IPL Recipe - feedback appreciated

[bubbafat]

It's our first time lagering and we'd like to try an IPL. After doing some reading and thinking about what we'd like, we landed on this recipe. We'd like something hop-forward while retaining traditional lager flavors. We'd also like something on the sessionable side to enjoy after working in the yard - winter is here, but spring is coming.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

Batch Size: 6.00 gal
Boil Size: 8.33 gal
Color: 4.6 SRM
Bitterness: 58.1 IBUs
Boil Time: 75 min
Est OG: 1.048 (12.0° P)
Est FG: 1.009 SG (2.4° P)
Fermentation: Lager, Single Stage
ABV: 5.1%

Mash
--------------------------
5 lbs Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)
4 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM)
1 lbs Munich 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM)
8.00 oz Carapils (Briess) (1.5 SRM)

Boil
--------------------------
1.00 oz Sterling [7.5%] - Boil 30 min
1.00 oz Citra [12.0%] - Boil 15 min
1.00 oz Sterling [7.5%] - Boil 15 min
1.00 oz Citra [12.0%] - Boil 5 min
1.00 oz Citra [12.0%] - Whirlpool 0 min

Fermentation
--------------------------
German Lager (White Labs #WLP830) - 2L starter

 

[thehaze]

The recipe looks OK, but Maris Otter looks out of place, so does Carapils. I am not convinced Carapils actually does anything, and so are others from what i read. All Pilsner/Bohemian Pilsner/Pale Ale malt would probably be better and much lighter in colour.

Is it an " India " Lager if you are not dry hopping and/or whirlpooling? 58 IBUs in a 5.1% ABV Pilsner could be too much.

 

[bubbafat]

The recipe looks OK, but Maris Otter looks out of place, so does Carapils. I am not convinced Carapils actually does anything, and so are others from what i read. All Pilsner/Bohemian Pilsner/Pale Ale malt would probably be better and much lighter in colour.

The MO was my last change before posting - I originally had 10lbs of pilsner. Well, I originally had 13lbs and was going for closer to 7% but we decided to bring it back a little and adjust keeping the carapils and munich ratios the same. My thinking with substituting some MO was to get more malty/bready flavors to balance against the higher IBUs - I've never used pilsner before so I was speculating not basing it on experience.

Is it an " India " Lager if you are not dry hopping and/or whirlpooling? 58 IBUs in a 5.1% ABV Pilsner could be too much.

I do whirlpool. I see the last hop addition was marked as steep but it should be whirlpool. I had considered 1 or 2 ounces of citra but I wanted to get into the fermentation and see how things tasted before deciding.

58 IBUs was based on representative samples from IPL's I've enjoyed - I could definitely move it back closer to 35-40 by moving the 30 minute addition closer to the end. That would lose some bitterness but keep the hop character.

Thank you - this has given me some more to think about.