About BU:GU ratio

[okoncentrerad]

I been correcting some of my to-be-brewed-recipes since I learned about the bitterness ratio not too long ago. One of my recipes was way out of chart and I had to look at the original recipe to see where I typed wrong, but it seems like I hadn't. I did scale the recipe slightly, the original was for 19 litres and I got it down to 10 litres, which is the amount I've been brewing so far since it fits me well. I scaled the hops accordingly of course.

However, the IBU is at 112 (the original says 108), giving it a BU:GU ratio of 1.73...which would make it very bitter if I've understand things correctly?

I've been looking at this chart http://www.bullcityhomebrew.com/images/Bitterness-Ratio.pdf and the top value in that chart is a imperial IPA coming in at a max ratio at 1.33. So my question, is it something wrong with the original recipe or could some beers actually have those high IBU:s?

The original recipe is http://barclayperkins.blogspot.se/2011/07/lets-brew-wednesday-1883-truman-export.html

 

[Nosybear]

First, above about 100 IBUs is just about impossible for us to achieve. That said, it will be a very bitter beer. I don't know why a BU/GU ratio above 1.33 would not be possible but we're talking about session hop juice. You just can't isomerize that much alpha acid with our procedures without resorting to hop extracts or oils.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

bitterness is a relative thing. I'm drinking a 100 IBU beer now and to me its not bitter at all and thats because its loaded with hops after the boil and that can mask the bitter taste, bitterness is really loaded with variables that can change depending on all sorts of things, water, yeast and when the hops are added

 

[okoncentrerad]

Thanks, I will just try to adjust the amount of hops anyway, so I get a reasonable ratio. Have to try and learn

 

[Nosybear]

That's the fun of it. Good luck!