Woops. Low mash temp = 110 IBU.

[Anubis]

I made this on Sunday but my thermometer broke so I had to use an old turkey thermometer which I really didn't trust. I was aiming for 150 and think I hit about 143-145. I got the lowest efficiency ever. So here's the recipe, specs I was aiming for and where I ended up.

Recipe:

YEAST: S-04
STARTER: Rehydrate

12# 2 Row
.5# 40L
.5# Munich 10L

2.25 oz Citra 13.8% @ 60 min
1.25 oz Citra 13.8% @ 15 min
.5 oz Citra 13.8% @ 5 min
2 oz Citra 13.8% @ Dry Hop

1/2 tab WhirlFloc @ 5 min


What I was going for:

OG: 1075
FG: 1018
IBU: 84
SRM: 6
EFF: 80%
ABV: 7.3%
FERM TEMP: 68F
FERM TIME: 'Till it's done?
SECONDARY: Nope

Single Inf. 152F for 75min
Batch Sparge
No Mash Out


What I got:

OG: 1054
FG: 1013
IBU: 110
SRM: 6
EFF: 59%
ABV: 5.2%

I think the combo of a thicker mash do to restricted space (5gal MLT at the moment) and my low temps were responsible. I know I'll probably love it but do you think it will be over the top bitter and too dry?

 

[chapa]

It'll probably be exactly like you said, dry and VERY bitter. Let it sit for a while, and hopefully it'll mellow out though. Dry hop it real good, so you have some flavor and aroma to offset the bitterness. 2oz is pretty good, but maybe even go for 3-4oz, especially since you went pretty light-handed on your finishing hops. I had a brew that came out really high in IBUs, and I hit a horrible eff...it was a really bitter beer, but it smoothed out, and the last pull off the keg was INCREDIBLE!! Good luck!

 

[Frodo]

I once had an English Pale where I accidentally added 4 oz hops (Fuggles and Cascade) at 60 min, instead of just 2 oz then and 2 oz for finishing. It was crazy bitter, but good, and it also smoothed out and got much better as time went on. I didn't dryhop though - I'm betting if you did it would help it for that first few weeks, then as the dry hop aroma fades the bitterness will have mellowed out... Mine was right in the ballpark of OG 1.050 with 86 IBUs, so probably really similar to what you're looking at.

 

[cactusgarrett]

The lower temp shouldn't have contributed to a more bitter beer (IBU contribution) or a lower efficiency. In theory it should only contribute to a more fermentable wort. Maybe the end product might be *perceived* as more bitter due to the relatively thinner finish, though...

 

[Anubis]

The lower temp shouldn't have contributed to a more bitter beer (IBU contribution) or a lower efficiency. In theory it should only contribute to a more fermentable wort. Maybe the end product might be *perceived* as more bitter due to the relatively thinner finish, though...

I guess what I was trying to say was because I had a low efficiency I had a lower starting gravity. Therefore when I recalculated for the new gravity the balance was off (malty/hoppy) and you would be able to taste 110IBU's instead of 80. Unless I am wrong about how IBU's work. I've always been under the impression that the OG is included in the calculation for determining the IBU amount in beer. So because my OG went down and I didn't change my hop schedule or amounts my IBU's went up to 110.....

Is that right?

 

[cactusgarrett]

Yup, that's right. To me, it initially sounded like you were equating your lower temp (that's the part i was focusing on) to the loss of efficiency. But you got it right: low OG -> slightly lower utilization but imbalanced towards hoppy.

 

[malkore]

No, your OG doesn't affect IBU's. It DOES affect the perception of the IBU's.

I think the gravity and IBU calculation you're thinking about is a ratio many brewers use to prevent the creation of an overly hoppy/malty (or under hop/malt) recipe.
google IBU Bitterness Ratio and see if that's what you're thinking about.

 

[Anubis]

That's why I said taste like more IBU. Are we talking BU:GU?

 

[Frodo]

I think you'd be talking more about GU:BU, cause that's what matters to the tongue. How did you calculate the 110 IBUs by the way? It might have gone up a little, due to less dense wort and higher hop utilization, but a jump of 20+ IBU seems like too much, with your numbers.

edit: if you didn't change the amounts of hops, the IBUs would only go up some due to higher utilization, but that's the only reason they'd change.

 

[Scooby_Brew]

Anubis, I plugged those numbers in ProMash and I got 164 IBU (!). It looks like this recipe is out of balance, even if you like very bitter beers. Your options right now are to see if you like this beer the way it is, bottle it and see if the bitterness goes down after a few months, or brew a similar, but very low IBU beer to blend it half-and-half.
BTW, when I plug in your anticipated efficiency 80% and OG 1.070, I get 159 IBU's, which is still way to much. The reason why the beer is too bitter has very little to do with the mash temps or the efficiency. You simply used too many bittering hops.
IMO you need to get yourself some kind of a brewing software like ProMash or similar to help you build more balanced recipes.

 

[cactusgarrett]

This is a good place to start:

[url=https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39011] [/URL]

 

[Scooby_Brew]

Yes, this chart is a good place to start, although if you like let's say IIPAs, your brew may be out of this chart. And this is OK, as long as this is a type of beer you like. Going in the range of 150+ IBUs, like the OP, is a little much though.

 

[Soma]

I was under the impression that 100ish is the maximum achievable bitterness without using hop extracts. This will certainly be a bitter ale, but I'd bet it'll amuse hopheads.

 

[Anubis]

Anubis, I plugged those numbers in ProMash and I got 164 IBU (!). It looks like this recipe is out of balance, even if you like very bitter beers. Your options right now are to see if you like this beer the way it is, bottle it and see if the bitterness goes down after a few months, or brew a similar, but very low IBU beer to blend it half-and-half.
BTW, when I plug in your anticipated efficiency 80% and OG 1.070, I get 159 IBU's, which is still way to much. The reason why the beer is too bitter has very little to do with the mash temps or the efficiency. You simply used too many bittering hops.
IMO you need to get yourself some kind of a brewing software like ProMash or similar to help you build more balanced recipes.

I am only doing a 3.5 gal boil and topping off that is why my IBU's are lower. What would it read at if it were 5 gal batch with only 3.
5 gal boil and a 2.5 gal top off?

 

[Anubis]

How did you calculate the 110 IBUs by the way?

edit: if you didn't change the amounts of hops, the IBUs would only go up some due to higher utilization, but that's the only reason they'd change.

Used Beercalculus.com and adjust for a 3.5 gal boil and top off to 5.

But my starting gravity changed because my eff was low = I had less sugars to offset the bitterness = My IBU's "go up" because the balance had changed???

 

[Anubis]

This is a good place to start:

[url=https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=39011] [/URL]

I have it but my taste can wander pretty far from this scale. It was my desktop background for a little while there.