Equipment Profile - Hops Options?

[Box of Rocks]

What are your typical figures for Utilization Multiplier, First Wort Utilization, Boil Utilization, Whirlpool Utilization and Dry Hop Utilization in your Equipment Profile / Hops Options? Wondering because I have "0.95%" First Wort Utilization, and have no idea where it came from, along with my other numbers.

 

[Herm brews]

Your utilization multiplier comes from your equipment profile - it is based on the elevation of your brew house. I live about 550 feet above sea level, and my multiplier is 98%. When I lived in Anaheim, CA the elevation was about 750 feet, and the multiplier was 97% there. Do you live around 1000 feet in elevation?
I think the utilization for all of the others is based on your elevation, unless you override that selection in the recipe builder.

 

[GFHomebrew]

I have no idea and just go with what's pre calculated.

If I'm getting less bitterness or more thank expected I just adjust that "Lever" to acount for it.

 

[Box of Rocks]

I am about 75 feet above sea level.
What puzzles me is the 0.95%, not 95%. Seems odd, especially if you are putting it in so early. None of the descriptions for the equipment profile page get to those default numbers.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Mine are all blank I've never bothered to put a percentage in them fields.
@Yooper And @Pricelessbrewing what's the go with these utilization inputs and where to start if we are supposed to manually add them % ?

 

[Herm brews]

Hopefully we can get an explanation that makes sense.

 

[Box of Rocks]

Mine (First/Boil/Whirlpool/Dry) are .95% / .90% / .20% / .05%, which I believe should probably be 95%, 90%, 20% and 5%. I might have entered these, but wouldn't have entered them as fractions of a % unless by mistake.

 

[Herm brews]

My understanding is you cannot achieve 100% utilization. According to @dmtaylor the best you can hope for is ~30% at 60 minutes in the boil. Look at any of your recipes in the recipe builder (edit mode), and you will see how utilization decreases with time in the boil. The grain bill has something to do with utilization, too. Mine is a very limited understanding, so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will chime in.

 

[Herm brews]

Mine (First/Boil/Whirlpool/Dry) are .95% / .90% / .20% / .05%, which I believe should probably be 95%, 90%, 20% and 5%. I might have entered these, but wouldn't have entered them as fractions of a % unless by mistake.

I think the utilization multiplier is applied to the theoretical 30% upper limit of utilization. Again, my understanding is very limited, so I am hoping an administrator can set the record straight.

 

[Craigerrr]

I was questioning hop utilization in another thread recently ,and now it might... might make sense.
If your elevation has an effect on hops utilization, I think that I get that.
If this is the case then the utilization variable should be calculation based on your elevation, not a percentage that you need to calculate.
Disclaimer:
Although I am a paid subscriber here, I do not use the BF software for brewing.

 

[dmtaylor]

Disclaimer:
Although I am a paid subscriber here, I do not use the BF software for brewing.

Ditto.

My guesses:

The fields marked as percentages are actually fraction or ratio.

These fractions appear to include the fact that hop utilization is limited to 30-something percent, so it’s probably a ratio to the max value. Which is why this becomes so complicated that…

You should probably leave the fields all blank and allow BF to figure them out for you. Only adjust them if you determine they are wrong and you feel a need to try to correct them (you rebel!).

 

[Craigerrr]

I think this might have been answered, well at least brought up,in another thread. Would elevation have an effect on hop utilization? I bet it would in Colorado! With the lower boiling temperature, you will get less utilization in your boil hop additions. I can't imagine there would be an elevation effect at lower temperatures though.

 

[Herm brews]

I think this might have been answered, well at least brought up,in another thread. Would elevation have an effect on hop utilization? I bet it would in Colorado! With the lower boiling temperature, you will get less utilization in your boil hop additions. I can't imagine there would be an elevation effect at lower temperatures though.

Yes. I bet breweries at sea level probably achieve nearly 100% of that maximum 30% utilization at 60 minutes of boil time. The percent of the maximum 30% utilization would then decrease as time in the boil decreases.
For example, from my own recipe Red Wheat for Winter, having the edit function open in the recipe builder:

Notice beneath each hops addition, it lists IBU’s, Utilization %, and AAU’s. Also note that the Util (Optional): part of the builder has been left blank. It is all working from my elevation entered in the equipment profile.

 

[Craigerrr]

So, to save money on hops, you want to get as far below sea level as possible, and boil at as high a temperature as you can!!

 

[west1m]

Pressure cooker?

 

[Yooper]

I'm late to the conversation, but it looks like you guys gave great advice.

If unsure, the default is always a good place to start. Elevation is taken into account, but the user can set their own percentage based on their set ups, locations, etc. For example, FWH is usually 10% higher than 'boil' hops, but your mileage may vary greatly based on when you actually add the FWH, over a 1 hour fly sparge vs a quick batch sparge, how long it takes to reach a boil and how long it sits at a 'steep' temperature, etc. I chill faster than some, and sometimes I chill slowly while doing a hopstand so it doesn't always stay at 170 degrees- so I can change my utilization based on my experiences. Some people swear they get utilization from dryhops, but I don't think I do. (Hop creep is different but may be part of that).

That said, the default is a great place to start in most cases.

 

[Bigbre04]

I am about 75 feet above sea level.
What puzzles me is the 0.95%, not 95%. Seems odd, especially if you are putting it in so early. None of the descriptions for the equipment profile page get to those default numbers.

look at you bragging! Tybee is at less then 10ft lol. With my 2 flights of steps im probably at about 30ft...

I dont mess with that option in the recipe builder. Im following this thread for more info.