Balancing Hops

[GundyGang1]

Making a IIPA recipe and want a mix of Amarillo and cascade. Being that they have differing alpha acids, if I want a balanced flavor from the hops should I match the weight or the alpha acid?

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I would focus on a neutral hop to get the bitterness. Or even use hop extract to keep kettle trub down. And then focus on those amazing hops at the end of the boil and dry hop. Something like 10 minutes and big hopstand or whirlpool. And then a .8-.9oz/gal dry hop. I would do a 1:2 dry hop cascade:amarillo because I favor amarillo.

For the end of boil I like to add around 4oz at 10-15 and 4.5oz at flameout and do a hot whirlpool. And then use a bittering addition around 50-80IBU. I just ignore IBU calculators and dump in an unreasonable amount of hops.

 

[GundyGang1]

I appreciate the advice, but that doesn't answer my question. If you want equal flavors and aroma from two+ hops, do you match quantity by weight or adjust differing alphas to equal the same bitterness given. So, if one hop is 3% and the other is 6%, would you put in double of the 3% for equality?

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Since you aren't looking at the bitterness you can't look at the alpha and just magically come up with a balance. Check out the mycerne levels of both hops for the dry hop/aroma balance. And you can also look at total oils of both hops to get a feel for overall balancing.

 

[m00ps]

honestly id just do oz for oz. Both of those hops are in the same sort of mid-range IPA hops category to me and neither are especially assertive (nelson sauvin and citra come to mind)