FWH and Bittering

[Beer Garden]

When you guy's first wort hop how do you adjust your 60 minute bittering additions?
I'm playing around with a recipe and I guess I'm wondering how much bittering are you actually getting out of the FWH addition. I have only done a FWH along with a 60 minute addition. If I ditch the 60 min addition and up the FWH addition am I gonna get enough bittering?

BG

[brewmonkey]

If you go with FWH you still calculate as if it were a 60 minute addition. You will get the same bittering but in my experience with this method (which is several hundred batches) it is a much more refined bitterness. All my FWH additions seem to come out smoother on the palate, especially those hops with high co-humulone levels.

[dparsons]

Some compute the bitterness addition as if it is the same as a 60 minute addition, some consider it as being somewhat less with a bit of a flavor boost. I've done it a few times (not hundreds) and am not convinced either way. It could be that the bitterness added is the same but it is so smooth that it isn't perceived as such. True or not, the character contributed by the hops is different. The only way to find out what you like is to try it. Using the same amounts as for 60 minutes is a good place to start.

[CiderJoe]

I think you're supposed to calculate like it's a normal 60 min boil. You're going to get more hop flavour with FWHing but the same bitterness I think.

All the chemical reactions you're looking for to get the bittering only happen once it's boiling. You need that temp of 100ºC at a constant to to break down everything. I wish I had one of my books in front of me so I could quote exactly what happens.

But in the end, you get the same bitterness from FWH and from just adding them once the wort reaches boiling. Just ask yourself how important having more hop flavour is, which is what I think BrewMonkey is referring to when he says "more refined bitterness".