Chirobrewer
Spine Liberator/Beer Libator
Ok, so I have read the sticky Sulfate to Chloride Ratio that covered how perceived bitterness increases when there is a higher SO4:Cl ratio. I recently was reading about the hop stand technique and came across the MBAA article Maximizing Hop Aroma and Flavor Through Process Variables that compared hop flavor & bitterness perception with the hop stand technique and dry hopping etc. etc...... When I read through the discussion, they nonchalantly reported:
"We also looked at correlations with the sulfate levels of the
brewing water. We found a fairly clear negative correlation between
sulfate levels and perceived hop flavor (Fig. 10). The correlation
coefficient was 0.44 (statistically significant at the 95%
confidence level), which clearly indicates that highly hopped
beer might be better made using brewing liquors with lower sulfate
concentrations."
If you take a look at the figure in reference (Fig. 10), it seems that the highest 'grouping' of hop flavor perception was found at lower SO4 levels between 0-100 ppm (save for a few outliers).
Has anyone experienced this sort of trend in their quest to craft their perfect IPA? And, with emphasis on 'their', considering such a wide spectrum of perception amongst the masses.
Not sure if this has been brought up before but after a quick search I didn't see any references to the above study regarding sulfate. I know every recipe has it's own nuances and subtleties, so there isn't a hard and fast 'rule', but has anyone noticed this?
P.S. The last thing I wanted to do with this post is create a 'cookbook' sort of mentality for new/beginner brewers such as: "Now that I have read this, I should keep my SO4 under 100 while still maintaining the increased hop bitterness perception via a higher SO4:Cl ratio that I read in the sticky he referenced earlier".... Just seeing if anyone has noticed this and/or can confirm it in the name of science and replication, so I can apply it (or I guess reapply it) lol
Cheers errbody
"We also looked at correlations with the sulfate levels of the
brewing water. We found a fairly clear negative correlation between
sulfate levels and perceived hop flavor (Fig. 10). The correlation
coefficient was 0.44 (statistically significant at the 95%
confidence level), which clearly indicates that highly hopped
beer might be better made using brewing liquors with lower sulfate
concentrations."
If you take a look at the figure in reference (Fig. 10), it seems that the highest 'grouping' of hop flavor perception was found at lower SO4 levels between 0-100 ppm (save for a few outliers).
Has anyone experienced this sort of trend in their quest to craft their perfect IPA? And, with emphasis on 'their', considering such a wide spectrum of perception amongst the masses.
Not sure if this has been brought up before but after a quick search I didn't see any references to the above study regarding sulfate. I know every recipe has it's own nuances and subtleties, so there isn't a hard and fast 'rule', but has anyone noticed this?
P.S. The last thing I wanted to do with this post is create a 'cookbook' sort of mentality for new/beginner brewers such as: "Now that I have read this, I should keep my SO4 under 100 while still maintaining the increased hop bitterness perception via a higher SO4:Cl ratio that I read in the sticky he referenced earlier".... Just seeing if anyone has noticed this and/or can confirm it in the name of science and replication, so I can apply it (or I guess reapply it) lol
Cheers errbody