Azacca single hop NE pale ale recipe

I always try to start a blog post with a brief discussion of the style or something about the following recipe to make the post slightly more interesting to read than a bare recipe. For the NE IPA or pale ale style I'm not sure there is much more to be said that isn't currently part of a polarized discussion thread on one of the many brewing and beer forums around the internetz. You hate or love the style. Local breweries are either great or awful at them. You love the $60 can trade market or think it's the worst. I'm somewhere in between on the style but find the trade market one of the worst parts of craft beer right now.

I guess if I had anything unusual to say about the style it's that I hope it finds paths to stretch beyond just trying to be as murky as possible. I think paths exist using hops and other grains other than the small number that dominate the style that may breed completely new beer styles. Not just for more murk or fruit flavor. Why can't the style's smoother mouthfeel apply to darker beer styles? What would happen if a brewer lent the style's mechanics to a lower ABV pale ale with noble hops? 

Today's recipe does not answer these questions. It's a basic NE style pale ale with just azacca hops. The ingredient choices fell on utility; it's just ingredients I need to use up in the house. I opted for the NE style over a drier west coast pale ale because I still want to explore understanding the water profile that makes the style work. It's a nice summer beer to brew. It will feed my free party pig as something to sip through July. 

Azacca Single Hop NE Pale Ale Recipe

Details
Batch Size: 2.25 gallon
Est. ABV: 5.1%
Est. IBU: 41
Est. OG: 1.050
Est. FG: 1.011
Est. SRM: 5
Expected Efficiency: 72%
Grain Bill	Pounds		Ounces		SRM		Pct. Grist
Pale malt	3		0		2		70.60%
White wheat malt			8		2		11.80%
Flaked oats			8		1		11.80%
Crystal 20			4		20		5.90%
Water Profile	ppm
NE IPA Profile
PH: 5.5
Calcium	100
Magnesium	12
Sodium	29
Sulfate	67
Chloride	134
Bicarbonate	55
Water Additions					Mash		Sparge
Gypsum					0.2g		0.2g
Epsom Salt					0.7g	0	0.8g
Canning Salt
Baking Soda					0.6g
Calcium Chloride					1.7g		1.8g
Chalk					0.3g
Pickling Lime
Lactic Acid					0.6ml
Mash Schedule	Step Temp.				Step Time
Single infusion mash
Mash volume: 6.38 qt
Sparge volume: 1.74 gal
Infuse 76.38 quarts at 167F	152F				60
Sparge 1.74 gal at 190F
Boil Schedule	Volume		Unit		Time		IBU
60 minute boil
Azacca [10.30%]	0.3		oz		FWH		31.6
Azacca [10.30%]	0.5		oz		5		9.5
Azacca [10.30%]	1.2		oz		Whirl		?
Fermentation Schedule	# Days		Temp.
Yeast: WY1318
Pitch 40ml yeast slurry
Pitch at 65F	14		65
Dry hop 2 oz azacca hops	3		Ambient
Package in party pig

Brewday and Fermentation Notes

Brewed 6.17.17.

First runnings: 1.080

Preboil volume: 3.4 gal

Preboil gravity: 1.038

Mash efficiency: 82%

Postboil gravity: 1.050

Postboil volume: 2.25 gal

Brewhouse efficiency: 72%