What is ibu?

Ibu, or International Bitterness Units, is a scale used to measure the bitterness of beer. It's determined by measuring the concentration of iso-alpha acids, which are produced during the <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/boiling%20of%20the%20wort">boiling of the wort</a> with hops. The higher the IBU, the more bitter the beer is perceived to be.

The scale typically ranges from 0 to 120 IBU, although some beers may exceed this. However, the human palate can only distinguish bitterness up to a certain point (around 100 IBU), so beers with extremely high IBUs may not necessarily taste noticeably more bitter than those with slightly lower values.

It is important to note that IBU is an objective measurement, but the perception of bitterness is also influenced by other factors, such as the <a href="https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/residual%20sugar">residual sugar</a>, malt profile, and overall balance of the beer. A beer with a high IBU but also a high level of sweetness might not taste as bitter as a beer with the same IBU but less sweetness. Therefore, IBU is only one aspect of a beer's overall flavor profile.