First State Brewers Blog

Here’s an email I received from Doug Griffith of Delmarva Brewing Craft in Millsboro.

From:Delmarva Brewing [delmarvabrewing@direcway.com]
Subject: Millsboro Home Brew Shop

Hi Scott,

I am Doug Griffith and with my wife Patti, we operate Delmarva Brewing Craft in Millsboro.

I am sorry to hear that HDYB is closing in September. I know I get some of my customers because they like to have someone to talk with in person about their latest brew or need some advise about their next and talking with someone over the phone just isn’t the same. I am sure your local homebrew shop will be missed by many in your club.

If there is any way I may help you with supplies for you and the First State Brewers club just let me know. I have a brochure of most of my supplies for both beer and wine making that I would be glad to mail some copies for you and the club.
My primary day of business is Saturdays from 9 to 5 but other hours are available by appointment. I have a toll free number for ordering which is 877-556-9433. I do mailorder and have found that most deliveries within the state are received in two days, many the next day after shipping. Although most of my customers are below Dover, I believe all packages go to Wilmington before being forwarded to their final destination, so the same delivery times would apply.

Again, if there is anyway I can help you with supplies, do no hesitate to call or email.

Doug Griffith
Delamarva Brewing Craft
877-556-9433

Well, I brewed 10 gallons today with my new 14 gallon kettle. It was great. Did take longer than a 5 gallon session, purely because of the extra time to heat up more water. I probably could have cranked the burner and fixed that little issue. I also mashed for 90 minute instead of 60 because the water/grain ratio was 0.95 - Was necessary for my extra mash-out infusion. Some comical highlights of the day (all of which were learning experiences).

• 10 gallons of water is really heavy. Definitely takes 2 people to move it around, or you end up pouring 170 deg water and wort on your chest. Both hurt.
• Putting a T in the line out from your kettle, even if the two seperate lines going to 2 carboys are of equal length, does not insure you’ll end up with the same amount of wort in your 2 fermenters.
• The groundwater temp around here SUCKS in the summer. After 50 minutes my immersion chiller had things down to a whopping 82 deg - I should have bought some ice and use my water recirc pump.
• continuously adding .3 oz of hops every 2 minutes from 15 minutes to 1 minutes is a physical impossibility when you calculate the total hops to be 1.5oz. Should have been every 3 minutes…

At any rate, the yeast is pitched and I’ve got them sitting on my concrete basement floor to act like a heat sink… I hope. At last count the temperature was down to 77 in the fermenters, so it is working… I just hope it continues to before the fermentation heat kicks in and knocks it back up.

I’m pooped. Time to go sit on the couch and wait for the ice cream festival tonight.