IPA Critique, please.

[mblanks2]

Could some of the more experienced brewers please critique my American IPA?
My water and water agents are based on my Ward Labs report and Brunwater spreadsheet to achieve a 5.4 mash PH and a RA of 75.

Mash in with 9.38 gallons at 156*F
5.60 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2
2.80 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 3
3.80 g Baking Soda (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 4 -

17 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 70.8 %
4 lbs Caramel Malt - 20L (Briess) (20.0 SRM) Grain 6 16.7 %
2 lbs Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 7 8.3 %
1 lbs Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 8 4.2 %

Fly Sparge with 7.72 gallons at 168*F
4.60 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) Water Agent 2
2.30 g Calcium Chloride Water Agent 3

2.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 9 20.2 IBUs
2.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 10 35.9 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 11 2.8 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 12 2.3 IBUs
1.00 tbsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 13 -
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 14 1.7 IBUs
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 15 0.9 IBUs
Cool wort to 180*F
1.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Aroma Steep 0.0 min Hop 16 0.0 IBUs
30 minute steep
2.5 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 17 - Rehydrated
2.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 10.0 Days Hop 18 0.0 IBUs

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.062 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.016 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.0 %
Bitterness: 63.8 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz

I plan a 21 day primary and bottle condition for 30 days.

Thoughts, please.

 

[Yooper]

10 gallon batch?

I'd lose the baking soda, as I don't think your mash pH will be too low. You won't need it, but you can hold onto it just in case your mash pH is too low (but it won't be!) You can add you calcium chloride and gypsum to your water- no need to hold it back and add it separately.

For the grain, 16% crystal malt is WAY too much. I'd go with 5% for my tastes (or even none) but you can go up to about 8% if you love sweet crystal malt in IPAs. I love victory malt, but I'd go with no more than 1.5 pounds or even less as it can be pretty strong.

For hopping, I think you have too much bittering hops and not enough flavor and aroma hops for an IPA.

I'd cut the columbus hops out completely, but you can add some to 60 minutes for bittering to get your IBUs where they need to be.

I'd hop more like this:
1-2 oz FWH or 60 minute hops, depending on AAUs (to 35 IBUs or so with this addition)
2 oz cascade 15 minutes
2 oz cascade 10 minutes
2 oz cascade flame out
3-4 oz cascade (dryhop 5-7 days)

 

[Brewbien]

Not going to get a much better answer than that.

 

[LovesIPA]

Cascade is a flavor/aroma hop and generally isn't used for bittering. You need to use so much of it because of its low alpha acid content. Use the Columbus for bittering and the save the Cascade for late boil additions.

+1 on everything Yooper said.

 

[mblanks2]

Yooper, you are the bomb. I had hoped you would be the first to look at this. Thank you.
So now with these adjustments what are your thoughts. The Columbus was moved to FWH for the IBU's. I will have to adjust Brunwater to get the Gypsum and the Calcium Chloride amounts corrected due to the mash changes and I'll have the baking soda on hand just in case.
Also what are your thoughts about cooling the wort to 180* before adding the flameout addition?
And yes, this is a 10 gallon batch. Is there another hop that you would recommend for bittering besides the Columbus?

19 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 5 77.6 %
2 lbs Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 6 8.2 %
2 lbs Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 7 8.2 %
1 lbs 8.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 8 6.1 %
2.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) [14.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 9 50.7 IBUs
2.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 10 9.0 IBUs
1.00 tbsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 11 -
2.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 12 6.6 IBUs
2.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Aroma Steep 0.0 min Hop 13 0.0 IBUs
2.5 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 14 -
4.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 15 0.0 IBUs