First Homebrew Contest Pale Ale Recipe (suggestions please)

So I am entering my first homebrew contest here in Oregon during the end of September. I am really excited and this will be my fifth beer brewed. I decided that I should enter under the American Pale Ale category and this is the recipe I came up with:

OG: 1.051 FG: 1.011 5.25 Gallons

6 lbs. Light DME
1 lbs crystal 10
4 oz. Crystal 40

Hop Schedule:
1 oz. Nugget @ 60 min
.5 oz. Amarillo @ 30 min
.25 oz. Amarillo @ 15 min
.25 oz. Amarillo @ 0 min
1 oz. Amarillo @ Dry Hop 7 Days

Safale US-05 Yeast

I entered this into BeerSmith and it meets all the criteria for an APA, but I am feeling like my grain schedule is a little weak compared to other pale ales I've done, but it looks ok when it's all in front of me on BeerSmith.

Also, this Lompoc C-Note Imperial Pale Ale I'm drinking right now is making me want to enter into the Imperial IPA category wooooooooo for 100 IBU's!!!!

Have you tried this brew yet? I would go with something I knew was tasty. Then again I know almost nothing.

No I've not tried it. Just going off of some beginners luck and some fun. Basically it's a recipe that I would Luke to keep improving on and getting some judges remarks should help me correct it into what I would like it to be.

Does anyone think that I should lower the DME and increase the steeping grains?

If you want a really good pale ale recipe, try this one. I brew it, and get rave reviews from friends and other craft drinkers. Really easy to make too.

6lb- Light DME
1lb German Munich malt
10oz Carastan 20L
.5oz Centennial -60
1oz Cascade 15
.5oz Cascade 1

.5oz Centennial Dry Hop
.5oz Cascade Dry Hop

Irish moss at 15 min

Use a clean American ale yeast. I use 1056 Wyeast.

1 gal of water heated to 155*, hold grains at that temp for 45 minutes, strain, no squeezing bag.
Sparge with 1/2 gal of water heated to 170*.
Add water to 3 gal and start boiling

Add half the extract at the start of the boil. Follow hop schedule.

Cool down to pitching temp, aerate, and top off to 5 gal. Pitch yeast.

Comes in around 1.052 OG, should finish around 1.012 or around. Comes in a bit over 5%, 35 IBU's.

Really tasty!

Awesome, thank you. I have tweeked my recipe a bit and I am going to go ahead and brew it, but I might try yours once I want to brew another pale ale

Hey, the worst thing that can happen is you don't win and you still have beer to share with your friends. Good luck!

I went ahead and brewed this beer today, and after tasting my gravity reading sample, I am pleased to say it tasted pretty darn good. Here is the recipe, and I'll let people know what the judges think when it's done. This was probably my best brew day ever, hit all the right temps, hit gravity spot on, and no mess! Quite a fun brew session.

Rusty Piton Pale Ale

5.25 gallons
OG 1.051
FG 1.011

6 lbs light DME
1 lbs Crystal 10L
8 oz Crystal 40L
1 oz Nugget (13.3%)
3 oz Amarillo (9.3%)

-Heat 1 gallon to 163 degrees and steep grains for 45 minutes (152 degrees)
-Heat another pot to 170 degrees and steep grains for 15 minutes
-At beginning of boil (60 min) add 3 lbs DME and 1 oz Nugget hops
-At 30 minutes add .5 oz Amarillo
-At 15 minutes add .25 oz Amarillo and last 3 lbs of DME
-At 10 minutes add 1 tsp of Irish Moss
-At 0 minutes add .25 oz Amarillo
-Ferment for 7 days
-Secondary for 7 days with 2 oz Amarillo (Dry Hop)

It looks a bit low in late hops and a bit high on crystal malt for a pale ale. You may find it may be better in competition labeled as American amber- 10B- instead of 10A, unless it's too light on color.

In a competition that judges by the BJCP guidelines, the judges would be looking for a pretty strong hops aroma and flavor, although the dryhopping may make up for some of the lack of late hops. I'd rather see an ounce of amarillo at 15 minutes and at 5 minutes than 2 ounces of dryhopping in an APA, though. In an APA, caramel malt flavors should be restrained, so 1.5 pounds will probably be too much.

In any case, when you get it done you can taste and see which category it would better fit.

Sounds very sweet for a pale..

Thanks Yooper, I will take your advice and see what happens when I taste it. This is my first time creating a recipe and after I was done I thought maybe I added too much malt and grain, but who knows, might be an awesome "accidental" amber.

Indeed. It doesn't sound bad at all. Could be a really nice sweet malty amber that toes the line.. Have fun with it.

I smelled it yesterday as it was going through its most vigorous fermentation, and it does smell sweet and more like an amber. I might not enter this into the contest cause I have a feeling it may be out of style for 10A and 10B. i.e. its too sweet for a pale ale (I'm assuming), and too light in color for an amber ale. Oh well, I had fun formulating my own recipe and I'm sure it will come out ok since this has been my most immaculate session yet (ferm temps have been an awesome 64 degrees in my swamp cooler).