BeerBorg

......To adjust the AA % on your brewing software after you buy your hops. I bet most remember to do it, but I thought I would remind us all.

I got my delivery of hops from MoreBeer today. BeerSmith has Centennial in at a default AA of 10.00%. I received 5 ounces total from MoreBeer. The (2) two ounce packs were labeled as 11.8 % and the (1) one ounce pack was labeled as 8.9%. The difference of these numbers compared to the default number could really change the IBU rating of the beer depending on when it's used in the boil.

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming!!

Addendum: Be sure to check and set Yeast Dates, Cell Counts (approx.) and Grain SRM if your software allows as well!

Just to be contrary, I refer to The Hat's First Rule of Brewing:

If you like the beer you made, YOU DID IT RIGHT.

I don't want to open a can o' worms, but how much difference is 5 or so IBUs going to make? Are you going to notice the difference? I doubt I would. I'm all for keeping within style guidelines, and keeping track of numbers and all, and I actually shoot for the middle range of style guidelines for ABV and IBU when I'm working out a recipe, just to account for the fudge factor.

But unless your IBUs jump from 35 to 80, I can't see going that deep into it. Some numbers make a difference. Others, not so much.

Feel free to know exactly what your projected numbers should be (although the real numbers in the final product are....what?). If that's what makes this hobby satisfying for you, you got my support and props. We all brew for different reasons, and find satisfaction in our own ways.

But I ain't that into the numbers, myself; I'm more into the zen.

FedoraDave wrote: Feel free to know exactly what your projected numbers should be

Thank you for your permission....I will.

BlackDuck wrote:......To adjust the AA % on your brewing software after you buy your hops. I bet most remember to do it, but I thought I would remind us all....

I keep that in mind.

If you want to get really picky, try to guess when your hops were picked (IE 2012 harvest) and look up Hop Union info on storagability of that kind of hop, and then try to guess just how much AA you have lost... because really the packages lie if it's been in the package a while and not stored in the freezer.

Recipe says an ounce of x hops, I use it. I adjust AA% in QBrew, but I do not calculate whether I need to adjust hops to hit recipe.

I do this on every batch as well. Especially for trying to replicate recipes or make tweaks brew after brew. I doubt I can taste the difference between say 40 and 45 IBUs, BUT at the same time there has to be threshold where the taste changes. And I don't want a variable to be the thing I can't replicate in a brew.

The same thing goes for clones. If a recipe calls for 30 IBUs at some point, I'm going to make sure that is what I give it.
Admittedly, I also measure my grains to the 10th of an ounce So many of my batches are 2.5G so every addition counts as far as I'm concerned so if my recipe says 8.2 ounces of something, I don't put in 8, I put in 8.2.

JMO but it would seem to me, we'd have to reflect the actual AA in the recipe. If for no other reason, than to see if you think any changes are needed. While I agree you won't be able to really taste the change in IBUs as such in most brews, it will change how you perceive the brew. Especially in lighter brews like say an American wheat. 5 IBUs is a big percentage when the style is only 15-30 IBUs. I tend to brew my APAs 30-35 IBUs so adding another 5 could really change what I want in my APA.

Honestly, I prefer when people list the AAUs or at least the amount + the AA of the hops so I can work from that to get as close as possible.

IMO, where this really becomes important is when you start substituting hops in a recipe. If you are rebrewing something and the batch of hops changes slightly you may lose a point here or there but if you decide so swap out Columbus for Cascade (just for example) and one is 11% and the other is only 7% you're going to get a dramatically different beer (hop flavors aside, of course).

Thing is we really don't know the real AA of our hops. You can measure the hops by weight as precise as you want. You can use AAU vs IBU or what not. Doesn't matter. AA degrade with age and storage conditions, and we really don't know know the exact age (we can guess) and we certainly don't know the storage conditions of the hops before we got them. You can refer to Hop Unions data sheet on AA degradation over time @ specific temp and take a SWAG at it, but still - we really don't know, and the packages lie unless the package is right off the packaging line.

But unless you have the scientific equipment to actually measure the AA as of this instant, you really don't know...

So basically YMMV no matter how much you want to stress about it. So I choose to not stress to much about it and make beer.

Sure, I'll concede those points. But, I still want to limit variables as much as I can.

And for me, it's not stress so much as it is a desire to document changes and reproduce as closely as possible, if desired.

Kealia wrote:Sure, I'll concede those points. But, I still want to limit variables as much as I can.

And for me, it's not stress so much as it is a desire to document changes and reproduce as closely as possible, if desired.

This is exactly why I make the changes too. I understand that I'll never know how much the AA% has degraded due to time, storage conditions, etc. etc. But I do know how much they are supposed to be based on what the manufacturer labels the package with. And knowing that and being able to adjust hop quantities to match the same recipe's statistics over and over and over again should help me reproduce a recipe over and over with as little perceivable difference as possible.

BlackDuck wrote:

Kealia wrote:Sure, I'll concede those points. But, I still want to limit variables as much as I can.

And for me, it's not stress so much as it is a desire to document changes and reproduce as closely as possible, if desired.

This is exactly why I make the changes too. I understand that I'll never know how much the AA% has degraded due to time, storage conditions, etc. etc. But I do know how much they are supposed to be based on what the manufacturer labels the package with. And knowing that and being able to adjust hop quantities to match the same recipe's statistics over and over and over again should help me reproduce a recipe over and over with as little perceivable difference as possible.

Since we don't have a "Like" button, you both get one of these

That is exactly why I make the changes in BeerSmith. I'm not only out to make great beer, but repeatable great beer. Same reason why I try to dial in my crush, mash temps, water profiles, fermentation temps, etc., and keep good notes. I want to be able to reproduce a beer that I like without having to start over every time. Nothing wrong with not doing it, it's just one more piece of the puzzle. Plus the extra couple minutes it takes doesn't really add any time to my brew day.

Cheers!

Oh, I track it all too, and use the data if I'm trying to reproduce a beer. I just don't stress about it actually really truly turning out the same.