Sample After 3 Days In Primary Was Insanely Bitter

[Yooper]

Awesome. Makes sense considering they say the human tongue can't taste over 120 IBUs so therefore all these so-called 120+ beers aren't in fact.

The calculator took into account boil size and then "batch size." My boil amount was 3 gallons and the batch was 5. The only thing I am still curious about is, if it turns out too bitter, I'll need to catch that before I bottle right? That way I can brew a less bitter batch and blend the 2?


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

If you ended up with say, 2.5 gallons from the boil, and added water of 2.5 gallons, the absolute most level of IBUs you could have is 50 (as 100 in the wort, and then half water), but it's more likely that the most you had was about 80, so you'd be lucky to have 40-45 IBUs total. That's not too much, and it's one of the reasons making an IPA with a partial boil is almost impossible without using hop extracts.

Remember that carbonation provides a carbonic acid bite, and will also counter some bitterness. I wouldn't think you'd need to lower the bitterness in this beer at all- but if it's undrinkably bitter you could try blending. I wouldn't, as keep in mind that aging the beer a bit also makes a huge difference and this beer probably is probably bittered on the low end for IPAs.

 

[pablosbrewing]

When the extract is added has very little impact on the final IBUs

Simple Beersmith example - 3 gal pot extract profile, 5 gal fermenter volume:

5 lbs extra light DME (in boil 60 minutes)
1 oz Centennial 10% AAU 60 minutes
25.3 IBU

Same exact ingredients - put the DME in at 15 minutes to go
50.8 IBU (2X bitter)

It matters.

Edit: I though this was because of isomerization limits compared to the wort SG. Now I'm not sure based on other comments.

 

[pablosbrewing]

It's impossible to ever get a wort of over 100 IBUs- no matter what it calculates out to, as hops oils will only isomerize to about that level, before the wort is saturated with hops oils.

Q: Do the BJCP styles go above 100 somply because the calculators will report above 100?

 

[Yooper]

Q: Do the BJCP styles go above 100 somply because the calculators will report above 100?

I assume so, or that they are looking at the IBU/SG ratio or something.

It would be possible to get over 100 IBUs in a beer using something like hop extract, but few commercial brewers do this.

 

[pablosbrewing]

I assume so, or that they are looking at the IBU/SG ratio or something.

It would be possible to get over 100 IBUs in a beer using something like hop extract, but few commercial brewers do this.

Er Ma Gherd.

I guess that explains what the hop resin globs in my DIPA primary are - I hit a literal speed bump on hop oil solubility.

 

[mikeyk12]

Thanks Yooper for giving me some extremely solid advice. I plan on getting this beer into bottles as soon as it's ready, and I'm not gonna worry until it's carbed.

Took a measurement today, day 8, and it's down to 1.007 and it's still bubbling in my blow off bucket. Gonna be dryyyyyy.

From left to right 3.5 days, 5 days, 6 days, 8 days.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[mikeyk12]

I took a final sample and it was 1.007 again so I'm dry hopping now. Should be ready to bottle on Saturday.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew