Help with recipe development - Mardi Gras clone
 

For christmas, I gave my Aunt a selection of my beer, and a case of any beer of her choosing. She's always been a brave beer drinker, every-time I saw her over the years she had a different beer, or selection of beers. Always one to try something new...I envy that to be honest :)

Anyway, she threw me a curveball and said she'd once had a couple of Pete's Wicked Mardi Gras ales and really enjoyed them but could never find it again. This beer's been off the shelves for about 10 years, if not more and despite looking at dozens of google results, I'm not finding a ton of info.

Clearly, it was ginger beer, sweet and honey like. I'd be more inclined to go with a darker beer with the ginger, but it seems it was lighter in color and body.

I don't really know much about recipe formulation, so I welcome any help I can get. I want to give it a bit more color and sweetness, hence the crystal 60. I'm going to go with the Cali-Ale yeast unless there's any reason I shouldn't. I've already got a starter going form some harvested yeast on my last batch.

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: Peat Grass

Recipe Specifications
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Boil Size: 6.46 gal
Post Boil Volume: 5.46 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 4.60 gal
Estimated OG: 1.050 SG
Estimated Color: 12.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 14.9 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.6 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type # %/IBU
4 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 47.4 %
3 lbs 8.0 oz Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 2 36.8 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 3 15.8 %
0.75 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0 Hop 4 14.7 IBUs
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 5 -
3.00 oz Ginger Root (Boil 12.0 mins) Herb 6 -
0.25 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 1.0 Hop 7 0.2 IBUs
1.0 pkg California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [35. Yeast 8 -


Mash Schedule: Double Infusion, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 9 lbs 8.0 oz
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Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Protein Rest Add 10.55 qt of water at 130.2 122.0 F 30 min
Saccharification Add 7.60 qt of water at 190.0 F 148.0 F 30 min
Mash Out Error: Infusion temperature abo 168.0 F 10 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 1.43 gal water at 168.0 F