---my barleywine is 275 IBU, but I was largely going on what Papazian recommended.

If I were you, I'd increase my boil time, and focus more on miscellany interesting hop varieties, and when to add them...because anyone can make an over-the-top hoppy beer...but the artistry comes in what kind of aroma/flavor hops you use, and when you add them.

I think the OG sounds good, though.

 

[the_bird]

Waiting patiently for Dude to chime in with his thoughts on the matter.......

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

These high IBU beers are a bit of an enigma when it comes to the actual numbers. Using Chilurzo's (and hence Dude's ) Pliny recipe, promash will give you an IBU somewhere in the 270 range. The actual IBU count of the real Pliny The Elder is 67 as measured by a gas chromatagraph. I'm by no means saying that you can get the same flavour by adding enough hops to get 67IBU, but I think when making a beer like this, Alpha acids and IBUs may not be the best way to measure and or predict the outcome. Maybe start looking at oil content and actual weight of hops used instead?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Maybe start looking at oil content and actual weight of hops used instead?

Maybe so...Dude's Pliny had a hop aroma that would make a grown man cu...errr...cry.

 

[Gabe]

I keep bouncing back and forth from extreme to reality. I should back it off to 150 and do a test. I recently did an arrogant bastard clone that came out at 1.089 and used 80 ibus. It was a little on the sweet side and could have used a bit more. So I figure as this matures, at 150 IBU's, the hops will subside a bit and mellow to a good IIPA. My OG will be even higher for this brew so the sweetness of the alch will be shining. All I can do is try!

 

[Brewpastor]

As I and others have pointed out, you need those huge amount of hops in the IIPAs to get the bitterness and balance you want. Unless you do it, you will not get the character you desire. It doesn't have anything to do with taste threshold, it has to do with getting the alpha acids into solution at the level needed to:

1-balance the sweetness from all the alcohol and malt
2- compensate for the poor utilization/isomerization rates of these high gravity worts

It doesn't make sense if you think of it from a traditional recipe design vantage point, but I am telling you, if you want a hoppy balanced IIPA with on OG over 1.075 you have to think big with the hops.

My Preaching in Hell IIPA has over a pound of Columbus hops in the 60 minute boil in a 20 gallon batch and in my opinion it is a fine and balanced beer. Even if it kicks your butt!

 

[Gabe]

So if u go big on the og --- go big on the hops!

 

[david_42]

A hoppy beer is not always a bitter beer. My Bent Rod Rye has a great nose and is under 50 IBU. If you are looking mainly for flavor & aroma, this is completely (almost) separate from IBUs. Bitterness needs to be balanced with ABV, 100-120 would do the trick for your IPA. I'd move the rest of the hops into the 20-0 minute range and/or dry hopping.

 

[Gabe]

David thanks for the advise, I need to start looking at the oil content of my hops as well but I don't know how to find out? Is ther a way to do this without some sort of test? I have started to look around at IBU's of other IIPA's and all seem to be in the realm of 80-120 so I guess thats where I will be.. I plan on dry hopping with Amarillo and Newport. Maby I should start a new thread on Hop oil !!

 

[david_42]

Aroma is aroma, follow your nose.

I've never seen anything addressing hop oil content, although I have some hop helper. It's an extracted oil & I believe the process uses liquid CO2.

 

[Brewiz]

Here is what was suppose to be a IPA and really turn out like a 2IPA . Check out the hops

FLHR Pale

07-0 India Pale Ale, India Pale Ale

Min OG: 1.050 Max OG: 1.075
Min IBU: 40 Max IBU: 60
Min Clr: 8 Max Clr: 14 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 11.00 Wort Size (Gal): 11.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 29.00
Anticipated OG: 1.066 Plato: 16.16
Anticipated SRM: 14.3
Anticipated IBU: 85.4
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
69.0 20.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
13.8 4.00 lbs. Light Carastan Great Britian 1.035 15
17.2 5.00 lbs. Crystal 40L America 1.034 40

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.50 oz. Warrior Whole 18.50 57.5 90 min.
1.50 oz. Cascade Whole 6.50 18.4 60 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade Whole 6.50 6.2 30 min.
0.75 oz. Amarillo Gold Whole 9.70 0.0 0 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade Whole 6.50 3.3 15 min.
2.00 oz. Simcoe Whole 14.00 0.0 Dry Hop


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.83 Oz Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)


My OG actually ended up being 1.085 and after it was all said and done it was probably the best beer I had ever made.
I took some to friend of mine that is the head brewer in a local brewery for him try and got a great review. I will make it again as soon as I can replenish my hop inventory.