Citra Honey Pale Ale Please Critique

[Izzie1701]

My local homebrew shop had a sale on whole Citra hops. 4oz for $6. I couldn't say no. I have never tried them before but want to have only Citra as a hop in this beer so I really get the citrus taste. Any ideas or comments on the recipe below. I also have never used honey and would like to try that as well in it as I have a ton of it left over from a mead. I also don't like overly bitter beer so that's why my IBU's are low.

Thank you,

Title: Citra Honey PA

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American Pale Ale
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 18.9 liters (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 22 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.041
Efficiency: 73% (brew house)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.008
ABV (standard): 5.23%
IBU (tinseth): 36.84
SRM (morey): 5.62

FERMENTABLES:
3.25 kg - American - Pale 2-Row (85.5%)
150 g - American - Caramel / Crystal 60L (3.9%)
400 g - Honey (10.5%)

HOPS:
10 g - Citra, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 12.3, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 16.27
10 g - Citra, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 12.3, Use: Boil for 30 min, IBU: 12.5
10 g - Citra, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 12.3, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 8.07
20 g - Citra, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 12.3, Use: Boil for 0 min
30 g - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 12.3, Use: Dry Hop for 5 days


OTHER INGREDIENTS:
15 g - Irish Moss, Time: 15 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil
1 each - Gelatin Knox Package, Type: Fining, Use: Kegging

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 81%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 12.22 - 25 C
Fermentation Temp: 68 C


This recipe has been published online at:
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/305791/citra-honey-ipa

Generated by Brewer's Friend - http://www.brewersfriend.com/
Date: 2015-12-16 01:44 UTC
Recipe Last Updated: 2015-12-16 01:44 UTC

 

[bigplunkett]

Id trow more citra at it least another once in the flame out and the dey hop. My last all citra pale ale had 9 oz in it and it was awesome

 

[Hanso]

Looks good overall. It will come out quite bitter. You might consider having no 60 min addition and reserving the extra 10 grams for extra 15 minute addition. That would get you to about 28 ibu, better balance, less bitter, more flavor/aroma.

 

[Brulosopher]

2 things:

Grist looks fine, though I might ditch the crystal malt and replace with more 2-row.

Citra doesn't taste like citrus, imo, but more like over ripe tropical fruit.

 

[Izzie1701]

So made this over the weekend. Changed the hop schedule to have no 60 min addition and added those 10g to the 15 min addition. I also only used 100g of crystal 60 and added 100g of flaked barley. I also only dry hopped with 15g of citra as right now the whole basement smells amazingly like hops and pineapple. I figured I would save the other 15 for another brew. I dry hopped a little earlier then I wanted but I wanted them in for 5 days and I'm hoping to keg and have on tap for New Year's Eve. Also out of town now until the 29th so thought I would do it a little early. I have to say I have never brewed with citra before and they smell amazing. This is also my third all grain and went from an efficiency of 73% to 83%. I think I changed a few things that helped. I set my mill a lot finer. Took yoopers advice and ground till I was scared. I was scared but it worked. Also over heated my mash water from what the strike water calc has been telling me. I kept seeming to miss my temp by about 5F low so I hated to 5F higher then the calc told me and I held my mash at 150. Well started at 151 and ended at 148 and stirred 4 times though out. Last batch I was 146 down to 142 and only stirred once as I didn't want to drop my mash temp anymore. Used RO water with no water additions and hit a ph of 5.3. All seemed great and I can't wait to pull a pint and try it.

 

[Izzie1701]

Kegged this today. Hit an fg of 1.010. Taste amazing already. I don't find it to be overly bitter but tons of hop flavour. I think this is my favourite brew to date.