hop utilization

[damianbrown1980]

i understand the dramatic style differences, and how the types and amounts of hops used will vary, but what would an average usage (in ounces or pounds) of hops be for a 10bbl batch? (ie, an average across the style spectrum)

Thanks!!!

[BMOOR]

I don't know that there is an easy answer to this question since so many factors are involved. Just the style of beer makes a huge difference. For example our lightest ale (cream ale style) uses about 5 lbs of low alpha hops for a 15 bbl system. Our Double IPA uses over 50 lbs of hops, which are pretty high alpha varieties. Obviously that is an extreme, but all of our beers fall in between those two. Alpha acids make a huge difference too. A German noble hop can be as low as 3.5% while a Warrior hop can be upwards of 15%. That's going to make a real difference in amount used.
This doens't take into account brew system design, boil time, etc.
If you can give more specifics to the reasons for the questions, I think you could get a more specific answer.
Good Luck.

[BigWilley]

Go to the probrewer tools link and use the hop calculator to play around with different hops for a 10BBl batch. Saaz can be under 3% alpha while Magnumn can be over 14%. Both will give you a clean bitterness. So one pound of magnumn could be equal to almost 5 pounds of saaz. Can you see the problem of giving "relative amounts."

[Ted Briggs]

.7442 pounds per bbl.- not including dry hopping.
Calculated average of hops used for all 6 standard brews.
Now, we all know this is a obviously unanswerable question as originally stated, but I would be genuinely curious to others "average pounds per bbl. for standard -not seasonal- brews"
The assumption needed here is an average of high vs. low alpha hops used over several styles as well as an average utilization of our moderately efficient small brewing systems.

[beauxman]

The answer to this question is...."it depends". This is actually the answer to most brewing questions because truly, you cannot answer it across the board, there are so many factors to take in account. Hows that for a non-answer that actually is the answer!
-Beaux