Finally bought Beersmith 2. Critique my Recipe please!

So I finally caved yesterday and decided to buy Beersmith 2 since I want to start designing my own recipes. I am currently trying to perfect IPA's and IIPA's over the course of the summer and I am curious as to what you guys think about this as my first personal recipe ever. I love simcoe and citra hops so I figured why not put them together. If anyone has experience with that please share. Otherwise, how does this look and how could it be improved?

Batch Size: 6 gallons
Est Original Gravity: 1.080
Est Final Gravity: 1.012
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9.0 %
Bitterness: 97.5 IBUs
Calories: 256.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 8.2 SRM

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU

14 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 75.7 %
2 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 10.8 %
1 lbs Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.4 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 4 5.4 %
8.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 5 2.7 %
1.00 oz Warrior [15.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 34.6 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 7 16.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 8 14.9 IBUs
2.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 16.8 IBUs
2.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 12.0 IBUs
2.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 11 2.4 IBUs
1.5 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 12 -
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 14 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 15 0.0 IBUs

You really don't need the cara-pils. You got 5.4% C-20 which should give you some body. The honey malt will give you maltiness/swetness and being 1.080 you'll have enough body anyway. The rest of it looks good.

How about this instead:

Batch Size: 6 gallons
Est Original Gravity: 1.076 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 8.5 %
Bitterness: 100.7 IBUs
Calories: 256.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 9.4 SRM


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
14 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 80.0 %
2 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 11.4 %
1 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 3 5.7 %
8.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 4 2.9 %
1.00 oz Warrior [15.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 35.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 6 17.3 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 15.4 IBUs
2.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 17.3 IBUs
2.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 12.4 IBUs
2.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 10 2.5 IBUs
1.5 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 11 -
1.00 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 14 0.0 IBUs

(1) If you like nice dry IIPAs like Pliny, then you need to cut way back on your fermentables. Of the 1.08 original gravity, at least ten percent should be simple sugars. Otherwise, you'll end up with a syrupy sweet mess.
(2) In my opinion, it's better to do a 90 minute boil for an IPA. It gives you more opportunity for hop layering.
(3) I just brewed an all Citra IPA and it confirmed what I've been groping toward over the past few months: I love Citra once, but get sick of it after just one glass. It has a perfumy artificial character that I associate with cheap handsoap. You might disagree; for me, I'd scale back on the citra in the recipe, for my tastes, though.
(4) For a beer that big, you want a starter; I guess there's no reason you can't make one with dry yeast, so that's fine, just make sure that you make one with plenty of time for it to grow and get active.

Based on your first post, I recommend to reduce the 2-row to 12 lbs, reduce the Munich to 7%, incorporate 5% sugar, and nix the honey malt. If you really want to use the honey malt, then lower the amount to 2-3% along with the crystal to 2-3%.

You'll want to make an appropriate sized starter with liquid yeast. I would go with WLP001 or WLP090.

What kind of overall hop character do you want from the beer?

Overall I am trying to go for a drier/crisper malt body away from the sweet side. Somewhat along the lines of what firestone walker uses for union jack in terms of just using minimal crystal and a good mix of pale, munich and carapils. In terms of hops I definitely want a strong hop character filled with that funky citrusy dank smelling hop combos that you get from say greenflash's west-coast ipa or lagunita's imperial red ale.

The above advice I posted will give you just that.

Regarding the hop character you desire, do not use Citra in the dryhop. Use 1 oz. of it at whirlpool with 1 oz. Simcoe. No additional Citra anywhere else. If you put Citra in the dryhop, you'll end up with something more tropical and fruity than citrusy or dank. Focus on Simcoe in the dryhop with a bit of Centennial for support. So based on the hops you have, it should be approx. 5% Warrior, 5% Citra, 20% Centennial, and 70% Simcoe. I would use all of the Simcoe from 10-5-0-DH.

Ok so I somewhat used the above advice and came up with this "updated recipe". I changed the assigned style from IIPA to IPA because by reducing all of those malts, the OG fell short of the IIPA range. So how does this look?

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 85.7 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 7.1 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.6 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.6 %
1.00 oz Nugget [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 35.1 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 6 10.6 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 7 3.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 8 11.7 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 9 3.0 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 10 1.5 IBUs
1.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
1.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs

Beer Profile

Batch Size: 6 gallons
Est Original Gravity: 1.061 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.5 %
Bitterness: 65.6 IBUs
Calories: 256.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 6.2 SRM

Thought your batch size was 5 gallons. You could stick with your original 14# and adjust the rest of the malts accordingly. That way the large amount of hops in the original recipe will better stand up to the OG.... or you can go with what you have above and brew that regular IPA. I would use 5% sugar in it myself for dryness.

Sooo after your inputs I have decided on the following recipe. I decided to add 12oz of corn sugar at the advice of bobbrews. Is that a good amount and when should it be added? Before I brew it this coming monday (6/25) I would appreciate any more input/advice any of you might have on how to make this into a great IPA.


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 81.4 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 6.8 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.4 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.4 %
12.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 5 5.1 %
1.00 oz Nugget [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 33.5 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 7 10.1 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 8 3.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 11.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 2.8 IBUs
1.00 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 11 1.4 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 12 -
1.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
1.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 14 0.0 IBUs

Beer Profile

Batch Size: 6 gallons
Est Original Gravity: 1.067 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.5 %
Bitterness: 62.7 IBUs
Calories: 256.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 6.2 SRM

Looks good. I'd probably double up on the whirlpool hops. What temp. did you plan on mashing at?

ok bobbrews and anyone else interested, sorry for so many recipe postings. This is just my first time doing this and want to get it right. After all of your kind advice bobbrews, this is what I've come up with and I think that this looks great personally. Still open to any suggestions/ideas! And I would love some thoughts and ideas regarding that hop combination, considering how crazy it seems. ALSO, was planning to mash somewhat low to get a nice dry, crisp result so was thinking maybe 150? or should I go for 152 instead?


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
12 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 81.4 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 6.8 %
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 3.4 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.4 %
12.0 oz Corn Sugar (Dextrose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 5 5.1 %
1.00 oz Nugget [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 33.5 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 7 10.1 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 8 3.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Citra [12.00 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 9 11.2 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 1.4 IBUs
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 11 3.3 IBUs
1.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 12 0.9 IBUs
1.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 13 2.2 IBUs
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 14 -
1.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 15 0.0 IBUs
1.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 16 0.0 IBUs

Beer Profile

Batch size: 6 gallons
Est Original Gravity: 1.067 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.5 %
Bitterness: 66.2 IBUs
Calories: 256.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 6.2 SRM

2 oz. at whirlpool, not 3.... this is a 1.067 OG beer. It could handle more if it were higher OG. Otherwise you're good to go.

A quick question for bobbrews. So when I brewed this beer a while ago it came out pretty damn good. My friends were pouring themselves pints from my kegerator left and right. I need a lock or something for my better beers haha. But anyway, I just rebrewed this recipe yesterday (subbed the crystal 40 for some 60 this time) and was wondering what your advice would be on upping the dryhop amount. I want to step it up a bit to maybe 3 or 4 ounces but am not totally sure what would be the best way to do so. Considering you helped me put this pretty damn decent recipe together, I figure that you are the man to help. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

EDIT: I only dry hopped with one ounce of cascade and one ounce of simcoe last time, despite what my recipe says above.