Questions tagged [ibu]

IBU indicates the International Bitterness Unit scale, a perceived relative bitterness measurement.

The International Bittering Units scale, or simply IBU scale, is measured through the use of a spectrophotometer and solvent extraction a calculation is performed on this absorbance to give a result in IBU. (from Wikipedia)

5 questions

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2 answers

How exactly is IBU measured?

Are IBU-testing kits generally available or do you require labs and lots of equipment? Is anything available for testing my homebrew? (I am thinking of something like litmus paper)

ibu

asked Jan 12 '15 at 13:30

Dave45

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1 answer

What's the point of IBUs if hoppier beers have lower IBU than stouts?

I'm confused by the whole idea of IBUs. I see a lot of IPAs that are rated in the 40s or 50s for IBU, but in practice they are much more bitter than stouts in the 80+ range. Shouldn't the IPAs have a higher bitterness rating? What's the point of the…

ibu

asked May 15 '16 at 23:20

SPavel