Question about Bitter Beer

[tooblue02]

So my first attempt at a bitter beer (Stone Ruination type IPA) made it down to just about the FG mark (OG was 1.065, FG is currently 1.018) and when I tasted today it was pretty bitter, almost too much so. I was shooting for about 150IBU's which I know is way high on the scale but it was part of my plan. Anyways with the beer just about ready for dry hopping is the bitterness something that will work itself out when it carbonates and dry hops or should I chuck it and start over. It has a great aroma, and color, but I am worried I went over board! Thanks for the help!. This was a BIAB with California Ale yeast and yeast starter, 5 gallon batch.

I have Centennial, Citra, and Magnum (1oz each) for the 6 days of dry hopping. Hop schedule was as follows:
1oz of Columbus 60 mins
1oz of Magnum 60 mins
1oz of Warrior 20mins
1oz of Citra 15 mins
1oz of Centennial 5 mins

 

[feinbera]

It'll probably taste a lot better cold and carbonated – you've already done the hardest parts and used almost all of the ingredients, may as well finish at this point!

Off the top of my head, that does seem a little "front-loaded" towards early additions, given the gravity and total amount of hops. Raw bitterness conditions out far more slowly than hop aroma and flavor, so, you probably won't have much luck "waiting it out." But, with cold, bubbles, and 3oz of dry hops, I'm confident this beer will taste much better once it's done, if not exactly perfect.

Dry hop it, carb it, and drink it before those dry hop aromas fade -- you should be finishing off that last sixer just in time for your improved second attempt at the recipe to be finishing up. ;-)

 

[LLBeanJ]

I think the bitterness you taste today will be pretty much the same or slightly less when it's cold and carbonated, so yes, you may have overdone it a bit. However, the bitterness will fade with time, so it will get better. At this point, you may want to skip the dry hopping, or at least dial it back a bit. I'd definitely leave out the Magnum from the dry hop as it's a great variety for bittering, but not all that great for flavor and aroma. You might just want to dry hop with the Citra and call it good. Bottle as normal and crack open one a month until it gets to where you like it. I certainly wouldn't dump it just because it's overly bitter right now.

 

[shawnbou]

I agree with feinbera. At this point you may as well finish it out and drink it. Dry hopped, carbed, and cold, it will at least have something going on in it besides bitterness.

But from my perspective, 150 IBU with an OG of 1.065 is a very high bitterness ratio. That's a BU:GU ratio of 2.3 ... off the charts of "hop forward". I think you got exactly what you were trying to make!

 

[tooblue02]

Thinking about going up on the citra for the dry hopping to maybe 2oz and then bottling after 6 days. What is a good BU/OG ration for future reference?

I love bitter IPA's so I think I was just having too much fun with Beer Smith!