Hop choices

I'll admit that I am a creature of habit. If something works for me, I tend to do it over and over again.

I feel like I've fallen into that sort of rut with hops.

I'm going to brew a standard American Pale Ale. My plan is to create something that I don't yet have, a house beer. I'm shooting for something light in alcohol (less than 5%) and in the 40-50 IBU range. I'm targeting 87% pale, 5% each Crystal 60 and Carapils, and 3% corn sugar to dry it out and keep things crisp.

I like northwest US citrus or piney hops. But Cascade has been one of those "go to" hops for me and I'm looking to branch out.

I read an article recently that talked about pushing many of your hops additions to late in the boil and using more hops to get the same IBUs. This is supposed to really enhance hop flavor and aroma. I'm looking to start with a 20 min addition, a 10 min, and one more at knock out. Then a 7-10 day dry hop after fermentation is complete.

Can anyone make suggestions about good hops to shoot for in something like this?

For my first AG yesterday, I was going for the same thing, a basic APA with the hops as late additions, and some dry hops later. I don't have much to add, but by posting here I become subscribed to the topic! I did cascade for bittering 60 min, then combo of Amarillo and Cascade at 15 min. Dry hop later: 2 oz simcoe, 1/2 oz each of amarillo and cascade. I don't know if it will give me what I'm looking for, but it won't taste bad either.

The only thing I can add that might actually help you, I was reading today, from a vendor, that Summit Hops are popular because they are 18% AA and also have a very citrusy/grapefruit/tangerine quality, and because they are 18% you can boil them later and still hit your IBU target. According to my calculator, boiling 1 oz at 25 minutes gives you the IBU of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, 37 IBU. I want to experiment with those. Had I read this before I brewed, I would have used them instead of cascades.

I'm shooting in the same area. I am moving away from Cascades for this beer because as my wife says, I always use Cascades. It sounds like Amarillo and Simcoe are in the same neck of the woods. I am thinking about going with those two and making all my hop additions with 20 min or less left in the boil. I'll have to buy more hops doing it this way, but it looks like I can get in the mid 40s and still do all my hops in the last 20 min

Centennial, go pick up a sixer of Bell's Two Hearted Ale and give that a shot!