Help me improve my AG IPA

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seattlejohn

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I am sipping the best IPA I have made to date. I recently made the switch to AG and am struggling to have the same consistency I had with extract + grains. When I went to the LHBS, I meant to go half 2 row and half maris otter, but they were out of maris so I improvised on the fly. My main question is, what would you do to make this a better IPA? I have low extraction problems that are getting better with each brew but I think that it is realistic to shoot for 65% efficiency when making a recipe.

13 lb 2 row
2 lb Scottish Pale
1 lb carapils
1.5 lb crystal 80

Mash at 156 for 60 minutes.

60 minutes: 1.5 oz Magnum
20 minutes: .5 oz Magnum, 1.5 oz Amarillo
Flameout: 1 oz Amarillo, 1 oz Cascade

Yeast: Rehydrated US-05 - bubbling nicely when checked 8 hours later.

OG: 1.062

Primary 2 weeks

FG: 1.016

Corny Keg, 40 degrees, carbed at 20 for 4 days, served at ~8.

It is a tasty ball of sweet hops with each sip. My only critique is that it is a tad too bitter. If I could do it over, I would do only 1 oz magnum for 60 minutes. I am still getting used to the enhanced hop utilization of a full 6.5 gallon boil vs. a 3.5 gallon boil for a 5.5 gallon batch. I think I want to try FWH next.

Anyway, I am shooting for a clean, nutty, super-hop 6.5-7.0 ABV IPA! :p
 
I put about half my 60 minute hops in the mash tun now,during the acid rest if I do one; unless I need the spent grains leaf free for bread or something.

It is just different. Definitely try it if you like hoppy brews.
 
A little touch of munich or something more "biscuity" in place of some of the crystal 80L could be a good substitute for the MO. I like to get a hint of malt character in an IPA. Not like an amber, but just enough to make it more interesting. Maybe Victory malt or a special belgian malt. I would start with a small amount, 0.5 lbs or less. If you use something more pronounced, like Victory or something darker than munich, I'd use 0.25 lbs. This is one way to add to the IPA without messing with the hops.
 
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