Hop Utilizations & Beeralchemy Software

[ChrisECarpenter]

Hi all -
Im looking at going from extract brewing to a partial with a BIAB mini-mash.
The style i'm playing with at the moment is a pils and I'm doing large(ish) batches as keg fillers.

I've downloaded beerAlchemy (for mac, seems like one of the few) which is quite nice to use, but the hop utilisation is screwing with my head;

My recipe is;

Mini Mash;
5kg Pilsner Malt
0.5kg Carapils
1kg rice

this is mashed and then brought to 25L for the boil - and a 90minute boil.

So my hop schedule is;
100gms Southern Saaz (7%)(whole flowers) 90mins
100gms Southern Saaz (7%)(whole flowers) 10mins
100gms Southern Saaz (7%)(whole flowers) at flameout.

then, 3Kg LDME to bring OG to 1.046 in 55L wort
dilute to 55L
Yeast; W34/70.

If I enter the LDME addition at end of boil, beeralchemy gives 35IBU (which sounds great)
However, if I enter the LDME addition at the beginning of the boil, it drops to 24IBU.

I don't really understand; I thought that the higher the SG of the wort, the better the hop utilisation (hence why its recommended to add LDME in extract brewing to bring the hop-boil wort to greater than 1.040.

help!?

Chris

 

[Nick JD]

You need 1.25 times as many hops in a 1.100 SG boil as you do in a 1.050 boil.

 

[Newbee(r)]

Ran your recipe through brewmate and it ran some different weights to get your OG. Note BIAB you will average around 73 to maybe 80% efficiency. Probably want to drop your 90 min addition down to 80g for a 39.5 IBU, and you have a 'within guidelines American Pilsner' if you are chasing a style.

Original Gravity (OG): 1.046 (P): 11.4
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (P): 3.1
Alcohol (ABV): 4.52 %
Colour (SRM): 4.9 (EBC): 9.7
Bitterness (IBU): 46.8 (Average)
Volume: 55L

60% Pilsner: 6.791 kg
30% Dry Malt Extract - Light: 3.396 kg
7% Rice Hulls 792g
3% Carapils (Dextrine) 340g

1.8 g/L B Saaz (6.8% Alpha) @ 90 Minutes (Boil)
1.8 g/L B Saaz (6.8% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)
1.8 g/L B Saaz (6.8% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Boil)

 

[manticle]

I don't really understand; I thought that the higher the SG of the wort, the better the hop utilisation (hence why its recommended to add LDME in extract brewing to bring the hop-boil wort to greater than 1.040.

help!?

Chris

Other way round. Higher SG= lower utilisation. However it is suggested that 1030-1050 will give good utilisation level and a smooth bittering. Extracting alpha acids etc in plain water can supposedly give harshness or so I've read.

I'm yet to try that to see for myself (although I have no real need at present to do so).

 

[ChrisECarpenter]

Ran your recipe through brewmate and it ran some different weights to get your OG. Note BIAB you will average around 73 to maybe 80% efficiency. Probably want to drop your 90 min addition down to 80g for a 39.5 IBU, and you have a 'within guidelines American Pilsner' if you are chasing a style.

Original Gravity (OG): 1.046 (P): 11.4
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (P): 3.1
Alcohol (ABV): 4.52 %
Colour (SRM): 4.9 (EBC): 9.7
Bitterness (IBU): 46.8 (Average)
Volume: 55L

60% Pilsner: 6.791 kg
30% Dry Malt Extract - Light: 3.396 kg
7% Rice Hulls 792g
3% Carapils (Dextrine) 340g

1.8 g/L B Saaz (6.8% Alpha) @ 90 Minutes (Boil)
1.8 g/L B Saaz (6.8% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)
1.8 g/L B Saaz (6.8% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Boil)

Thank you -
Im aiming for a German Pils style so it's up in the air but something like 30-35IBU with a FG of 1.011 - 1.012 sounds about right.
Interesting that this generates a BU:GU of 0.62 (which sounds low) but a Balance value of 1.35 that sounds a bit excessively hoppy.

I'm playing with BrewMate on the work PC and it seems good - but no allowance for when the LDME is added for hop utilisation, so I assume its treating it as added at mash for a fairly stiff wort.

Also interesting to be able to tick the no-chill button and see something worthwhile out of the 10min 'aroma' addition.

I'll keep playing and see what happens.
Cheers!
Chris

 

[stux]

You should take a look at BeerSmith 2 as well

I swapped to it from beer alchemy. Much happier with it