Simple IPA Recipe

Looking good so far. I would add some sort of simple sugar, maybe even honey to get to your 6%. You'll definitely need to up your hop bill for an IPA and stagger your additions. 1 oz at 60 min looks good, but I'd add one around 20 min, 10 min, 5 min, and flame out. Maybe .5 oz each of your hop of choice for each later addition.

Remember to add most of your extract late so it doesn't scorch and cause your IPA to be overly brown.

This should turn out to be an excellent first beer

 

You could make a little less volume of beer and up your numbers that way. I actually started making 4 gallon batches, then 3.5 gallon batches, mainly because I can get a full boil on a glass top stove.

What's the SRM of your crystal malt?

what are the AA percentages of your hops? I'm assuming pilgrim 11.5%, first gold 7.5%

Using beersmith for a five gallon batch I get

ABV 4.7
IBU 42.9

using beersmith for a FOUR gallon batch I get

ABV 5.9
IBU 47.7

I'm guessing at your process and equipment, but obviously you'll raise your ABV and IBU if you use the same ingredients and make a little less beer.

Otherwise you'll need more/different hops and extract to hit your targets.

I would think if you want it to be a hoppy IPA you should get more hops and hop burst it at the end.

LOL plus what alexipa said

 

Amber extract and a lb of crystal is going to yield an amber ale, not an IPA. I'd recommend light, or better yet extra light extract. Pilsen extract is a good choice too.

To increase the ABV add more extract, or a combo of extract and simple sugar. To increase the IBUs increase the amount of hops. Personally I don't think you necessarily need to increase the number of hop additions, you can certainly brew a great IPA with 6 additions, but you can brew a great IPA with three additions as well (I like 60min, 10 min, dry hop personally). Stone for example brews their IPA with only a 60 min, a whirlpool, and a dry hop.

 

Ruination uses that schedule also, IIRC.
Lots of ways to make an IPA.

 

Read this: http://beersmith.com/blog/2008/02/20/better-beer-with-late-malt-extract-additions/

Basically you'll add 1/4 of your extract at the beginning of your boil (as normal). The rest you'd add with about 15 minutes left. This will help with color mostly, but I've also noticed an improvement in the taste of my beers after doing this.

 

I may be misinterpreting what you're saying, but you need to replace the amber extract with the lighter extract, not just add it. i.e. simply adding light/extra light/pilsen extract to the amber doesn't lighten the color, it will actually make it darker.