alpha acid

Ways to Quantify the Perception of Bitterness in Beer

by Brad Smith on February 14, 2022 · 0 comments

This week I take a look at some of the factors affecting how bitterness in beer is perceived and how they interact in a finished beer. Bitterness Perception in Beer For many years, I thought that the International Bitterness Units (IBU) level drove the overall bitterness level in a finished beer. As I matured as […]

Hop Cone Composition and Beer Brewing

by Brad Smith on August 26, 2021 · 0 comments

This week I take a look at the hop cone and how its composition affects flavors when brewing beer. Hop Cone Composition If we look at the hop cone image (upper right, Source: Stan Hieronymus) we can see the various parts of the hop cone. The bulk of the compounds we are interested in are […]