The bitter taste is the defining characteristic of a beer. The bitterness of a beer is quantified by the International Bitter Units (IBU) standard, which in effect represents the concentration of isomerized alpha acids (iso-alpha acids) in beer. Iso-alphaacids are sourced from Humulus lupulus L. (hops). The chemistry of hops is very complex, due to … Continue reading The importance of characterizing hops in beer