Recipe turnd out too bitter. Critique!

[KFBass]

So when checking my FG today, I tasted the sample, and it was way more bitter then expect. Recipe is as follows:

1lb Crystal 15L
1/4lb Wheat Malt
5.86 (2.6kg) Pale LME
1/2lb Honey

1oz Cascade 60mins
0.33oz Cascade 30mins
0.33oz Cascade 15mins
0.33oz Cascade 5mins

Safale 05.

Steeped crystal and wheat at 155f for 30mins in 2gal, then sparged with 1gal combined and brought to boil. Added half LME at boil, half at 15mins. Honey added at 5mins. OG 1.050 FG 1.080(!!!) Been in the primary for 10 days.

I was expecting the 1oz of bittering hops to give ti a little kick, but this is much more then expected. I'm gonna take a stab and say that using the Late LME addition might have caused better hops utilization?? The Alpha Acids were 7.8 on the packet. But my software still put that at less then I am tasting.

Maybe it's still just green and needs to condition for a bit. Also im following deathbrewers partial mash method. Maybe I should use less strike water if I'm only using 1lb of grains??

EDIT: one the good side, the aroma is great. Fresh citrus, maybe even grapefruity. Colour is nice too. Maybe a darker straw colour. Little cloudy but should turnout great.

 

[jturie]

The bitterness should tone down somewhat with age. My latest order of Cascades has come in at about 7% alpha, which is pretty high for that hop. This can really bump up the bitterness on a recipe that was assuming the more normal 5% or so for Cascades. Might want to cut that 60min addition down to 0.75 or maybe even 0.5 depending on your taste. Me, I'd keep it the way it is, but then I like my beers super bitter.

This has nothing to do with bitterness, but I don't boil my honey--I add it at flameout.

 

[KFBass]

This has nothing to do with bitterness, but I don't boil my honey--I add it at flameout.

Do you find that gives you a better flavour from the honey? This is my first time actually using honey, and I was hesitant for when I would add it. I assumed later in the boil would = more flavour.

I don't expect much flavour from the honey, was more using it to get the OG nailed down (I was expecting 1.052, got 1.050. I'll take it) while not having to buy another full container of LME