First Ag - Us Ipa

[domix]

G'day,
Did a partial (min-mash) stout a couple of weeks ago and want to do my first AG. Its gonna be a smaller volume (17L final volume in BigW pot)
Similar to an Epic Pale Ale, but aiming for a bit higher IBU (~45).

Aiming for 1.056 OG and 1.013 FG. Mash at 66 C.

Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.50 kg Golden Promise (Bairds) (5.3 EBC) Grain 86.42 %
0.40 kg Caramalt (Joe White) (49.3 EBC) Grain 9.88 %
0.15 kg Wheat Malt, Pale (Weyermann) (3.9 EBC) Grain 3.70 %
35.00 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (Dry Hop 3 days) Hops -
35.00 gm Cascade [6.50 %] (60 min) Hops 30.7 IBU
20.00 gm Cascade [6.50 %] (20 min) Hops 10.6 IBU
30.00 gm Cascade [6.50 %] (5 min) Hops 5.2 IBU
1 Pkgs American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272) Yeast-Ale

Couple of questions.
Water chemistry: Is it worth adding a bit of gypsum and CaSO4? I'll be using Melb. tap water.
Using the calculators this will help for a balance between malt and bitterness.

Wheat malt: A fair few recipes a bit of this to help with head. Anyone know if this has a place in this type of beer? Or sub it for more base/spec malts?
Will this amount have a good effect without bringing too much wheat flavour?

Other than that pretty pumped for my first AG. A simple recipe that I should be able to drink soon while my stout comes of age.

thanks,
Adam

 

[Steve@PMF82]

Looks a pretty good grain bill to me, nice and simple, looking at the lower end of the style there, sorta where APA and IPA meet.

I like GP in US styles as well.

Yes treat Melb water, it is pretty much like using rainwater.

 

[domix]

Thanks
I was interested in doing the single hop, but just been reading that cascade can be overdone.
Might use simcoe or chinook for bittering and push the IBU up a bit.