Hop Bitterness (IBU) Calculator

Calculate International Bitterness Units from hop additions using the Tinseth formula. Accounts for alpha acid percentage, boil time, and wort gravity.

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How It Works

IBU (International Bitterness Units) measures the perceived bitterness in beer. The Tinseth formula is the most widely used method, accounting for two factors: the "bigness factor" (higher gravity wort reduces hop utilization) and the boil time factor (longer boils extract more alpha acids, up to a plateau around 90 minutes). Typical IBU ranges: light lagers 8-15, wheat beers 10-20, pale ales 30-50, IPAs 50-70, double IPAs 60-100+. The BU:GU ratio (IBU divided by gravity units) helps gauge balance — below 0.5 is malty, above 0.8 is hoppy.