IBUs with kit seem high -- should I brew per recipe or alter?

[balrog]

I grabbed one of those Morebeer single hop experiment kits on Amazon. They make several, just varying the hops being highlighted, and I got Bravo. The thing is, these kits all come with 1/2oz Magnum to be used at 60m. Then mine has 2oz Bravo for 10m, 2oz Bravo for 1m, 2oz Bravo for dry hop.

Putting the 12% Bravo alpha acids, amounts, and times, plus the 14% Magnum 1/2oz at 60m, takes me to 71 IBU which just seems more than twice what a balanced pale ale would have. The grist is just 10# 2-row and 12oz C15. If I ditch the Magnum entirely, I get a much more reasonable looking 44 IBU.

Opinions?

 

[FleEsq]

I wouldn't ditch the Magnum entirely. What about putting the magnum in at 30 minutes. What are you using to calc your IBU's

 

[ba-brewer]

Maybe cut the 10min bravo addition to 1oz and move the extra to dryhop.

I just did a blonde ale with bravo and simcoe, when I threw the bravo in as a bittering charge is smelled so good I used some at the end of the boil too. Look forward to seeing how this one tastes.

 

[IslandLizard]

Of course you may alter those recipes... You've been brewing long enough to know what you like and works better.
You may have pointed out an oversight in those recipes. I have the feeling those Single Hop kits are all based on the same recipe, not taking hop AA% in consideration. So with your Bravo you're definitely overshooting the nominal.

A friend of mine bought a whole bunch of them from Morebeer when they were on sale for similar prices a few months ago, he alters some things, like his hop additions, doing hop stands, etc.

There are several options, depending on what you want to favor. If you want to stay closer to the recipe, follow a method such as outlined by @FleEsq, above, to restrain bitterness.

If you want Bravo to shine, bitter with Warrior at 60', then, for example, do a flameout addition of some Bravo followed by a hopstand/whirlpool addition of the balance of Bravo at lower temps (say 30' at 150F).

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

Those kits are all exactly the same they just change out the hop you get 5 oz of, I have the Falconers Flight one on tap now, it's good. They don't adjust for IBU's it's just to sample the hop for the most part I look at it as continuing education you learn that hops properties with these kits.

When they go on sale I get a few and just break them down for the ingredients and brew what I want they go for cheap when on sale

 

[ba-brewer]

More beer is my LHBS so I don't want to talk too bad of them but I try not to buy my hops from them and other vendors that don't put harvest dates on their hops.

I assume when you see sales on kits from the major vendors that is to clear old stock, not sure I would buy a bunch to stock up on ingredients.

 

[balrog]

Ok, I figured it was their one-size-fits-all approach, and a laudable effort on their part, so I'll edit the recipe's hop schedule as I see fit. I like my @Yooper 's Haus Pale at about 45 so I'll aim for that, and it's typically all 30m or later additions.