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IBU


Aussiekraut

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I'm a little confused when I read IBU values. Looking at the IBU of the extracts in the online store, they are pretty much all in the 3 digit range but some finished beers have vastly different values. Take the Anarchy IPA ROTM for example. The APA kit it is based on has an IBU of 390 but the finished beer supposedly has an IBU of 40. Sure, 2kg of unhopped malt are added but also more hops. Is that a typo or does the IBU value really drop down to 40? Or does the IBU of the can refer to the content of the can itself, before it is diluted with water?

I've seen a few recipes where the end result is in the mid double digit range, as opposed to the triple digit range the extract cans have.

Could somebody shed some light on this?

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These are the values for the Coopers kits when brewed to 23 litres using the formula references in the FAQ

COOPERS EXTRACT KITS 
BREWED AS RECOMMENDED ( 0.4% Alc/V allowed for bottle priming)
Kit name Alc/v   EBC   IBU
LAGER 4.4 6 29
DRAUGHT 4.4 10 31
REAL ALE 4.4 17 41
DARK ALE 4.4 48 44
STOUT 4.4 133 52
AUSTRALIAN PALE ALE 4.4 7 25
CANADIAN BLONDE 4.4 5 31
MEXICAN CERVEZA 4.4 5 24
EUROPEAN LAGER 4.4 8 25
ENGLISH BITTER 3.4 32 46
IRISH STOUT 3.9 122 41
86 RAYS PILSNER 4.2 7 36
GOLDEN CROWN LAGER 4.2 8 29
BOOTMAKER PALE ALE 5.0 13 41
BREW 'A' IPA 5.0 20 44
PREACHER'S HEFE WHEAT 5.0 5 25
INNKEEPERS DEAUGHTER 5.0 7 45
FAMILY SECRET AMBER ALE 4.2 32 37
DEVIL'S HALF RUBY PORTER 4.2 49 44
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Hi @James of Bayswater

I have done similar in a spreadsheet form. 

  • It takes into account the bitterness (IBU) loss during fermentation.  This rate is set at 20% in the spreadsheet and can be adjusted if you want.
  • The EBC is based on the can contents only, not the fermentables that would also be added and influence the final EBU.
  • The Thomas Coopers Extracts are also in the list.  These are unhopped (so unbittered) and have no IBU.

I have found it handy for sorting the sheet on IBU or EBC to compare different Coopers ranges.  Especially when wanting to swap one can for another in a recipe, based on what I have in my inventory.

Coopers Kits compared to Mr Beer Kits.xlsx

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That's great  Shamus .  I will have to adjust mine accordingly.  

(If you wonder about the difference between your colour values and mine it is because mine are calculated on the finished brew including the contributions of the recommended adjuncts and yours are calculated on the content of the can). 

I have read that FAQ many times but for some reason I have missed the IBU reduction factor on fermentation every time.  It certainly helps explain some of the anomalies I have found.

 

 

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1 hour ago, James of Bayswater said:

If you wonder about the difference between your colour values and mine it is because mine are calculated on the finished brew including the contributions of the recommended adjuncts and yours are calculated on the content of the can

Hey James

I did think yours was based on the recommended recipe for each can and that is different with some using Brew Enhancers and others Light Dry Malt and in different weights.

Your list is great if folks want to get an idea how the basic recommended brews turn out.

Cheers Shamus

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