Last night I decided it was time to bottle a small batch of wine I started in the fall of 2005. It is 80% Frontenac and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. The bottling went just fine - I didn’t expect to but ended up with 5 full bottles. It’s not a great wine, but it’s not bad. The Cabernet was a more recent addition as the Frontenac needed a little more body.

Once the wine was bottled and tucked away, I decided it was time to break out a beer kit I recently purchased. The kit is from Midwest Supply and is a Red Amber Ale. Its from their ‘20 minute boil’ line of kits. Since it was my first time making beer, I thought this one sounded good and simple. The process went very well with no major problems. One issue I did run into was that my wife was pretty grossed out by the smell - to the point of gagging. Future batches may have to be done in the garage or when she’s not home. Other than that, the beer is happily fermenting away in the basement. I’d like to hear what others have done to counteract the odor from boiling wort. Add a comment and let me know.