Pale ale recipe advice

[trapae]

I am planning a tropical hop pale ale and wondering what ya’all think. Does anyone have an opinion on the hop combo? Also should I drop the Caramel 40 since tropical hops can have perceived sweetness?

Style: American Pale Ale
Color: 5.3 srm
Bitterness: 42.7 IBUs
Boil Time: 60 min
Est OG: 1.052 (12.9° P)
Est FG: 1.012 SG (3.1° P)
ABV: 5.2%
Mash 60 @ 150

Ingredients
Amount Name Type #
9 lbs 15.5 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US
15.8 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)
3.9 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)
0.35 oz Magnum [14.0%] - Boil 60 min
1.08 Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15 min)
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15 min)
0.35 oz Equinox (HBC 366) [15.0%] - Boil 10 min
0.35 oz Loral [11.0%] - Boil 10 min
0.35 oz El Dorado [15.0%] - Boil 10 min
1.00 Chiller/whirlpool (Boil 10 min)
0.35 oz Equinox (HBC 366) [15.0%] - Boil 5 min
0.35 oz Loral [11.0%] - Boil 5 min
0.35 oz El Dorado [15.0%] - Boil 5 min
Starter Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007)

Notes
At flameout, cool quickly to 175 and then whirlpool hop for 30 minutes:
1.0oz el dorado
1.0oz equanot
1.0oz loral

 

[Horseflesh]

In my experience the sort of sweet flavor of tropical hops is really different that what you get from crystal, and I think the crystal is still beneficial.

If I were doing your recipe I'd even consider upping the C40 to 8 oz at least. YMMV.

 

[RM-MN]

I'd round up those numbers on the grain to make it easier to weigh them. I like my pale ales a little darker so sometimes I use a pound of C-60 for the flavoring. There isn't a hard rule about how much or what kind of Caramel malt to use if it is just for your drinking pleasure. I've even done a batch with a pound of C-120 and liked that.

You can skip the yeast nutrient if you want, the wort will have everything the yeast needs but oxygen. Fruit juices lack some of the nutrients to that yeast nutrient is important for wines.

 

[Bowen1911]

For me personally, I don't use any crystal/caramel malts in a hop forward beer. I even add corn sugar to dry it out a little and really showcase the hops. That's also a pretty low mash temperature. Every beer I've mashed 150 or lower has had a weird almost grassy taste to me. I take the same recipe and bump the mash up to 152-154 and it goes away. My palate could be way off too.