This was one of the last extract beers I made, and it’s funny how you can tell in retrospect. That being said, it’s aged very nicely, and has a great head retention. It’ll be nice to see where it’s at in another 6 months.
The IIPA made two weekends ago is done fermenting, and I racked to a secondary to get additional clarity prior to bottling, hopefully this weekend. A wicked hop bite, along with some good aroma and nice mouthfeel. The extra water I added after the boil bought the final gravity down to 1.022, giving us about 6.5%. Can’t wait to try it with some carbonation.
This was my first time using the S-04 yeast, and I have to say that when it says it makes for compact sediment, they aren’t kidding. I had a hard time getting it to rinse out of the carboy without hot water.
Last night we stayed overnight in Rehoboth Beach, DE on the way south to visit some family, and had made a point to go check out the Dogfish Head Brewpub. It’s located right in Rehoboth Beach’s downtown area, a little off the beach, but definitely walkable from all the hotels and B&Bs.
The brewpub offers some great food selections, the majority of which are wood-grilled. We had the portobello burgers, which were awesome. Their menu is not only great, but has suggested beer pairings for about half the menu items.
The best part of the visit was their beer tastings. They have a deal where you can sample 5 different beers for $5, which is a steal, most brewpubs charge twice that for tastings. Their samples are generous, and you can try any beer on the menu, including their limited release brews.
Dogfish Head also makes their own liquors, which are as off-centered as their beers. We only tried a couple of them in mixed drinks, but they were very good. I hope those begin to make their way into the marketplace as well.
Cheers!