One more request for criticism!

Trying to put together a quick batch for my hiking club and going the partial/mini/mainly-extract route for expedience (and no time to build a new mash tun with a 9 month old running around!). This what I came up with though I think I may need to back some of the numbers down a bit. Going for a light to medium body pale ale with focus on the citrusy hops but I am also trying not to be too hoppy...


7# of extra light DME
.5# carapils
.5# crystal 10

1 oz. Cluster hops @ 60min (7% AA)
1 oz. Horizon @ 15min (10.9% AA)
1 oz. Summits @ 5min (18.5% AA)

I figure a 25/30 min mini-mash for the grain in 1.5 gal @ 155F, and sparge with 170F to bring my kettle to 5.5 gal. and commence boil. I think I am going with Wyeast 1272.

What I think I have overdone is the DME and the IBU/HBU for my target.

Any ideas/thoughts/you-suck-and-should-not-brew?

Looks fine to me, although you are steeping not mashing (mashing requires enzymatic grains). How hoppy do you want it? An ounce at flameout and/or dry hop would be a good idea if you really want to feature the hop aromatics.

I've got my first batch with 1272 fermenting now, a hoppy red ale with Centennial and Amarillo. Good luck.

You're a little high on the OG and IBUs if you're trying to brew in style. Are you trying to?

By too hoppy are you referring to bitterness? Or hop flavor? Summit at the end will give a nice grapefruit flavor (in my opinion one of the most pronounced grapefruit flavors even compared to the C-hops).

Your hopping schedule (times) looks pretty good. I can't comment on the horizon/summit mixture as I have never used horizon.

What I would do is sub a lb of the DME for some more steeping grains...perhaps some toasted malt like victory or biscuit (if you steep either of these you should include a lb or so of 2-row for conversion), or add some vienna, or even still sub the C-10 for C-60. Any of those changes/additions should cut down on the pronouncement of hop flavor.

Not too concerned with staying in the style. I defaulted to pale as a catch-all reference. And upon Furthur tinkering, my math says I am WAY over on IBUs, at least where I thought I wanted to be. And yeah, I meant steeping, not mashing.

I am aiming at a lighter color than C-60 will allow, methinks. The goal is to allow a fairly wide range of people to enjoy said beer and not be turned off by a "dark beer" or a hop-bomb, though if I wound up with and Imperial India Stout, I would totally still drink it!

Thanks for the initial feedback, any more is truly appreciated!