Simple IPA recipe

I'm brewing a 10 gallon batch with a friend. We do one mash and then divide the wort into two kettles, where we can do our own hop schedule.

I'm looking for a very california style IPA that is all about the hops.

Grain bill is simply:

26lbs of American 2-row
Acidulated malt as needed to adjust pH

.5lb Biscuit steeped in Kettle B, the other kettle gets nothing.

Mash at 150F for 45 minutes, assuming conversion is done by then. Should give an OG of around 1.060 given my typical efficiency.

Both kettles get 2 hopshots from Northern Brewer at 60m, which should give them around 100IBU. I've never used hopshots, and think they could be fun to try.

Kettle A then gets this at flame out:
2oz Ahtanum
2oz Centennial
2oz Citra

Kettle B gets this at flame out:
4oz Sugar in boiled water (to help dry it out a little more)
4oz Centennial
2oz Citra

Then I'll ferment at 63F ambient with American Ale yeast. I like US-05.

Once fermentation is done, I'll use gelatin to drop the yeast. Then dry hop both with the exact same types and amounts that they got at flameout.

Each beer will have 12oz hops + 2 hop shots.

In this experiment, we'll be testing the difference between a 3 hop beer and a 2 hop beer. Also a solid base malt beer and one with a tiny amount of specialty. Finally, one with a bit of sugar to make it a stronger/drier.

I'll also be adjusting the water a bit, primarily to bump up the Sulfate to 125ppm or so. (It's normally only at 12ppm.)

Any suggestions or changes you'd make?

It sounds good to me, but I've never restrained myself enough to do an all base-malt beer before.

pale ale malt is used instead of 2 row in pale ales and ipa's. a little medium crystal and you can add some carapils for head retention and some body.

What is the goal of the experiment? To test the difference between a 2 and 3 hop beer, or to test the difference that the malt bill/sugar makes?

It's really tough to test BOTH since there will be no control batch.

I would test only one variable at a time if you are really looking to draw conclusions about the recipe variable in question. If its hops, make both beers identical except for the hops. If it's malt backbone, make both beers identical except for the grain bill.

In the experiment you list, it will be impossible to compare the hop character accurately because different fermentables make up the beer. It will be impossible to compare the difference the malt bill makes because the hop character is different in each beer.

Now...if you just want to see how each recipe turns out and arent really looking to draw any conclusions or comparisons...go for it!