Looking for input on pale ale recipe

[msa8967]

Saw this chart mapping IBU vs OG posted by several members here on the forum (as well as in Palmer's book) and I want to know if looking at this chart will give you a better indication of how you beer will taste instead of just looking at the IBU's on there own?

Is it safe to assume that just because there is a high IBU number listed on a recipe that the beer may not be extra hoppy depending on the OG used?

 

[headfullahops]

Is it safe to assume that just because there is a high IBU number listed on a recipe that the beer may not be extra hoppy depending on the OG used?

The IBU number of a beer doesn't mean much without taking the gravity into account as well. 70 IBU's in a 1.100 OG Russian imperial stout will be fairly balance while the same number in a 1.050 ale will be a hop bomb. That's where the BU:OG ratio comes in handy (IBU's / decimal of OG).

That would make the beers in the example...

RIS - 0.70:1 (70/100)
Ale - 1.40:1 (70/50)

This formula also helps when upscaling a recipe, say from 5 gallons to 10.

 

[msa8967]

Thanks for adding this great explanation in. I see that this ratio is very key to making a good beer. Good me interested in tryign to find out more about how this ratio is used to look at different styles of beer.

 

[headfullahops]

I've never used the bug ratios in any recipe formation I've done, but you could find the ratio of a recipe you really like and keep that ratio the same if you ever make any tweaks to it, have to make ingredient substitutions, etc.