If you have multiple hop additions, you need to add up the IBUs from each.

Also, this gives the IBUs for a single hop addition. Note that the hop utilization U% varies by boil time, wort gravity, and a number of other factors. Where U% is the hop utilization in percent, ALPHA% is the percent alpha for the hop variety, W_OZ is the hop weight in ounces, and V_GAL is the volume of hops in gallons.

A simplified equation from Ray Daniel’s Book Designing Great Beers for IBUs is: As a practical substitute for an elaborate lab, home brewers use equations to estimate the IBU content of their beer. Measuring the actual IBU content of a beer requires a laboratory. You can adjust your bitterness in IBUs to be within the beer style range. This provides an excellent guide for anyone who wants to know how much hops to add for a particular beer style. Professionals and advanced brewers use IBUs estimates exclusively to help them design world class beers.īeer Style guides such as the BJCP 2008 Style Guide list the bitterness range in IBUs for dozens of beer styles. One IBU is measured directly using a formula with a spectrophotometer and solvent extraction. HBUs just don’t do it!Ī much more accurate method to determine beer bitterness is the International Bitterness Unit (IBU). An accurate estimate of bitterness depends on important factors like the size of the batch, size of the boil, original gravity, and boils time for the hops. While HBUs are easy to calculate for beginners, they are not very accurate.

Fuggles hops have an alpha acid content of about 4.5%, so 2 ounces of fuggles hops would be 9 HBUs. In his book he introduces the Home Bitterness Unit (HBU) defined simply as the number of ounces of hops times the alpha content for that hops. My first book as a homebrewer was Charles Papazian’s excellent work The Complete Joy of Homebrewing.

Knowing exactly how much to use for your target equipment and beer style can save you a lot of money and enhance the quality of your finished beer. How much beer hops is enough? It is important to understand the quantity of hops you need to properly balance your home brewed beer.

Brad smith beersmith