Hop IBU formulas

[Iordz]

OK, so whose hop IBU formula do you guy's use when you are putting a recipe together? I have been using Tinseth, but decided to switch to Rager. The IBUs went up on my beers, apparently my dry stout is going to be "too bitter" since I am over a 1:1 GU:BU ratio. With Tinseth I had 1.040GU 40IBU, now I have 1.040GU 45IBU using Rager. I just wanted to know your thoughts on the subject and whether one formula can be trusted more than the others.

 

[bradsul]

I use Rager, but mostly because I think that is promash's default.

 

[Iordz]

I use ProMash too, but I switched the formula long ago after reading some info on it, I don't quite remember what the exact reason was. I was reading Jamil's recipes, playing around with them and realized that the IBUs were not matching. I changed the formula to Rager and will probably stick with it from now on. It’s kind of interesting to think about IBU calculations for commercial breweries, they must use a standardized formula, otherwise one brewer’s 40IBUs will be another brewer’s 45IBUs.

 

[the_bird]

I'm interested in this subject, but at the end of the day I'm not sure whether it really matters since it seems all of the formulas fail when you get into the high-IBU territory that we so often traverse. I mean, Pliny the Elder calcs out at 284 IBUs, but IIRC, it really has only about 60. I'm of the opinion that if you pick a formula and stay consistent with it (so you know a calced 30 IBU isn't very bitter, but 50 is), you'll be fine, and know that if the calcs show you being a wee bit out of style range, well, that doesn't mean that you ARE.

 

[Iordz]

if the calcs show you being a wee bit out of style range, well, that doesn't mean that you ARE.

You're right, I was just kidding though.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

I use Tinseth because I read somewhere that it's likely the most accurate (I think because it combines the best aspects of several algorithms).

I think it's BeerSmith's default.

 

[Poindexter]

I use Tinseth because I can do it with a pencil, a calculator, a piece of paper and a cold beer. I like having the table to just pull values from, then plug and chug. <so to speak>

I think the main thing is to compare Tinseth IBUs to Tinseth, Rager to Rager. They are not (qv) exactly the same.

 

[Iordz]

I use Tinseth because I read somewhere that it's likely the most accurate (I think because it combines the best aspects of several algorithms).

I believe that's what I read and I switched to Tinseth, now I'm not so sure.

 

[Soulive]

Tinseth here because I also read it might be the most accurate. And also because its Beersmith's default...