Cost Per Pint

I have had issues with time and money for brewing lately. All that I've had going on is waiting for the Vanilla Stout to fully carbonate so we can enjoy this beer. After this weekend I should be able to brew again (PLEASE). In the meantime, I have wasted some time and come up with a new little feature for the blog.

On the left there is a new box that will now hold my current cost per pint. I will never post how much I've actually spent because that could get me in trouble down the road. I am keeping the total to myself, but sharing this will be fun. Although it isn't my focus or reason for brewing, it shouldn't be hard to stay below the $4 or $5 they charge at the bars (as long as I never buy any really big toys). It is just an interesting thing to track.

Bottle Washing... ugh

After bottling the vanilla stout, I realized I have once again accumulated a lot of bottles that need labels removed or yeast brushed out. I started by soaking all the bottles to soften up the labels and the yeast. Thankfully this soak will make the labels basically peel off without tearing or leaving behind too much glue. I don't mind the process of getting all the labels off.

Unfortunately, I still have to use my bottle brush to get all this yeast scraped out. I hate trying to get the bottle brush in and out of the bottles. It just flings water and dead yeast all over the me and the kitchen. Time to start a kegging fund...

Bottling Day!!

I was finally able to bottle my vanilla stout. We've had numerous house guests and spent some time sick. I am finally starting to get my bottling process worked out. I had the fewest amount of spilled beer on the kitchen floor to date. Definitely made clean up easier and my wife happier. The beer smelled and tasted great. I am really looking forward to drinking this one.