Apr 20, 2022 · In beer brewing, an IBU rating refers to the International Bitterness Units scale, which measures the relative bitterness of the beer. Brewers shape beer's flavor by balancing notes of sweetness from sugars in the malted grains and the bitterness from hops.

Apr 2, 2025 · An IBU, or International Bitterness Unit, is a unit of measurement on a scale that’s used to measure the bitterness of beer. It gauges the concentration of iso-alpha acids, or compounds derived from hops, which contribute bitterness to the brew.

Jan 24, 2009 · This chart shows the BJCP beer styles and their international bittering unit (IBU) ranges in bar graph format. Data for this chart comes from the the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). 15 Trackback(s)

WHAT'S AN IBU? International Bitterness (or "Bittering") Unit. IBUs were invented because it was hard to measure how "bitter" a beer was, just like it's hard to measure how "comfortable" your favorite sweater is...it was all about perception.

Mar 10, 2023 · IBU measures the bitterness in a beer that’s contributed by hops — specifically, the amount of bitter acids the lupulin supplies. To find its IBU number, the beer is extracted with an organic solvent, creating a solution that’s then exposed to ultraviolet light.

Jan 22, 2019 · Brewers manipulate the acid from hops to craft signature flavors, with the sharpness measured by the International Bitterness Units (IBU) scale.

Jan 30, 2025 · The International Bitterness Unit (IBU) is very widely used in beer recipe design, as it gives a good overall measure of how bitter the finished beer. The modern method for measuring IBUs attempts to measure the milligrams per liter of iso-alpha acids, so a 20 IBU beer would have 20 mg of isomerized alpha acids per liter of beer.

Apr 15, 2025 · The International Bitterness Units scale, or simply IBU scale, provides a measure of the bitterness of beer, which is provided by the hops used during brewing. An IBU is one part per million of isohumulone — the higher the number, the greater the bitterness.

Mar 18, 2025 · Discover the concept of IBU (International Bitterness Units) in beer and how it influences your tasting experience. This article explains IBU's significance in selecting brews that align with your preferences, detailing the bitterness scale from refreshing lagers to hoppy IPAs.

Bitterness Units, known widely as the international bitterness unit (IBU) or sometimes the shortened form bitterness unit (BU is the internationally accepted unit for describing bitterness in beer). For brewers, the IBU is an important metric for defining beer styles, beer flavor, and a particular beer’s “trueness to brand.”