Highest IBU beer you've had/made

[Agentgonzo]

I'm not a fan of highly bitter beers. I don't like West coast IPAs much. This evening I'm drinking a brew made by a friend that's come in at 116 IBU!

What's the highest rated IBU you've made or drunk?

 

[Sadfield]

Highest made was a historic style IPA that was well over 100 ibus.

Highest drunk was this

It's all BS though when you factor on utilisation, taste threshold and perception, though.

Still, it's all preferable to the current trend of soft, hazy, one dimensional pales and neipas. Big aroma, then a wet void where the malt flavour and bitterness should be.

 

[samale]

@Donegal john
What's your Willie Frazer on the bitterness scale

 

[Big_Eight]

I have one at 85 IBU in the fermenter at almost 11% abv. Used almost a pound (US) of Centennial hops can't wait to try it.

I'm not a fan unless they are balanced. A balanced high IBU IPA can taste divine.

 

[Brew_DD2]

I have one at 85 IBU in the fermenter at almost 11% abv. Used almost a pound (US) of Centennial hops can't wait to try it.

I'm not a fan unless they are balanced. A balanced high IBU IPA can taste divine.

Agree with this. Bitterness is gross if it has nothing bounce off of.

 

[Donegal john]

@Donegal john
What's your Willie Frazer on the bitterness scale

It’s about 75 ibu’s.
have a version of this bit with chevalier and first gold this in the keg conditioning at 144ibu’s the bitterness is high but it’s a nice beer. Can’t drink anything after having one though as your tastebuds take a hammering.

 

[dmtaylor]

It is physiochemically unlikely to exceed 90-95 IBUs in a beer for real. The estimation calculators are incorrect at these levels. There is a real-life ceiling of about 95 IBUs. So.....

The most IBUs I have ever tasted was about 95 IBUs, probably hundreds of different beers like this.

 

[MrRook]

Several by ears ago I brewed a replica of an 1800s IPA for a Zymurgy article. On paper it was close to 200. It was pretty much undrinkable at first. It sat in a secondary for nine months and turned out pretty good.

 

[NormanHurst]

I think that's it. Some of the old IPA recipes have ridiculously high bitterness but would have been aged for up to a year before drinking. Very different to 2+2+2...

 

[crescent city Mike]

dmtaylor is absolutely correct. All of those high IBU claims are calculated values. The human palette can't discern more than about 90 IBUs so the only point left is bragging rights.

 

[Donegal john]

The question is “ highest ibu beer you’ve made” so all values are relevant regardless of what level we can detect.
who worked that 90 ibu figure out by the way ?

 

[dmtaylor]

who worked that 90 ibu figure out by the way ?

Empirical science

 

[Donegal john]

Here’s a difference of opinion

The Oxford Companion to Beer Definition of International Bitterness Units (IBUs)

International Bitterness Units (IBUs) of The Oxford Companion to Beer definition presented by Craft Beer & Brewing

beerandbrewing.com

 

[chthon]

Calculated 60 IBU in a strong ale of 10% ABV. Definitely bitter, for a long time. Started to mellow after six months. But a nice bitter, only used EKG on that.

 

[Alastair70]

I have a Pliny clone fermenting at the minute, the calculated IBU is 178. I’ve no idea how it’s going to turn out

 

[marshbrewer]

Highest made was a historic style IPA that was well over 100 ibus.

Like @Sadfield , and many others on this thread, I've brewed historical styles that have over 100 (calculated) IBUs.

However, they are aged for, well, ages so this fades which perhaps suggests why they used so many hops.