Check my IPA recipie? Simcoe/Centennial

[dm2bfree]

I'm trying to come up with my first homemade recipie, after a few posts and tasting a few brews.. I came up with this.. I'm looking for a mild-moderate piney aroma w/ a high citrus aroma & flavor. My favorite IPA at the moment is probably stone, which inspires the centennial & citurs.

Do you think it will balance w/ the simcoe in the proportions that I have? Also, is there to much crystal to given the IBU's? I expect it would finish about 1.18, beersmith thinks 1.15 @ 6.81% abv, but it just doesn't happen for me even with temp controlled fermentation & starters. Thanks in advance!!

Recipe: Big Fish - IPA
Style: American IPA
TYPE: Extract

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.41 gal
Estimated OG: 1.067 SG
Estimated Color: 13.3 EBC
Estimated IBU: 69.5 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: - %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
7 lbs 8.0 oz Extra Light Dry Extract (5.9 EBC) Dry Extract 83.33 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 15L (29.6 EBC) Grain 16.67 %

1.00 oz Simcoe [12.70 %] (60 min) Hops 36.8 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [9.90 %] (18 min) Hops 18.0 IBU
0.25 oz Simcoe [12.70 %] (18 min) Hops 5.2 IBU
1.00 oz Centennial [9.90 %] (6 min) Hops 7.5 IBU
0.25 oz Simcoe [12.70 %] (6 min) Hops 2.2 IBU
0.50 oz Centennial [9.90 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -
0.50 oz Simcoe [13.00 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -

1.00 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [StartYeast-Ale

Total Grain Weight: 8.11 lb

 

[Oldsock]

For my tastes in IPA I would cut the crystal malt down (you'll have plenty of sweetness from the OG and extract). I would also add more dry hops, I like IPAs to have a really pungent hop nose. Simcoe and Centennial should be a good combo, I have an IPA with the combo plus Amarillo aging now.

 

[dm2bfree]

How much Crystal would you go with? I like a really pungent citrus/piney nose also, so your right, I will def increase the dryhops. I have some Amarillo too, maybe I should dry hop w/ those to give a super citrus/orangey aroma??

Btw, the odd hops time are because I'm trying to get full utilization of the aroma & flavor based on this chart. Should I even worry about it, I'm not sure if really makes a difference to get on the exact minutes??

http://www.brewsupplies.com/hop_characteristics.htm

 

[Oldsock]

1/2 lb of crystal should be plenty, but then I like really dry IPAs.

For really hoppy beers I do 60 min (to hit my bittering) and then nothing until flame-out. I only use those mid-boil additions if I am brewing a beer that isn't hop focused.

 

[lazytaper]

I agree with the 1/2 lb Crystal. You should consider dry hopping with Citra/Simcoe.

I would double the FWH hops to 2 oz. and start with Centennial. Then I would use your times but make the last 10 then 5 Simcoe only. I would use 2 oz. of a Simcoe/Citra blend in dry.

I'm sure everyone would do it different but that's what I do. I also prefer Wyeast America II.