Last night I tasted my Dog Days of Summer Ale. It was basically NB's Three Hearted kit, but I added ~4oz oak chips (soaked in Jim Beam for 3hrs and steamed in Beam and water for 20min) at racking time. When I bottled, it was a really smooth American IPA. I bottled with DME (1-1/4cups) for the first time.
It had been a week, so I tossed one in the fridge to check carbonation. Popped the lid last night to a loud hiss. Nice. I have been told that the ehad is better, with denser smaller bubbles when using DME. I poured it and got half the glass as head. Even the bottle foamed internally at that point. Smell was all hops. Mouthfeel was smooth, but really different due to the smaller bubbles. Will this was a decent beer, at the moment the oak/bourbon really dominates flavor wise.
A couple of questions...as it ages, with the oak/bourbon mellow and allow the IPA flavor to become more prominent? Also, is that kind of foaming/head normal for a DME primed beer? I had high hopes for this brew, and I am hoping that it ages into a spectacular beer.
-Todd
It had been a week, so I tossed one in the fridge to check carbonation. Popped the lid last night to a loud hiss. Nice. I have been told that the ehad is better, with denser smaller bubbles when using DME. I poured it and got half the glass as head. Even the bottle foamed internally at that point. Smell was all hops. Mouthfeel was smooth, but really different due to the smaller bubbles. Will this was a decent beer, at the moment the oak/bourbon really dominates flavor wise.
A couple of questions...as it ages, with the oak/bourbon mellow and allow the IPA flavor to become more prominent? Also, is that kind of foaming/head normal for a DME primed beer? I had high hopes for this brew, and I am hoping that it ages into a spectacular beer.
-Todd