Too much hops for a APA?

[BaylessBrewer]

I'm planning on brewing a APA for a homebrew competition that one of our local breweries is hosting.
This is a last minute deal and I have to brew it tomorrow after work so that I will have it ready to submit Aug.22!!!
Grain bill
7lbs 2-row
2-lbs red wheat
1.25lbs Vienna
1oz Chocolate malt added at mash out for color
I already had the grain purchased and milled prior to finding this event. Not gonna change it at this point. Original plan was to brew a light drinking refreshing beer. Now the plan has changed a little.
Hops are a different story. I have 8oz Wai-Iti and 4oz Amarillo.
I plan on bittering with Simcoe to 10 ibu or so FWH and then everything else will be late addition and whirlpool @180.
1oz wai-Iti 10min
1oz wai-Iti 5min
3oz wai-Iti whirlpool
2oz Amarillo whirlpool
This gives me around 40 ibu give or take a few. I don't want to dry hop but I want a big in the face hop aroma and a fruity flavor. I don't want to dry hop so that's why I plan on all the hops late and whirlpool.
Is this too much for a APA?

 

[ricshayne]

set your Whirlpool extraction to 10%. I find the default #s in Beersmmith to be greatly over exaggerated, I would still dry hop on top of what you already have here and it sounds delicious!

 

[BaylessBrewer]

If I do dry hop I'll have to pull some of the late/whirlpool hops so that I'll have room for a dry hop. They put a limit of 8oz of hops per 5gal.[emoji35]
Also I have these on hand;
2oz Cascade
3oz Simcoe
4oz Centennial
8oz Wai-Iti
5oz Amarillo

 

[rmarshall100]

Are you using brewing software like Beersmith? You can set it for the style you wish to emulate and it will give you the guidelines as set by the BJCP. Here are the style guidelines in the 2014 version of BJCP...
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.045 – 1.060
IBUs: 30 – 50 FG: 1.010 – 1.015
SRM: 5 – 10 ABV: 4.5 – 6.2%

I think your bitterness will be in style, but the hoppiness may be a little over the top for some judges.

 

[BaylessBrewer]

Are you using brewing software like Beersmith? You can set it for the style you wish to emulate and it will give you the guidelines as set by the BJCP. Here are the style guidelines in the 2014 version of BJCP...

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.045 – 1.060

IBUs: 30 – 50 FG: 1.010 – 1.015

SRM: 5 – 10 ABV: 4.5 – 6.2%



I think your bitterness will be in style, but the hoppiness may be a little over the top for some judges.

Yes I've been using BrewersFriend. The vitals are in spec for style.
Maybe I'll email he head brewer at the brewery and try to see what they are looking for and try to find out who will be judging. It's only $5 to enter and they only want one bottle.

 

[BaylessBrewer]

Anyone else???
I will be doughing in this afternoon around 4:30 and no going back from there

 

[m00ps]

IME, that in no way will to too bitter. The big whirlpool addition will give good hop character but not bitterness. Id literalyl go with any of those hops, They all compliment each other just pick your favorite. If ti makes you any more confident my last IPA had 14oz at flameout for a 5gal batch and it drinks like hop gatorade

 

[brandondrury]

If IBUs are a concern, crank up the 60min boil hops a bit. Achieving your IBUs towards the end of the boil is highly inefficient...if that's the primary concern.

 

[BaylessBrewer]

If IBUs are a concern, crank up the 60min boil hops a bit. Achieving your IBUs towards the end of the boil is highly inefficient...if that's the primary concern.

The concern is that I'll have too much hop flavor and bitterness.
Should I increase my FTW to .5oz? If I do that it will push me out of style guidelines for APA and that's what the beer will be submitted as.

 

[m00ps]

IBUs are just a number, and a made up one at that. You can always white lie and say it had 0.4 or 0.3 oz for the FWH. All that matters is the perceived bitterness and Im positive this wont leave any trace of bitterness on the palate

 

[BaylessBrewer]

Well it's in the books. Came in @ 1.058 and smelled like liquid love!!!