What Really Is IBU? – Firestone Walker Brewing Company IBU — it’s a term many of us have seen when reading about beer. But what does it mean? IBU stands for International Bitterness Units, a scale to gauge the level of a beer’s bitterness. More specifically, IBUs measure the parts per million of isohumulone from hops in a beer, which gives beer bitterness. 
The IBU scale was invented because it felt important to measure how bitter a beer was, and the assignment of numbers helps with conceptual understanding. In short, the IBU scale is a way to quantify and better understand a beer. But while the numbers are clear, the perceived bitterness of beer can be very different. 
Beer is all about balance, and IBU isn’t the only indicator of how a beer may taste. It’s not uncommon to see a beer with a high number of IBUs that doesn’t actually taste bitter, as malt/grain character and sweetness can balance out bitterness in a beer. 
Many beer drinkers have found that there’s a general IBU range they prefer, and styles of beer tend to fall within a particular IBU range. The list below identifies some common beer styles and their associated IBUs.
Light Lager — 4-10 Blond Ale — 14-25 Saison — 20-38 Pilsner — 25-45 Dry Stout — 30-35 Pale Ale — 30-50 Hazy IPA — 30-50 Hazy Double IPA — 45-80 West Coast IPA — 50-70 Imperial Stout — 50-80 Double IPA — 65-100
We offer a variety of beers at Firestone Walker, with options across all across the IBU scale. Some of our current offerings on the lower end of the scale include at 10 IBU and at 17 IBU, while beers coming in a bit higher on the scale include and, both at 60 IBU.
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What is a good IBU for beer?
What’s the Meaning of IBU? – First things first, IBU stands for “International Bitterness Unit” or “International Bittering Unit,” depending on who you ask. In other words, it is a measurement of the bitterness of a beer – it can be used for other foods and beverages, but we’re only worried about beer today.
Before this term was coined, it was quite difficult to really measure, evaluate, and discuss just how bitter one beer was compared to another. But with the IBU system, it is (somewhat) easier.The exact method of measuring and indicating IBU for a beer is relatively complicated and can involve some very precise scientific equipment.
Without getting too technical, know that it is based on measuring the number of compounds in a quantity of beer that cause bitterness on the tongue. In general, the more of those compounds that are present in a beer, the higher its IBU, and the more bitter it will taste.Have you got that? High IBU = more bitter.
Is 40 IBU bitter?
The Science Behind Beer Flavor: International Bitterness Units (IBU) Acid from hops adds bitterness to, a flavor brewers attempt to quantify with an International Bitterness Units (IBU) scale. But the perception of bitterness in beer changes with individual tastes and the amount of malt, which adds the balancing sweetness, making the scale only moderately useful in determining the “hoppiness” or perceived bitterness of a beer.
Hops are the flowers of the perennial vine Humulus lupulus, a member of the Cannabaceae, or hemp family. Hops add both flavor and preservative characteristics to beer. They have varying levels of alpha acids, which add bitterness to beer. Varieties of hops that are light on alpha acids result in lighter-tasting brews.
Brewers also sometimes employ a dry-hopping method that adds flavor and aroma without increasing IBU. Commercial brewers track IBU as a method of quality control, helping them maintain consistent flavor from batch to batch. IBU measures the parts per million (ppm) of isohumulone, the chemical that results when alpha acids from the hops get heated during the boil.
Higher concentrations of isohumulone theoretically result in more bitter beers. But other factors affect the flavor too. Generally speaking, beers with IBU of less than 20 display little to no hops presence. Beers with IBU from 20 to 45, the most common range, reveal a mild to pronounced hops presence.
Heavily hopped beers with IBU greater than 45 can taste quite bitter. Malt adds sweetness, so generously malted beers in the high IBU range can come across as more sweet than bitter, such as a dark stout. Guinness, with an IBU of 40, tastes sweeter to most drinkers than Odell 90 Schilling, a Scottish-style ale with an IBU of 27 but a distinctly bitter bite on the finish.
- IPAs dominate the hoppiness race, with double and triple IPAs pushing the IBU rating into the 70-plus range.
- By comparison, popular mass-produced American lagers such as Coors, Budweiser, and Miller land at the 10-point mark.
- Dogfish Head Brewery in Rehoboth, Delaware, released its Hoo Lawd black IPA in 2015 at 658 IBU, the highest lab-verified IBU rating.
But many beer connoisseurs argue that any increase above 100 is nothing more than a marketing ploy as the average palate can’t discern that degree of difference. Many brewers display the IBU on their labels, so you can use this number as a guide to assess your likely enjoyment of a brew before you purchase it.
Lagers, pilsners, blonde, brown, and cream ales, porters, malts, and wheat beers usually come in on the lower end of the bitterness scale. Pale ales, IPAs, and amber ales typically range higher. But remember that the presence of fruit or honey or malt can greatly affect the perception of bitterness, adding a smooth sweetness or crisp quality to the beer.
It’s common to find IPAs with a fruit profile, such as New Belgium’s Citradelic Tangerine IPA or Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin. The extra flavor can come from the hops themselves, which can impart a range of flavors from fruity to grassy to spicy or from actual add-ins such as citrus zest.
How bitter is 35 IBU?
The concept of bitterness can be somewhat complicated for beer consumers. It’s essential in the development of a stable beer recipe, and it is the sensation most used to describe hops, a key ingredient in lagers and ales. But consumers still largely favor crisper or sweeter malt-driven selections.
- In the 1950s and ’60s, the brewing community banded together to create the International Bitterness Units (IBU) scale.
- The scale was the solution to an issue brewers had with the hops they were using, where alpha acids were decreasing between harvest and brewing.
- It’s always been a brewer’s reference lab measurement that you can use to check for the consistency of your own flavors inside the brewery,” says Steve Parkes, director of the American Brewers Guild Brewing School and owner of Drop-In Brewing, in Middlebury, Vermont.
“As a brewery, you need to hit a number from your process so you can know your efficiencies and your losses during fermentation. You want to be able to nail the number every time.” IBUs are measured by the amount of alpha acid derived from hops in wort or a fermented beer, which is then multiplied by 5/7.
The values range from 1 to 110, and there are a variety of ways that breweries can calculate an accurate reading, including the use of ultraviolet (UV) light or via sophisticated instruments. From time to time, brewers will add IBUs alongside other information like alcohol by volume (abv) and Standard Reference Method (SRM) score, which evaluates color.
Offering bitterness statistics to consumers helped fuel the growth of the India pale ale in U.S. markets. “To the general beer consumer, the IBU number does not really explain much, unless you go into a great deal of length to explain it to somebody, which is almost impossible to do on a label,” says Parkes.
For some brewers, putting high IBU numbers on packaging was akin to a badge of honor or a dare for drinkers to embrace aggressive hoppiness. In many cases, this led to confusion among consumers or even a reluctance to try a particular beer. An IBU can be helpful to indicate if a beer is within accepted style guidelines.
American light lagers typically strive for no more than 10 IBUs, so one that boasts 35 would be irredeemably bitter. However, an extra special bitter (ESB, or English-style pale ale), that checks in at the same level will have great balance. Studying up on various styles, from imperial stouts to doppelbocks, Berliner weisse and saison, will help calibrate a palate to expect certain levels of perceived bitterness and can square the numbers between taste buds and the brain.
Is 25 IBU bitter?
Ask A Pro: What does IBU really mean? You know that little number you sometimes see on the back of a can of IPA? In short, it stands for International Bitterness Units and IBUs are one of the ways that the brewing world quantifies the level of bitterness in a beer.
The backstory: Beer needs a couple basic components to taste like beer. There is the sweetness and flavours from the malt, like the bready/toasty/caramelized aspects, and there is also bitterness from the hops to balance out the malt. Without bitterness, beer would be very unbalanced, sweet, and clumsy.
Even the most malty beers in the world have some degree of bitterness to level out the flavours. IBUs are measured on a scale of 0-100, although it’s unlikely you’ll see one below 5 or over 100, since the human palate can’t really detect a difference past that.
- To give an example of a low bitterness style (5-15 IBU) think of a light American Lager or a German Weissebier.
- An example of higher IBUs (in the 50-80 range) would be an American IPA or a dark, Imperial Stout.
- Important: while bitterness is extremely important to your beer experience, it is not the same thing as hoppiness.
Hops are added at various points in the production of beer. The further down the process that hops are added, will give different qualities to the finished beer. Hops added early in the boil provide much of the bitterness (IBUs) that we’ve been talking about.
Later in the process will give t he actual flavour of hops and later still, in the case of “Dry Hopping”, the aromas associated with hops. Depending on when the hops are added there will be big differences in what you experience. For example, a light pale ale could have 25 IBU (not that bitter) but could have so many late addition hops, that it’s completely bursting with tropical citrus aromas and flavours (aka very hoppy).
Do you have questions about wine, beer or spirits that you’d like us to answer? Send your questions to to be featured in a future segment! : Ask A Pro: What does IBU really mean?
What IBU is Guinness?
Guinness Draught, Guinness & Co, Dublin, Ireland, ABV:4.2%, IBU: 50.
Is 70 IBU bitter?
IPA: India pale ale tends to have a high perceived bitterness, reflected in its IBU range of 50–70. American IPAs have become remarkably varied as a subcategory of beer, from hoppy, higher ABV Double IPAs or Imperial IPAs with high IBUs to lighter session IPAs.
What is the IBU of Heineken?
5% ABV – 19 IBU – Heineken – Zoeterwoude, Zuid-Holland. Heineken is a 5% ABV euro pale lager, made by Heineken International since 1873.
What beer is 120 IBU?
Too extreme to be called beer? 120 Minute IPA is brewed to a colossal 45-degree plato, boiled for a full two hours while being continuously hopped with high-alpha American hops, then dry-hopped daily in the fermenter for a month and aged for another month on whole-leaf hops! Clocking in at 15-20% ABV and 120 IBUs, 120 Minute is by far the biggest IPA ever brewed! It’s easy to see why we call this beer THE HOLY GRAIL for hopheads! We brew 120 Minute IPA a few times a year, but it goes fast.
Can a beer have 0 IBU?
What does IBU mean?
- Contrary to popular belief, IBU does not stand for “International Betterness Units.”
- IBU and ABV (Alcohol By Volume) are two of the most common descriptors you will see on a menu or tap list when selecting your perfect beer so it’s good to understand how to interpret IBUs in terms of the taste and style of a beer.
- Let’s start with a basic definition.
IBU stands for International Bitterness Units. International Bitterness Units are a unit of measurement for the amount of bittering compounds in a beer (isomerized and oxidized alpha acids, polyphenols, and bittering chemicals). These bittering compounds give a beer (you guessed it) bitterness.
- In general, you can assume that the higher the IBUs are on in a given beer, the more bitter it will taste when you take a sip.
- But the IBUs alone aren’t the full story.
- IBUs are often calculated by a brewer based on the amount and type of hops added to a beer and when those hops are used in the brewing and cellaring process, but malts and other ingredients added to give a beer its flavors can mask or augment the bitterness you may actually detect upon drinking it.
- The higher a beer’s malt content, or gravity, the more likely the malt and body of a beer is going to mask the bitterness as represented by the IBUs.
Think of a double IPA. Typically, to achieve a balance of flavor in a bigger, higher ABV IPA, you want to have a higher IBU so that the sweetness of the malt is perfectly complemented by the higher bitterness. Black malts, spices, and herbs can also provide bitterness outside of the measurement represented in a beer’s IBU and may cause a beer to taste more bitter than you expect.
- Most beers have an IBU between 0 and 100, but there are some beers that “break the scales.” The common understanding when it comes to the human palate is that we can only recognize the bitterness of a beer up to approximately 110 IBUs.
- Many have claimed to detect beyond that scale or that they can distinguish between a 200 IBU beer and a 150 IBU beer, but the science says otherwise.
Beyond 110 IBUs, you should (if you’re human, that is) lose all comprehension of how much more bitter a beer may be. Still, it’s good to know how much higher than 110 IBUs a beer is calculated to be as it can be an indication of whether a beer is trying to be balanced or pushing the boundaries of hop content and bitterness.
It’ll tell you what you’re getting yourself into. So when it comes to IBUs, we’d strongly suggest reserve judgment. Use it as a guide in your beer selection process, but don’t set hard and fast rules about which IBUs you find acceptable to your palate. If you do, you might miss out on trying a beer that amazes and tantalizes you just because of a little isohumulone.
: What does IBU mean?
How high of IBU can humans taste?
The Oxford Companion to Beer Definition of International Bitterness Units (IBUs) The Oxford Companion to Beer definition of International Bitterness Units (Ibus) are the internationally agreed-upon standard for measuring bitterness in beer. See, Sometimes referred to by the shortened acronym BU, for Bitterness Units, IBUs are calculated values composed of the quantity of material in wort or beer derived from hop resin (alpha acids), multiplied by the fraction 5/7.
- See, This IBU method was developed in the 1950s and 1960s, when most brewers used unrefrigerated baled hops, which, by the time the hops were actually used in the brew kettle, had often lost between 40% and 80% of their alpha acid–derived bittering potential.
- Instead they had obtained some 20% to 60% of their bittering power from oxidation products of the hop resins.
As a result, the true bitterness in beer did not correlate very well with a simple measurement of its iso-alpha acids, expressed as milligrams of iso-alpha acids per liter of beer. See and, The IBU analysis was developed precisely to overcome this discrepancy.
The correction factor of 5/7 in the IBU calculation was selected because it was assumed that this was the fraction of hop resin–derived material, which, in the average beer of the day, was actually iso-alpha acids. In beers for which this assumption did not hold, of course, the values for IBUs and milligrams per liter of iso-alpha acids were still not the same.
This has, not surprisingly, led to some confusion. The complexity notwithstanding, for the brewer, IBU values are an important quality control measurement for defining beer flavor and for determining whether a particular batch of beer is true to its style or brand specifications.
- In practical terms, 1 IBU equals 1 mg/l or 1 ppm of iso-alpha acids in solution.
- IBU values, therefore, give useful information about a brew’s bitterness intensity.
- There is an elaborate formula that incorporates such variables as hop utilization, which allows brewers to calculate the expected IBUs of their beers during recipe formulation.
See, Beers can range from 1 to about 100 IBUs, whereby the taste threshold for most humans is roughly between 4 and 9 IBUs—different studies suggest slightly different sensitivity intervals, but all within this range. The theoretical saturation point of iso-alpha acids in beer is approximately 110 IBUs, which corresponds to 78.6 IBUs (5/7 × 110).
- In practice, however, this value is rarely achieved because it assumes that there are no other hop-derived resins in the beer, which is rarely the case.
- American mass market lagers have typical IBU ranges of 5 to 10 IBUs, Bavarian hefeweizens 8 to 12 IBUs, amber lagers 20 to 25 IBUs, American pale ales 35 to 40 IBUs, American India pale ales (IPAs) 55 to 70 IBUs, and “double IPAs” and American barley wines 65 to 100 IBUs.
IBU values measured in the wort in the brewhouse drop dramatically, and largely unpredictably, during fermentation. This is why wort IBUs and beer IBUs are always two distinctly separate values and a brewer’s initial IBU calculations are only estimates of the true bitterness of the finished beer.
- Measuring the true IBU value of beer requires complicated laboratory techniques such as ultraviolet light (UV) spectrophotometric assay or high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). See,
- The UV method is more common and can usually be performed even by small brewery laboratories, but it tends to be less accurate than the more sophisticated HPLC method, for which only large laboratories tend to be equipped.
Trained flavor panelists, too, are often able to taste and approximate IBU values in beer with reasonable accuracy. However, any strong sweetness and too many malty notes, especially in higher-gravity, more assertive beers, can counterbalance and cover up much of the bitterness and thus make bitterness assessments based purely on tasting more difficult.
Regardless of how IBU values are derived, however, they do not provide information about the quality of the bitterness. In wine, for instance, tannin content can be measured, but this does not tell anything about the smoothness, roughness, or astringency of the wine. Likewise, low-IBU brews, such as many malt liquors, for instance, can taste rough, whereas high-IBU beers, such as well-brewed rich Russian imperial stouts, can taste smooth and velvety.
Also, measured IBUs in beer, like tannins in wine, decrease as the beverage ages. Some beers, therefore, may be very tough and bitter in their youth—barley wines tend to be a typical example—but may become supple and balanced after a few years of cellaring.
For all its recent use in the public sphere, where it sometimes even appears in craft beer advertising, the IBU is a laboratory construct that was never meant to leave the laboratory. Its purpose is to help brewers formulate beers and then keep them consistent from batch to batch. The usefulness of the IBU to the beer consumer is highly debatable.
Once the beer leaves the laboratory context, many non-iso alpha acid factors, including other hop components, roast character, carbonation, water chemistry, and residual sugar, may exert such influence as to make the IBU an entirely unreliable indicator of actual perceived bitterness.
- Bishop, L.R.
- And Analysis Committee of the EBC.
- The measurement of bitterness in beers,
- Journal of the Institute of Brewing 70 (1964): 489–97.
- Yamada, Yuzo, and Yukphan, Pattarapom,
- Genera and species in acetic acid bacteria,
- International Journal of Food Microbiology 125 (2008): 15–24.
- Rigby, F.L., and J.L.
Bethune, Rapid methods for the determination of total hop bitter substances (iso-compounds) in beer, Journal of the Institute of Brewing 61 (1955): 325–32. Matthew Brynildson and Val Peacock : The Oxford Companion to Beer Definition of International Bitterness Units (IBUs)
What is the IBU of a pilsner?
The Oxford Companion to Beer Definition of Bohemian pilsner, The Oxford Companion to Beer definition of Bohemian Pilsner, a beer style that retains closer links to the origins of the “pilsner family” of lager beer styles than any other type. The town of Pilsen (Plzeň in Czech) is the capital of Czech Bohemia, and it is here that Bavarian brewer Josef Groll brewed the original pilsner beer in 1842.
That brewery is now called Plzeňský Prazdroj, better known as Pilsner Urquell, which means original source. However, within the Czech Republic, only beer from Pilsen is called pilsner, even when it is brewed in the same style. For the Czechs, pilsner is essentially an appellation contrôlée, and German brewers respect this by calling their similar beers by the truncated name “pils.” To the rest of the world, Czech beers such as Staropramen, Gambrinus, Krusovice, and Budweiser Budvar represent a style called Bohemian or Czech pilsner.
Eventually, the German pilsner brewers refined their pils beers into a style that became distinct from the Bohemian originals. They are very much lager beers, cold-fermented and aged for up to 90 days. Whereas German pilsners eventually became paler, reaching for a bright yellow color, the Czech beers are deep gold, sometimes even showing hints of red, although the brewing grists are invariably 100% pilsner malt.
- Part of this is caused by differing malts and water, and some of it may be caused by darkening of the wort by oxidation in open grants as the wort runs from the lauter tuns. See and,
- Decoction mashing remains common in the Czech breweries, and this may have a darkening effect as well, also perhaps bringing a deepening of malt flavors.
Hops tend to be the local floral Saaz variety and they are used more assertively. Whereas the average German pilsner today has a bitterness of 28 International Bitterness Units (IBUs), the Czech pilsners are usually closer to 35 IBU, making them notably snappier.
- Balanced against this is a bit more malt sweetness, a slightly toastier malt flavor, and sometimes even a small whiff of diacetyl, a buttery-tasting compound created by yeast and aggressively opposed by most lager brewers.
- Altogether these qualities make the Bohemian pilsner a more full-bodied version of the style than the German one, and some beer festival competitions separate the two into their own categories.
Garrett Oliver : The Oxford Companion to Beer Definition of Bohemian pilsner,
Is 90 IBU bitter?
Relative & Perceived Bitterness – While it would seem that a beer with higher IBUs would be more bitter than one with lower IBUs; that’s not always the case. That is where the magic of beer can occur. The malts used in beer are the counterpart to bitterness. So if a beer has a lot of malts (probably higher ABV), then it can balance out a higher level of IBUs.
- For example, a beer that has 60 IBUs and is 6% ABV will taste about as bitter as a 90 IBU beer with 9% ABV.
- In addition, a beer with 40 IBUs and 3% ABV will taste more bitter than a beer with 60 IBUs and 8% ABV.
- This is often seen in stouts (which uses more malt than many other styles) can have IBUs that are 60 or higher and have nearly no bitterness.
The IBUs always must be considered as a relative factor compared to the other elements of the beer. It can be viewed like this; more malt = higher ABV = greater ability to balance bitterness. This is a very simplified view that won’t apply to every beer but it’s a good place to start.
- The other factor is perceived bitterness – aka how bitter the beer actually tastes.
- And these is impacted by each person’s ability to taste and handle bitterness.
- The lesson here is we can’t judge a beer based on the IBU level alone.
- It takes understanding a lot more about the beer to give an estimated guess on how bitter it will taste.
The only true proof of bitterness is to actually drink it and judge for yourself. Check out this video from my friends at as they explain Relative Bitterness and why high IBUs shouldn’t scare you away from trying a beer. It will increase your knowledge of hoppy vs bitter.
What means IPA?
What does IPA stand for and what is the history of the name, “IPA?” – IPA stands for India Pale Ale. There’s a history behind the name, going back to the British Empire and their colonies, but the thing is: “IPA” today has evolved into its own unique, beautiful beast that simply can’t be compared to the style’s historical origin.
While a higher-ABV, more heavily hopped beer may have been more suitable for long journeys and long-term storage, we know today that IPAs are best enjoyed fresh, cold, and not out of an oak barrel that’s been on a swaying ship for several months. Crazy, right? Generally, modern American IPAs tend to be around 6-7% ABV.
But it’s all about the variations. There have even been IPAs that aren’t “pale” at all. Here’s a quick look at some of the most popular IPA variations, along with their ABVs:
What does 100 IBU mean in beer?
What Really Is IBU? – Firestone Walker Brewing Company IBU — it’s a term many of us have seen when reading about beer. But what does it mean? IBU stands for International Bitterness Units, a scale to gauge the level of a beer’s bitterness. More specifically, IBUs measure the parts per million of isohumulone from hops in a beer, which gives beer bitterness. The IBU scale was invented because it felt important to measure how bitter a beer was, and the assignment of numbers helps with conceptual understanding. In short, the IBU scale is a way to quantify and better understand a beer. But while the numbers are clear, the perceived bitterness of beer can be very different. Beer is all about balance, and IBU isn’t the only indicator of how a beer may taste. It’s not uncommon to see a beer with a high number of IBUs that doesn’t actually taste bitter, as malt/grain character and sweetness can balance out bitterness in a beer. Many beer drinkers have found that there’s a general IBU range they prefer, and styles of beer tend to fall within a particular IBU range. The list below identifies some common beer styles and their associated IBUs.
Light Lager — 4-10 Blond Ale — 14-25 Saison — 20-38 Pilsner — 25-45 Dry Stout — 30-35 Pale Ale — 30-50 Hazy IPA — 30-50 Hazy Double IPA — 45-80 West Coast IPA — 50-70 Imperial Stout — 50-80 Double IPA — 65-100
We offer a variety of beers at Firestone Walker, with options across all across the IBU scale. Some of our current offerings on the lower end of the scale include at 10 IBU and at 17 IBU, while beers coming in a bit higher on the scale include and, both at 60 IBU.
How many IBU is the average beer?
Beer Style and IBU
International Bittering Units (IBU) The International Bittering Units scale, or simply IBU scale, provides a measure of the bitterness of beer, which is provided by the hops used during brewing.Bittering units are measured through the use of a spectrophotometer and solvent extraction.
The apparent bitterness of a beer is subjective to the taste of the drinker and the balancing malt sweetness of the beer this is not always an accurate measure of the “hoppiness” of a beer. But, generally speaking, beers with IBUs of less than 20 have little to no apparent hops presence.
|
/td>
| Beer Stylee | IBU Range |
|---|---|
| Imperial Stout | 50-80 |
| India Pale Ale (IPA) | 40-60 |
| Kolsch Hybrid | 20-30 |
| Lambics | 11-23 |
| Light Ale | 10-15 |
| Marzen/Octoberfest Lager | 22-28 |
| Munich Dunkel Lager | 14-24 |
| Munich Helles Lager | 18-25 |
| Pale Ale, American | 20-40 |
| Pale Ale. Classic | 20-40 |
| Pale Ale, English | 20-40 |
| Pilsner, Classic Lager | 35-45 |
| Pilsner, Czech Lager | 35-43 |
| Pilsner, German Lager | 30-40 |
| Porter | 20-60 |
| Porter, Robust | 25-40 |
| Rauchbier | 20-25 |
| Saison | 20-30 |
| Scotch Strong Ale | 25-35 |
| Scottish Brown | 5-20 |
| Scottish Export | 15-20 |
| Scottish Heavy | 12.17 |
| Scottish Light Ale | 10-15 |
| Smoked Beer | 20-30 |
| Stout, Dry | 30-35 |
| Stout, Sweet (Cream) | 15-25 |
| Vienna Lager | 18-25 |
| Weizenbock | 10-20 |
| Weizen | 13-17 |
/td>
Hybird Beer: Brewed with either lager or ale yeast. : Beer Style and IBU
What is the IBU of Stella Artois?
Euro Pale Lager | ABV: 5.2 % | IBU: 30.
Why is Stella Artois called wife beater?
Brand image – At least since the early 21st century, Stella Artois has carried the nickname of the “wife beater” in the United Kingdom, due to a perceived connection between involving the brand and, In January 2012, the online activities of lobbyists,, were exposed in the United Kingdom when, a member of the said that the company (then owned by, a former advisor to ex-Prime Minister ) was trying to from the and the phrase “wife beater” from the article on Stella Artois in the,
Is Guinness a stout or IPA?
Editor’s Note: Get inspired by a weekly roundup on living well, made simple. Sign up for CNN’s Life, But Better newsletter for information and tools designed to improve your well-being. CNN — Guinness, like other Irish stouts, enjoys a seasonal popularity every St.
- Patrick’s Day.
- It has also been touted as being “good for you,” at least by its own advertising posters decades ago.
- But can this creamy, rich and filling beer really be added to a list of healthy beverages? Or is its reputation just good marketing? We researched the beer’s history and talked to brewing experts and break out the good, the not-so-great and the ingenuity of Guinness.
The original Guinness is a type of ale known as stout. It’s made from a grist (grain) that includes a large amount of roasted barley, which gives it its intense burnt flavor and very dark color. And though you wouldn’t rank it as healthful as a vegetable, the stouts in general, as well as other beers, may be justified in at least some of their nutritional bragging rights.
According to Charlie Bamforth, a professor of brewing sciences at the University of California, Davis, most beers contain significant amounts of antioxidants, B vitamins, the mineral silicon (which may help protect against osteoporosis), soluble fiber and prebiotics, which promote the growth of “good” bacteria in your gut.
And Guinness may have a slight edge compared with other brews, even over other stouts. “We showed that Guinness contained the most folate of the imported beers we analyzed,” Bamforth said. Folate is a B vitamin that our bodies need to make DNA and other genetic material; it’s also necessary for cells to divide.
According to his research, stouts on average contain 12.8 micrograms of folate, or 3.2% of the recommended daily allowance. “We showed that Guinness contained the most folate of the imported beers we analyzed,” Bamforth said. Folate is a B vitamin that our bodies need to make DNA and other genetic material.
It’s also necessary for cells to divide. According to his research, stouts on average contain 12.8 micrograms of folate, or 3.2% of the recommended daily allowance. Because Guinness contains a lot of unmalted barley, which contains more fiber than malted grain, it is also one of the beers with the highest levels of fiber, according to Bamforth.
(Note: Though the USDA lists beer as containing zero grams of fiber, Bamforth said his research shows otherwise.) Bamforth researched and co-authored studies recently published in the Journal of the Institute of Brewing and the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists, The Science of Beer.
Here’s more potentially good news about Guinness: Despite its rich flavor and creamy consistency, it’s not the highest in calories compared with other beers. A 12-ounce serving of Guinness Draught has 125 calories. By comparison, the same size serving of Budweiser has 145 calories, a Heineken has 142 calories, and a Samuel Adams Cream Stout has 189 calories.
- In the United States, Guinness Extra Stout, by the way, has 149 calories.
- This makes sense when you consider that alcohol is the main source of calories in beers.
- Guinness Draught has a lower alcohol content, at 4.2% alcohol by volume (ABV), compared with 5% for Budweiser and Heineken, and 4.9% for the Samuel Adams Cream Stout.
In general, moderate alcohol consumption – defined by the USDA’s dietary guidelines for Americans as no more than two drinks per day for men or one drink per day for women – may protect against heart disease. So you can check off another box. Guinness is still alcohol, and consuming too much can impair judgment and contribute to weight gain.
Heavy drinking (considered more than 15 drinks a week for men or more than eight drinks a week for women) and binge drinking (five or more drinks for men, and four or more for women, in about a two-hour period) are also associated with many health problems, including liver disease, pancreatitis and high blood pressure.
According to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, “alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States: 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence along with several million more who engage in risky, binge drinking patterns that could lead to alcohol problems.” And while moderate consumption of alcohol may have heart benefits for some, consumption of alcohol can also increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer for each drink consumed daily.
- Many decades ago, in Ireland, it would not have been uncommon for a doctor to advise pregnant and nursing women to drink Guinness.
- But today, experts (particularly in the United States) caution of the dangers associated with consuming any alcohol while pregnant.
- Alcohol is a teratogen, which is something that causes birth defects.
It can cause damage to the fetal brain and other organ systems,” said Dr. Erin Tracy, an OB/GYN at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive gynecology. “We don’t know of any safe dose of alcohol in pregnancy; hence we recommend abstaining entirely during this brief period of time in a woman’s life.” What about beer for breastfeeding? “In Britain, they have it in the culture that drinking Guinness is good for nursing mothers,” said Karl Siebert, professor emeritus of the food science department and previous director of the brewing program at Cornell University.
Beer in general has been regarded as a galactagogue, or stimulant of lactation, for much of history. In fact, according to irishtimes.com, breastfeeding women in Ireland were once given a bottle of Guinness a day in maternity hospitals. According to Domhnall Marnell, the Guinness ambassador, Guinness Original (also known as Guinness Extra Stout, depending on where it was sold) debuted in 1821, and for a time, it contained live yeast, which had a high iron content, so it was given to anemic individuals or nursing mothers then, before the effects of alcohol were fully understood.
Some studies have showed evidence that ingredients in beer can increase prolactin, a hormone necessary for milk production; others have showed the opposite. Regardless of the conclusions, the alcohol in beer also appears to counter the benefits associated with increased prolactin secretion.
“The problem is that alcohol temporarily inhibits the milk ejection reflex and overall milk supply, especially when ingested in large amounts, and chronic alcohol use lowers milk supply permanently,” said Diana West, co-author of “The Breastfeeding Mother’s Guide to Making More Milk.” “Barley can be eaten directly, or even made from commercial barley drinks, which would be less problematic than drinking beer,” West said.
If you’re still not convinced that beer is detrimental to breastfeeding, consider this fact: A nursing mother drinking any type of alcohol puts her baby in potential danger. “The fetal brain is still developing after birth – and since alcohol passes into breast milk, the baby is still at risk,” Tracy said.
- This is something we would not advocate today,” Marnell agreed.
- We would not recommend to anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding to be enjoying our products during this time in their life.” Regarding the old wives’ tale about beer’s effects on breastfeeding, Marnell added, “It’s not something that Guinness has perpetuated and if (people are still saying it), I’d like to say once and for all, it’s not something we support or recommend.” Assuming you are healthy and have the green light to drink beer, you might wonder why Guinness feels like you’ve consumed a meal, despite its lower calorie and alcohol content.
It has to do with the sophistication that goes into producing and pouring Guinness. According to Bamforth, for more than half a century, Guinness has put nitrogen gas into its beer at the packaging stage, which gives smaller, more stable bubbles and delivers a more luscious mouthfeel.
It also tempers the harsh burnt character coming from the roasted barley. Guinness cans, containing a widget to control the pour, also have some nitrogen. Guinness is also dispensed through a special tap that uses a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen. “In Ireland, Guinness had a long history of hiring the best and brightest university graduates regardless of what they were trained in,” Siebert said.
“And they put them to work on things they needed. One was a special tap for dispensing Guinness, which has 11 different nozzles in it, that helps to form the fine-bubbled foam.” The foam is remarkably long-lasting. “After you get a freshly poured Guinness, you can make a face in the foam, and by the time you finish drinking it, the face is still there,” Siebert said.
The famous advertising Guinness slogans – including “It’s a good day for a Guinness” – started through word of mouth, said Marnell. “In 1929, when we were about to do our first ad, we asked (ourselves), ‘What stance should we take?’ So we sent around a group of marketers (in Ireland and the UK) to ask Guinness drinkers why they chose Guinness, and nine out of 10 said their belief was that the beer was healthy for them.
We already had this reputation in the bars before we uttered a word about the beer. “That led to the Gilroy ads that were posted,” Marnell explained, referring to the artist John Gilroy, responsible for the Guinness ads from 1928 to the 1960s. “You’ll see the characters representing the Guinness brand – the toucan, the pelican – and slogans like ‘Guinness is good for you’ or ‘Guinness for Strength.’ But those were from the 1920s, ’30s and ‘40s.” Today, he said, the company would not claim any health benefits for its beer.
If anyone is under the impression that there are health benefits to drinking Guinness, then unfortunately, I’m the bearer of bad news. Guinness is not going to build muscle or cure you of influenza.” In fact, Guinness’ parent company, Diageo, spends a lot of effort supporting responsible drinking initiatives and educating consumers about alcohol’s effects.
Its DrinkIQ page offers information such as calories in alcohol, how your body processes it and when alcohol can be dangerous, including during pregnancy. “One of the main things we focus on is that while we would love people to enjoy our beer, we want to make sure they do so as responsibly as possible,” Marnell said.
What is IPA in beer?
What Does IPA Stand For in Beer? – Let’s get this first question out of the way – IPA stands for Indian Pale Ale or India Pale Ale. During British colonial times, sailors were looking for a beer recipe that would be easy to preserve on the long trips from Britain to India.
What IBU is red ale?
Characteristics of an Irish Red Ale
| Quick Characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Color Range: | 9–18 SRM |
| Final Gravity: | 1.010–1.014 |
| IBU Range: | 17–28 |
| ABV Range: | 4.0–6.0% |
Is high IBU hoppy?
Measuring Hoppiness – The phrase “hoppy beer” can refer to several things: a beer’s smell, its flavor profile, as well as the literal volume of hops in its recipe. When we talk about hoppiness, it is a mistake to think only of bitterness. On some labels, a brewery will state a beer’s bitterness in IBUs, or International Bitterness Units.
While a high IBU beer will certainly require a dump truck full of hops, bitterness only tells part of the “flavor story”. A brewery might also produce a high IBU beer that is balanced against a huge malt profile (like a stout or porter) which you would arguably not call a “hoppy beer”. Most of us want to taste the hops, but again, the bitterness they impart helps to keep beer from being too sweet.
Balance AND flavor. “Hoppy” as in “the opposite of malty”, as well as “Hoppy” in that “you taste lots of hops”. This dichotomy of hops use is why you will see hops classified as being “Bittering Hops”, “Aroma Hops”, and hops that can serve both functions – “Dual Use”.
Is 30 IBU bitter?
Bitterness – Bitterness scales attempt to rate the relative bitterness of beer. The bitterness of beer is provided by compounds such as humulones, or alpha acids from hops used during brewing. During the brewing process, humulone undergoes isomerization to form both cis – and trans – isohumulone which are responsible for the bitter taste of the beer.
- Likewise, hops contain lupulones, or beta acids.
- These beta acids are not considered in the initial bittering of the wort as much as their alpha acid counterparts since they do not isomerize through boiling, and therefore do not dissolve in the wort.
- However, beta acids can undergo oxidation and slowly contribute to the bitterness of the beer.
This bitterness is harsher than the bitterness of the alpha acids and this flavor can be undesirable. The oxidation occurs over time through fermentation, storage, and aging. At the same time, isomerized alpha acids undergo degradation and reduce the bitterness of the beer.
| IBUs of some common styles | |
|---|---|
| Beer style | IBUs |
| Lambic | 0–10 |
| Wheat beer | 8–18 |
| American lager | 8–26 |
| Irish red ale | 15–30 |
| Kölsch | 20–30 |
| Pilsner | 24–44 |
| Porter | 18–50 |
| Bitter | 24–50 |
| Pale ale | 30–50 |
| Stout | 30–90 |
| Barleywine | 34–120 |
| India pale ale | 40–120 |
Since the quantities of alpha and beta acids range among hops, the variety of hop should be considered when targeting a specific amount of bitterness in the beer. To maximize bitterness, hops with large alpha acid concentrations should be used. Such varieties include Chinook, Galena, Horizon, Tomahawk, and Warrior hops, and these contain alpha acid concentrations up to 16% by mass.
Since the bitterness is not influenced by beta acids, beta acids are not considered when selecting the variety of hop. Also, the amount of time that the hops are boiled affects the bitterness of the beer. Since heat is needed to isomerize alpha acids, applying heat for longer amounts of time increases the conversion to the isomerized form.
The International Bitterness Units scale, or IBU, is used to approximately quantify the bitterness of beer. This scale is not measured on the perceived bitterness of the beer, but rather the amount of iso-alpha acids. There are several methods to measure IBU.
- The most common and widely used way is through spectrophotometry,
- In this process, hops are boiled in wort to promote isomerization.
- Since the iso-alpha acids are slightly hydrophobic, a reduction of the pH by adding acid increases the hydrophobicity of the iso-alpha acids.
- At this point, an organic solution is added and the iso-alpha acids shift to the organic layer out of the aqueous wort.
This new solution is then placed in a spectrophotometer and the absorbance is read at 275 nm. At this wavelength, the iso-alpha acids have their highest absorbance which allows for the calculation of the concentration of these bittering molecules. This technique was adopted at the same time as another method based on measuring the concentration (in milligrams per litre; parts per million w/v ) of isomerized α acids (IAA) in a beer, causing some confusion among small-scale brewers.
The American Society of Brewing Chemists, in the introduction to its methods on measuring bitterness, points out some differences between the results of the two methods: While the results of the IAA methods are practically identical to those obtained by the BU method for beer brewed with fresh hops, the IAAs of beer brewed with old or poorly stored hops, and with certain special hop extracts, can be significantly lower than the BU figure.
Additionally, HPLC, mass spectrometry, and fluorescence spectroscopy can be employed to measure the amount of iso-alpha acids in a beer. The European Bitterness Units scale, often abbreviated as EBU, is a bitterness scale in which lower values are generally “less bitter” and higher values “more bitter”.
- The scale and method are defined by the European Brewery Convention, and the numerical value should be the same as of the International Bittering Units scale (IBU), defined in co-operation with the American Society of Brewing Chemists,
- However, the exact process of determining EBU and IBU values differs slightly, which may in theory result with slightly smaller values for EBU than IBU.
IBU is not determined by the perceived bitterness of the taste of the beer. For example, the bittering effect of hops is less noticeable in beers with roasted malts or strong flavours, so a higher proportion of hops would be required in strong flavoured beers to achieve the same perceived bitterness in moderately flavoured beers.
For example, an imperial stout may have an IBU of 50, but will taste less bitter than a pale lager with an IBU of 30, because the pale lager has a lower flavour intensity. After around 100 IBU, hop utilization is so poor that the number ceases to be meaningful in regard to taste, although continued hop additions will increase bitterness.
Light lagers without much bitterness will generally have 8–20 IBU, while an India pale ale may have 60–100 IBU or more.
Is 12 IBU bitter?
THE IBU SCALE – International Bitterness Units are measured on a scale from 0 to.infinity basically. There’s no ceiling on the IBU scale because you could make a beer more and more bitter (with more and more of the chemicals found in beer’s ingredients, namely hops and malt) without an end in site.
- Technically speaking, there’s probably a limit on how many IBU’s a beer can have, simply because there is a physical limit on how many of these bittering compounds you can shove into a glass of beer.
- There are documented beers that have rated over 1000 IBU’s, but it’s rare to see anything nearly that high.
Almost all the beer you’re ever going to drink will have an IBU rating between 5 and 120,5 having a very low measured bitterness and 120 having a very high measured bitterness. We’re not going to get into the science of how this is actually measured, because frankly, it’s way above our heads and interest levels, not to mention that accurate IBU measurement involves spectrometers, isooctanes, industrial grade acids, and complicated/expensive machinery like centrifuges.
- Basically, commercial breweries have this equipment, and measure IBUs, as a quality control tool,
- They make a large quantity of the same beer, and they want to make sure the beer tastes the same every time.
- Quality control is a huge part of brewing, and the IBU measurement quantifies the bitterness of the beer their brewing, allowing them to put out a consistent product.
In conclusion.IBU’s do not indicate flavor, aroma, perceived bitterness, or really any other factor that allows you to enjoy the beer you drinking, but IBU’s are part of the industry, and it’s worth knowing a little more about them. As you drink more beer, and hear their IBU counts, you can start to find the zone you generally prefer, and help build your own beer palate.
Is 75 IBU bitter?
IBU Beer Bitterness Scale – Said plainly, IBU is a beer bitterness scale that starts at zero and, as our Senior Quality Advisor Charlie Bamforth explains, “the highest value you can get is 100, no matter what some people claim.” (Those 100+ IBU beers are mostly shock value.) Our Hoptimum Triple IPA measures 75 on the IBU scale, and it’s no doubt meant to have some bitterness in its flavor profile. But the number isn’t everything; how our taste buds perceive bitterness is crucial. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is 38 IBU — a pinch higher than Hazy — but most drinkers perceive its bitterness as far more prominent. That’s because other elements of Hazy’s recipe, like the sweetness and body from malt, downplay hop bitterness.
Is 90 IBU bitter?
Relative & Perceived Bitterness – While it would seem that a beer with higher IBUs would be more bitter than one with lower IBUs; that’s not always the case. That is where the magic of beer can occur. The malts used in beer are the counterpart to bitterness. So if a beer has a lot of malts (probably higher ABV), then it can balance out a higher level of IBUs.
- For example, a beer that has 60 IBUs and is 6% ABV will taste about as bitter as a 90 IBU beer with 9% ABV.
- In addition, a beer with 40 IBUs and 3% ABV will taste more bitter than a beer with 60 IBUs and 8% ABV.
- This is often seen in stouts (which uses more malt than many other styles) can have IBUs that are 60 or higher and have nearly no bitterness.
The IBUs always must be considered as a relative factor compared to the other elements of the beer. It can be viewed like this; more malt = higher ABV = greater ability to balance bitterness. This is a very simplified view that won’t apply to every beer but it’s a good place to start.
The other factor is perceived bitterness – aka how bitter the beer actually tastes. And these is impacted by each person’s ability to taste and handle bitterness. The lesson here is we can’t judge a beer based on the IBU level alone. It takes understanding a lot more about the beer to give an estimated guess on how bitter it will taste.
The only true proof of bitterness is to actually drink it and judge for yourself. Check out this video from my friends at as they explain Relative Bitterness and why high IBUs shouldn’t scare you away from trying a beer. It will increase your knowledge of hoppy vs bitter.
