IBU's - different formulas - should I be concerned?

[jman300sd]

I've done three batches and they are all currently fermenting. I'm bottling two this weekend. In doing these three I mostly adhered to recipes provided online (extract + steeping), but would always tweak the hops based on what I could get my hands on, alpha acidity level and my desired IBU. I did this using ragers formula (which is supposedly better for partial boils?) and an online calculator found on rooftop brew.

Well...Just yesterday I started using beersmith and in plugging in these same recipes I have found the IBU to drop tremendously. This of course because Beersmith uses Tinseth. Its particularly worrisome on the two below batches:

-APA final volume 5 gallons OG 1.056.
.40 oz warrior 15.8% AA 60 mins.
.25 oz Nelson Sauvin 12.4% AA 2 mins.
.25 oz Summit 18.7% AA 2 mins.
Rager IBU = 34.4 perfect!,
Tinseth IBU = 14.5 WTF!?!

-Wheat Doppelbock final volume 5.8 gallon OG 1.070
.25 oz Hallertauer 8% AA 60 mins
.50 oz Hallertauer 8% AA 8 mins
Rager IBU = 13.4 perfect once again! At least for the style
Tinseth = 5.5 OMG

On the APA I can't really do anything as it has been in the primary for three weeks and I'm bottling this weekend. Plus- I tried some off the gravity reading I took this past weekend and the bitterness seemed pretty spot on.

On the Wheat Doppelbock, I'm a lil worried about that 5.5 IBU. Seems just a little too low even for this style. I really want to avoid a big sweet unbalanced malty mess. Should I worry? And if so could I just boil a concentrated amount of hops in a small amount of wort and pitch directly into the fermenter?

Or should just chill out and let it ride?

 

[o4_srt]

Did you alter boil times, alpha acid levels, and hop type (plug, pellet or leaf) when entering into beersmith?

If it tastes spot on, I wouldn't worry what the software says. Numbers don't matter nearly as much as taste does,

 

[jonmohno]

I would use twice as much apa 60 min hops and a quarter more doppelbock,just sayin i would, your not going to get a malty mess from such a low ibu dopplebock anyway the only way you would is if it had way more unfermentables.15 ibus to me is basically nothing anyway really.I would go for the differnce at least. But since i failed to see you already have made it, i would just chill, its not going to be a malty mess.
Make a note of it when you make and when you drink, thats how you learn to balance it, I have some trouble with balancing hops, but i drink it thinking yep its pretty too citriusy and adjust and figure the ratio of malts to hops and learn from there.Make a note of it and learn on your next batch.

 

[jman300sd]

Did you alter boil times, alpha acid levels, and hop type (plug, pellet or leaf) when entering into beersmith?

Yes. I've double checked it numerous times

 

[stevedasleeve]

Chill. My opinion is that all these formulas are pretty much wrong much of the time. There is plenty of evidence for this...


Brew a few recipes, compare your perceptions to commercial brews that have known IBUs (and whose bitterness was measured not calculated!) and eventually you will be able to figure an approximation from experience. In the meantime if the beer tastes good... it is!!